Sim Doctor Tuning Handbook

Gran Turismo Setup Secrets

Powered by Phood!

When tuning your car, adjusting the spring rates is a critical aspect to address issues related to oversteer or understeer. It's important to note that changes in spring rates not only impact how the car handles bumps but also influence how the car behaves during acceleration and braking phases.

In Gran Turismo 7, your spring rates are closely tied to your ride height. To achieve the lowest possible ride height, compromises must be made with your spring rates to prevent the car from bottoming out during pitching loads and compressions. As a general guideline, running relatively stiff spring rates is advisable.

However, the ideal stiffness varies depending on the specific car, so we'll keep this discussion broad. Softer spring rates will allow the car to pitch more during heavy acceleration and braking phases, as weight transfer becomes more pronounced. This increased pitching can lead to instability.

The front and rear spring rates also have distinct impacts on different parts of a corner. For example, if the front springs are too soft, the car will pitch excessively during heavy braking, causing the rear to unload quickly and promoting oversteer on corner entry.

Conversely, stiffening the front spring rates reduces weight transfer to the front of the car, decreasing oversteer during entry and braking phases. Softening the front spring rates, on the other hand, increases weight transfer to the front, reducing understeer during entry and braking as the rear unloads more quickly.

Adjusting the rear springs is similarly important. Running them too stiff or too soft can lead to oversteer or understeer, respectively. Stiffer rear springs result in less load transfer and reduced absorption of bumps and kerbs, primarily affecting the mid to exit phase of a corner.

If your car feels too nervous at the rear under power or when navigating exit kerbs in slower corners, it often means the rear spring rate is too stiff. Less load transfer to the rear during acceleration results in a less stable rear end. In slower corners where aero loads are reduced, mechanical grip plays a more significant role, making stiffer rear spring rates problematic.

Conversely, if the car feels sluggish at the rear under power or when handling exit kerbs in higher-speed corners, it generally indicates that the rear spring rate is too soft. With less load transfer to the rear during acceleration, the car becomes more willing to rotate at speed, especially in corners where aero loads are reduced.

This is why stiffer front spring rates may not provide as much front-end grip and can lead to issues compared to softer spring rates, which load up the tires more and allow for more effective weight transfer.

*Some setups may require either one or both adjustments