Differentials

[fedorico]

I find it difficult to master this! 75% seems to be the default always (?) but do you guys have any tips on how to set this up? In the dry it's a little easier but when it rains I'm struggling as ****.

( Is there much difference between, let's say 65% and 85% in this game? )

[Enlil]

Unlike most road cars which have an open differential, F1 cars have a limited slip differential. So if one tyre loses traction, torque is still transferred to the other tyre unlike an open differential where all the torque would go to the spinning tyre in the same situation. Path of least resistance.
When cornering the tyres will cover different distances and thus
rotate at different speeds with respect to each other. At 100 percent you effectively have a solid rear axle and the tyres will always rotate at the same speed. The differential can drastically alter the handling of the car entering and exiting a corner. The game breaks this down for you already with on throttle (power) and off throttle (coast). So naturally on throttle would affect corner exit and off throttle would affect corner entry. In both cases more lock will increase tyre wear when in a cornering state. Weight transfer also plays a role with how much locking you can get away with, particularly with the on throttle setting. By increasing roll stiffness the inside tyre will have more available grip. The more grip available the more locking force you can use.
So what impact does the off throttle setting have on corner entry
performance? At 100 percent both tyres rotate at the same speed. That means when you make the cut into a corner the car wants to keep going straight because the inside tyre can’t rotate slower than the outside tyre. This makes for a very stable car that can be thrown into a corner with relatively little risk of spinning out, which also can be bad if the understeer is so great that you can’t make the corner to begin with. You need to find the balance between stability on entry while still being able to enter corners at competitive speeds. Because we can’t set the off throttle to 0 percent, it is impossible to lock up just one tyre under braking. It’s either both lock up or both keep rotating. This means the stronger the locking, the shorter braking distances by pushing the brake
bias aft and trail braking into a corner while maintaining stability. For the on throttle setting it’s the same principles. At 100 percent both tyres rotate at the same speed and will want to push you straight out of a corner. But if you apply too much power and exceed the grip available on the outside tyre you will experience snap oversteer. Again it’s a matter of finding the compromise between stability and outright traction that suits your driving style. The on throttle differential setting is adjustable on track

ON THROTTLE (POWER)
<<< Decrease <<<
● More forgiving when opening the throttle while cornering (more warning before breaking traction)
● Better rear tyre wear rate while on throttle and cornering
>>> Increase >>>
● More traction for better acceleration

OFF THROTTLE (COAST)
What do you need?
<<< Decrease <<<
● More yaw (better rotation) for corner entry
● Better rear tyre wear rate while off throttle and cornering
>>> Increase >>>
● Better stability on corner entry
● More traction for shorter braking distances and trail braking

From F1 2016 setup manual that u can find online.

[fedorico]

Originally posted by 3NLiL#Bwoah:

Unlike most road cars which have an open differential, F1 cars have a limited slip differential. So if one tyre loses traction, torque is still transferred to the other tyre unlike an open differential where all the torque would go to the spinning tyre in the same situation. Path of least resistance.
When cornering the tyres will cover different distances and thus
rotate at different speeds with respect to each other. At 100 percent you effectively have a solid rear axle and the tyres will always rotate at the same speed. The differential can drastically alter the handling of the car entering and exiting a corner. The game breaks this down for you already with on throttle (power) and off throttle (coast). So naturally on throttle would affect corner exit and off throttle would affect corner entry. In both cases more lock will increase tyre wear when in a cornering state. Weight transfer also plays a role with how much locking you can get away with, particularly with the on throttle setting. By increasing roll stiffness the inside tyre will have more available grip. The more grip available the more locking force you can use.
So what impact does the off throttle setting have on corner entry
performance? At 100 percent both tyres rotate at the same speed. That means when you make the cut into a corner the car wants to keep going straight because the inside tyre can’t rotate slower than the outside tyre. This makes for a very stable car that can be thrown into a corner with relatively little risk of spinning out, which also can be bad if the understeer is so great that you can’t make the corner to begin with. You need to find the balance between stability on entry while still being able to enter corners at competitive speeds. Because we can’t set the off throttle to 0 percent, it is impossible to lock up just one tyre under braking. It’s either both lock up or both keep rotating. This means the stronger the locking, the shorter braking distances by pushing the brake
bias aft and trail braking into a corner while maintaining stability. For the on throttle setting it’s the same principles. At 100 percent both tyres rotate at the same speed and will want to push you straight out of a corner. But if you apply too much power and exceed the grip available on the outside tyre you will experience snap oversteer. Again it’s a matter of finding the compromise between stability and outright traction that suits your driving style. The on throttle differential setting is adjustable on track

ON THROTTLE (POWER)
<<< Decrease <<<
● More forgiving when opening the throttle while cornering (more warning before breaking traction)
● Better rear tyre wear rate while on throttle and cornering
>>> Increase >>>
● More traction for better acceleration

OFF THROTTLE (COAST)
What do you need?
<<< Decrease <<<
● More yaw (better rotation) for corner entry
● Better rear tyre wear rate while off throttle and cornering
>>> Increase >>>
● Better stability on corner entry
● More traction for shorter braking distances and trail braking

From F1 2016 setup manual that u can find online.

This REALLY helped me A LOT, THANKS a bunch !!

[Enlil]

No problem, you are welcome :)