Buggy Set-up
/C - Buggy Setup Guide
This setup guide assumes your car is in perfect working order. (Bearings spinning freely, nothing dragging the ground, no binding in the suspension,...)
Tires
Tires are always the first element in setting up a car. If you've got the right tires, you're 90% there.
Springs
Stiffer
Stiffer springs make the car feel more responsive, more direct.
They also help the car jump a little better and higher.
Stiff springs are suited for high-traction tracks, which aren't too bumpy.
Softer
Softer springs are better for (mildly) bumpy tracks.
They can also make the car feel as if it has a little more traction in low-grip conditions.
Stiffer Front
The car has less front traction, and less steering. It's harder to get the car to turn, the turn
radius is bigger and the car has a lot less steering exiting corners.
The car will jump better and maybe a little further.
On very high-grip tracks, it's usually beneficial to stiffen the front, even more than the
rear. It just makes the car easier to drive, and faster.
Softer Front
The car has more steering, especially in the middle part and the exit of the corner.
Front springs that are too soft can make the car hook and spin, and they can also make it
react sluggishly.
Stiffer Rear
The car has more steering, in the middle and exit of the turn. This is especially apparent in
long, high-speed corners.
But rear traction is reduced.
Softer Rear
The car has generally more rear traction, in turns as well as through bumps and while
accelerating.
Damping
Heavier
Thicker oil (heavier damping) makes the car more stable, and makes it handle more smoothly.
It also makes the car jump and land better.
If damping is too heavy, traction could be lost in bumpy sections.
Softer
Soft damping (and springing) is better for shallow, ripply bumps.
It also makes the car react quicker.
Damping should always be adapted to the spring ratio; the suspension should never feel too 'springy' or too slow.
Heavier Front
The turn radius is wider, but smoother. The car doesn't 'hook' suddenly.
The car is easier to drive, and high-speed steering feels very nice.
Softer Front
The steering reacts quicker.
More and better low-speed steering.
Heavier Rear Steering feels quick and responsive, while the rear stays relatively stable.
Softer Rear
Feels very easy to drive, the car can be 'thrown' into turns.
More rear traction while accelerating.
If one end of the car has slightly heavier damping than the other, then that end will feel as if it has the
most consistent traction and the most stable when turning in and exiting corners.
A car with slightly heavier rear damping, or slightly lighter front damping will feel very stable turning into corners on bumps or whoops sections. It won't feel 'touchy' at all.
Caster
More caster aids stability, and handling in bumpy sections.
Less caster increases steering drastically. Steering feels much more direct, the car turns tighter and faster.
Ride Height
Higher
The car feels better in bumps, and jumps better.
It can feel tippy, or even flip over in high-grip conditions.
Lower
The car feels more direct, and it can potentially corner a bit faster.
It's also harder to flip the car over.
R/C - Buggy Setup Guide
Lowering one end of the car, or putting the other end higher up, gives a little more grip at the lowest
end, but try to avoid big differences in ride height between the front and the rear.
Wheelbase
Shorter
A short wheelbase makes the car feel very nimble, and good in tight turns.
This is a good idea for very small and tight tracks, without big jumps or bumps.
Longer
The car becomes a lot more stable and better in wide, high-speed turns.
This is good on wide-open tracks.
Anti-Squat
More
More anti-squat generally makes the rear of the car more sensitive to throttle input.
The car has more steering while braking, and also a little more powering out of corners.
On high-traction tracks, it may feel as if the car momentarily has more rear traction accelerating
out of corners.
A car with more anti-squat can also jump a little higher and further, and it will soak up bumps a
little better, off-power.
A lot of anti-squat (4° or more) can make the car spin out in turns, and make the rear end break
loose when accelerating.
Less
Less anti-squat gives more rear traction while accellerating on a slippery or dusty track.
It also gives more side-bite.
Less anti-squat will make the car accellerate better and faster through bumpy sections.
Very little anti-squat (0° or 1°) makes the rear end feel very stable. It also makes power sliding a
lot easier.
Note that anti-squat only works when you're accelerating or braking, it does absolutely nothing when
you're coasting through turns.
The harder you brake or accelerate, the bigger the effect of anti-squat is.
Shock Pistons
-The assumption is made that if pistons are changed, the viscosity of the o