Forza Horizon 3 offers a vast playground for drifting enthusiasts. Mastering the art of tuning your car is crucial for achieving those perfect slides and conquering drift zones. This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of how to tune your drift car in Forza Horizon 3, covering everything from car selection to fine-tuning your suspension.
Choosing the Right Platform
While many Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) cars can drift, avoid Mid-Engine and Rear-Engine cars initially. Their weight distribution favors grip over sliding. Focus on Front-Engine RWD cars for easier drift control. Don’t rule out Mid or Rear-Engine cars entirely, as they can become drift beasts with the right tuning. Remember, some cars can be converted to RWD after purchase, opening up more options.
A Nissan 240SX, a popular RWD drift car platform.
Essential Upgrades for Drifting
Maximize your car’s drift potential with these key upgrades:
Platform and Handling: Upgrade to Race everything for optimal performance. While Weight Reduction, Roll Cage, and Anti-Roll Bars aren’t mandatory, they contribute to better handling.
Drivetrain: Opt for Race components throughout.
Wheels and Tires: Choose Street or Sport tire compounds. Avoid Race Slicks as they are often restricted in competitive drifting. Experiment with tire width. A wider rear tire setup can enhance grip for maintaining drift speed, while some prefer wider front tires for increased steering response.
Different tire compounds offer varying levels of grip.
Aspiration: While single turbochargers are common, consider the impact of turbo lag. Twin turbos, twin-screw, or centrifugal superchargers offer quicker response. Learn to manage turbo lag if you choose a single turbo setup.
Performance: Install a Sport Flywheel for improved engine response. Other performance upgrades are optional but keep the horsepower within a reasonable range (around 400hp is a good starting point). Stay within the S class or lower, as higher classes might be restricted in competitions.
Fine-Tuning Your Drift Setup
Tire Pressure: Aim for 32 PSI while hot. Start at 28 PSI and adjust after a few laps, monitoring tire pressure through telemetry.
Alignment:
- Camber: Use negative camber on both front and rear tires (-4 to -5 degrees front, -1 to -2 degrees rear). Adjust for near-zero camber while drifting, using telemetry data.
- Toe: Set positive toe for the front to increase steering angle during drifts. Experiment with slight negative toe (0 to -0.5) for the rear.
- Caster: This affects steering feel and stability. Higher caster increases stability but reduces responsiveness. Experiment to find your preferred setting.
Visual representation of camber and toe settings.
Anti-Roll Bars, Springs, and Rebound Stiffness: Use the formula (A-B)C+B=X where:
- A = Stiffest setting
- B = Softest setting
- C = Weight distribution on front/rear axle
This ensures balanced handling. Fine-tune spring stiffness based on track characteristics; tighter springs for tight tracks, softer springs for high-speed tracks. Bump stiffness should be 50-75% of rebound stiffness.
Ride Height: Slightly raise the front end higher than the rear for better weight transfer under braking.
Brake Distribution and Pressure: 45% front brake bias and 120% brake pressure are good starting points. Adjust to personal preference.
Differentials: Higher acceleration and deceleration settings increase drift angle but make the car more prone to spinning. Find a balance that suits your driving style.
Gearing: Find your “money gear” (usually 3rd or 4th) and adjust the final drive to avoid redlining too quickly. Fine-tune individual gears if necessary.
Mastering the Art
Tuning a drift car in Forza Horizon 3 is a continuous process of experimentation and refinement. Use this guide as a foundation, but don’t be afraid to tweak settings to match your driving style and specific track conditions. With practice and persistence, you’ll be shredding tires and scoring perfect drift scores in no time.
