How does Armor affect tuning in Wreckfest?

Adding heavy armor increases your vehicle's mass. This severely reduces acceleration and increases suspension compression. To compensate, you must run stiffer suspension (to hold the weight) and shorter gearing (to regain lost acceleration out of corners).

What is the best differential setting for dirt tracks?

On loose surfaces like dirt or mud, you generally want a Locked (4 or 5) differential. This forces both rear wheels to spin at the same speed, allowing you to intentionally break traction and powerslide around tight corners.

Why is my car understeering into walls?

Understeer is often caused by a fully locked differential on tarmac, or having your Brake Bias set too far to the Front (4 or 5). Shifting your Brake Bias to the Rear (1 or 2) allows you to use the brakes to induce oversteer and pivot the car into the turn.

Wreckfest 2 Tuning Calculator | Armor & Setup Optimizer

Event Parameters

Track Surface

Track Layout

Vehicle Loadout

Armor Weight Loadout Medium (50%)

Heavy armor decreases acceleration and requires stiffer suspension to support the mass.

Optimal Slider Values

Suspension

3 Normal

Gearing

3 Normal

Differential

4 Locked

Brake Bias

2 Rear

Vehicle Capability Profile

Wreckfest Tuning Mechanics: The 1-5 Slider System

Tuning in Wreckfest (and its highly anticipated sequel) utilizes a simplified but highly impactful 1 to 5 slider system. Unlike hardcore sims that require you to manually input spring rates in N/mm, Wreckfest abstracts these physics into understandable concepts: Suspension, Gearing, Differential, and Brake Bias.

The Armor Weight Penalty

The most unique aspect of Wreckfest tuning is how Armor Loadout completely changes your suspension and gearing requirements. Adding heavy steel bumpers and roll cages dramatically increases your vehicle's mass.

Gearing Compensation: Heavy cars accelerate painfully slow. If you run maximum armor, you must shift your Gearing slider down (Short) to increase low-end torque and help the heavy car get out of corners.
Suspension Compensation: Heavy armor compresses your stock suspension, causing the car to bottom out on bumps and lose grip. If you add heavy armor, you must move the Suspension slider up (Stiff) to support the extra weight.

Differential Pro-Tip:
On loose surfaces (Dirt, Mud), an Open Differential (1) will cause the inside wheel to spin uselessly in the dirt, killing your momentum. Always run a Locked or Limited Differential (4-5) on dirt to force both rear wheels to spin together, pushing you through powerslides.

Brake Bias and Turn-In

Wreckfest cars are heavy and prone to understeer (plowing straight into the wall when you try to turn). To fix this, you should almost always run a Rear Brake Bias (1 or 2). This causes the rear wheels to lock up slightly before the front wheels when you brake, intentionally destabilizing the rear of the car and allowing you to slide the back end around tight hairpins.

Should I run Stiff suspension on Tarmac?

Yes. Tarmac has extremely high grip. If your suspension is Soft (1), the high grip will cause the car's body to roll violently, making the car unstable and prone to flipping. Stiff suspension (4-5) keeps the car flat and planted on asphalt.

What is the best tune for Demolition Derbies?

For an Arena Derby, top speed is irrelevant. You want Short Gearing (1-2) for immediate ramming speed, a Locked Differential (5) to maintain pushing power when grinding against other cars, and Heavy Armor to survive the impacts.

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