The contents of THE Guide is copyrighted © by JQ Products, but we thought it was rather brilliant and informative.

Parts: [1 Intro] [2 Electrics & Clutch] [3 Shocks] [4 Diffs] [5 Geometry] [6 Ride height] [7 Down travel] [Quick Reference Tips]

1. Introduction

A car that is set-up well, and to suit the driver, will make driving and racing more enjoyable, and will lead to better results. How to set a car up, or how to become a faster driver can’t really be learned by this, or any other guide, it has to be done at the track. But guides like this one can provide guidance and give ideas as to what to try and what the expected result could be. One thing to remember, when setting up a car, is that usually, everything affects everything else, meaning that if you change one thing, it may affect something else too. Sometimes shortening the rear upper link may be bad, but if you shorten the front one too, it might work. Furthermore, the effect of a set-up change can also differ depending on the driver, and his or her driving style. Depending on how the driver uses the throttle, where in the corners, or in the bumps, and how much and how aggressively, the preferred set-up will be different. Different track surfaces and conditions may also affect how a set-up change is perceived by the driver, sometimes a change may seem insignificant, and sometimes it might make a big difference. But at the end of the day, the laws of physics are the same for everyone, and for all cars and tracks, so it is possible to come up with a guide like this, highlighting what changes can be made to cars, and what the change will do to the driveability.


Normally the hardest part of testing setups is done by the manufacturer. Check out all those parts. -Image Tomi Jermalainen