Weight Transfer

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EditForza Motorsport 3 Driving 101

Braking & Acceleration Cornering Technique Weight Transfer Drivetrain Types General Tips

Weight Transfer
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Now that you've got a basic understanding of proper driving technique, it's time to look a bit more in-depth into the physical mechanics at play in high-speed racing. Weight distribution and weight transfer concern the effects of weight balance on the handling dynamics of your vehicle. These dynamics are always changing as you race, as everything you do affects the distribution of weight in your vehicle.

When the vehicle is at a complete stop, its weight balance is at its most neutral. A perfectly balanced car will have a 50/50 weight balance, with half of the car's weight pushing down on the front wheels and the other half of the weight holding down the rear wheels. While only a few cars actually achieve a perfect weight balance, this general idea applies.

Naturally, the weight balance of a non-moving car is instantly changed the moment the vehicle kicks into motion. Upon acceleration, the weight balance is shifted backward. As the car lunges forward, the front end of the vehicle lifts while the tail end of the vehicle dips down. This shift in the weight balance dramatically affects the grip of the tires. Under hard acceleration, the front tires lose grip while the rear tires gain traction from the added weight. As acceleration slows, weight balance gradually returns to a more neutral state.

The opposite effect can be seen under hard braking. As a car brakes hard, the nose of the car dips down while the tail tends to lift. In this situation, the weight balance of the car is shifted forward. The front tires of the car gain traction from the additional weight while the rear of the car loses some grip potential as the pressure of the weight shifts away from those wheels. This shift in weight balance is why a car's front wheels handle most of the braking.

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As weight balance transfers fore and aft of the car, dynamics such as cornering ability and grip for acceleration are affected. The effects of weight transfer vary depending on the drivetrain type of the vehicle. For more details on the specifics, keep reading.

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Driving 101 part 3