Experiencing car shaking in Gran Turismo 7 while you’re fine-tuning your ride can be frustrating. You’re making adjustments, expecting improved performance, but instead, your virtual car starts vibrating. If you’re scratching your head wondering, “Why Is My Car Shaking?”, you’re not alone. Let’s dive into what might be causing this issue, especially when you’re experimenting with suspension settings on cars like the Subaru BRZ S ’12.
Decoding the Shakes: It’s More Than One Setting
Many players, especially those new to tuning, might assume car shaking comes from a single, easily adjustable setting. However, the reality in Gran Turismo 7, and in car dynamics in general, is more complex. Shaking isn’t usually a simple fix like just adjusting your rear Anti-Roll Bar (ARB). It’s often the result of a combination of different settings interacting with each other.
When you’re aggressively tweaking your suspension, pushing towards extreme oversteer or understeer setups, you’re essentially exploring the limits of your car’s balance. This experimentation is great for learning, but it can easily lead to instability and, consequently, shaking.
Diagnosing Shaking with a Subaru BRZ S ’12 Tune
To illustrate this, let’s look at a tune setup on a Subaru BRZ S ’12 where shaking was observed. This example focuses on suspension settings and their potential impact.
Car: BRZ S ’12
Wheel / Controller: DS3
Power: 283
Weight: 1030
Performance Points: 491
Tires: Sport soft
Suspension: (Height-Adjustable, Fully-Customisable Suspension)
Ride Height: 90 / 90
Spring Rate: 8.00 / 8.25
Dampers (Compression): 3 /3
Dampers (Extension): 3 / 3
Anti-Roll Bars: 3 / 3
Camber Angle (-): 0 / 0
Toe Angle: 0 / 0
Brakes: 5 / 5
Bias: 53 / 47
Transmission: (Fully Customisable Transmission)
Set final to: 5.500
Speed: 112
1: 3.730
2: 2.470
3: 1.885
4: 1.510
5: 1.260
6: 1.075
Final: 3.800
Limited Slip Differential: (Fully Customizable Mechanical Limited-Slip Differential)
Initial Torque: 10
Acceleration Sensitivity: 40
Braking Sensitivity: 20
Clutch & Flywheel: triple plate
Drive Shaft: carbon drive shaft
Power Oil Change: yes
Power Limiter: 100.0%
Engine Tuning:—
Computer: sports comp
Exhaust: racing exhaust
Exhaust Manifold: isometric exhaust manifold
Catalytic Converter: sports
Intake Tuning: intake tuning (not standard)
Turbo Kit: Stage:—
Nitrous Oxide (N2O): —
Body
Body Rigidity Improvement: —
Weight Reduction: stage 3
Hood: carbon hood
Windows: window weight reduction
Ballast:—
Ballast position:—
Downforce: 0-front 10-rear
EDIT- All aids off except ABS at 1. test track -full Autumn Ring, turn 11 most shaking
In this setup, while not explicitly designed to cause shaking, the combination of neutral camber and toe settings, coupled with relatively soft damper and ARB settings, could contribute to instability, especially at higher speeds or during sharp turns like turn 11 on the Autumn Ring.
Alt text: Subaru BRZ S ’12 on the race track, potentially experiencing shaking due to suspension tuning.
Factors Contributing to Car Shaking
Here are some key areas in your car’s setup that can influence shaking:
- Suspension Stiffness: Spring rates, damper settings, and anti-roll bars all dictate how your car responds to weight transfer. Settings that are too soft or mismatched can lead to excessive body roll and oscillations, which you might feel as shaking.
- Ride Height: An improperly set ride height can affect the car’s center of gravity and suspension geometry, potentially causing instability and shaking.
- Alignment (Camber & Toe): While the example tune has neutral alignment, extreme camber or toe settings, especially if imbalanced, can cause tire instability and shaking.
- Differential Settings: While less directly related to shaking, an improperly tuned Limited Slip Differential (LSD) can contribute to unpredictable handling and potentially induce vibrations under certain conditions.
- Aerodynamics: Although the BRZ tune example has minimal downforce, in cars with significant aero, imbalances in front and rear downforce can cause instability at high speeds, which might manifest as shaking.
Finding the Sweet Spot: Tuning for Stability
The key to eliminating shaking while tuning is to make incremental changes and test thoroughly. Instead of drastically altering multiple settings at once, adjust one parameter at a time and observe the effect.
- Start with Suspension Basics: Ensure your ride height is balanced and appropriate for the car. Begin with moderate spring and damper settings.
- Fine-tune Dampers: Pay close attention to damper compression and extension. These control how quickly your suspension reacts to bumps and weight transfer. Improper damper settings are often a culprit in shaking issues.
- Adjust ARBs Gradually: Anti-Roll Bars influence body roll. Adjust them in small increments to find a balance that reduces roll without making the car twitchy or unstable.
- Check Alignment: While neutral alignment is often a good starting point, subtle adjustments to camber and toe can fine-tune handling and stability.
Conclusion: Experiment and Observe
Understanding why your car is shaking in Gran Turismo 7 is a process of experimentation and observation. It’s rarely a single setting, but rather the interplay of various tuning parameters. By systematically adjusting your settings and paying attention to how the car responds, you can diagnose the cause of shaking and tune your way to a smoother, faster ride. Don’t be afraid to test and learn – that’s the heart of tuning!
