Tuning basics: four sliders, and what each one really changes
Slipline Garage’s garage has four tuning sliders — rear grip, front bite, steering lock and power delivery — each with five positions from −2 to +2. Every step changes a number the handling model reads, so a tuned car genuinely drives differently. It is a compact setup tool, not a full car-building sandbox: you adjust behaviour, you do not swap engines or build a chassis.
The four sliders
| Slider | Each step changes | Toward − | Toward + |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear grip | Rear tire grip by 3.5% | Breaks away sooner, bigger angle, easier to spin | More traction on exit, harder to start a slide |
| Front bite | Front tire grip by 3% | Gentler turn-in, pushes wide when rushed | Sharper turn-in, quicker to rotate |
| Steering lock | Maximum steering angle by 6%, rack speed by 5% the other way | Quicker rack, less angle to catch big slides | More countersteer angle, slightly slower rack |
| Power delivery | Drive force by 7%, throttle response by 15% | Softer and smoother | More force and sharper response |
At the extremes that means ±7% rear grip, ±6% front grip, ±12% steering angle and ±14% drive force. Those are deliberately modest: enough to feel, not enough to turn one car into another.
Why there are no performance bars
Many games show bars labelled Speed, Handling and Drift that fill up as you spend. The garage here shows the actual figures instead — mass, wheelbase, drive force, throttle response, grip front and rear — because every slider is a tradeoff rather than an upgrade. More rear grip is not “better”. It is more traction and less willingness to slide.
Three presets
| Preset | Rear grip | Front bite | Steering | Power | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | The designed default |
| Loose | −2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Slides early and wide. More angle, less margin |
| Planted | +2 | 0 | 0 | −1 | Calmer and tidier. Needs a firm initiation |
Reset to default returns the selected car to Balanced.
How to tune for a problem
“I keep spinning.” Add rear grip (+1), reduce power (−1). The slide builds more slowly and gives you longer to react.
“The car will not stay sideways.” Reduce rear grip (−1). If it still straightens on corner exit, add power (+1) so the throttle can keep the rear loose.
“I run out of steering when catching a big slide.” Add steering lock (+1 or +2). The rack gets slightly slower, so transitions take a touch longer.
“It pushes wide on the way in.” Add front bite (+1). Be ready: a sharper front end also rotates the car faster once it is sliding.
“Transitions are too violent.” Reduce front bite (−1) or reduce steering lock (−1) for a calmer swing.
Change one slider at a time and drive the same corner three or four times before judging. Free Drive on Academy Yard is the place for it.
Tune per car
Each car remembers its own setup. A setting that calms the torquey Foundry would make the forgiving Finch dull. The cars start from very different places — compare them in choosing a car.
Where tuning applies, and where it does not
| Mode | Uses your tune? |
|---|---|
| Quick Drift | Yes |
| Free Drive | Yes |
| Challenges that let you choose the car | Yes |
| Challenges with a provided car | No — default setup |
| Daily Run | No — default setup |
| Local Duel | No — default setup |
| Drift Academy | No — default Finch |
Fixed-setup modes exist so that results compare fairly: the same car in the same state for every attempt. Your personal-best ghost is also tied to the exact car and setup it was recorded with, so a ghost only appears when you are driving the same configuration.
Paint
Paint is cosmetic and separate from tuning. Four colours are available from the start and four more unlock at 4, 8, 14 and 20 medals. Nothing in the garage can be bought.
Back to the drifting games overview.