Forza Horizon 6 tuning guide: every setting explained

Tuning is the difference between a fast car and a car you can actually drive fast. You do not need to be an engineer. Learn what each setting does and which way to nudge it, change one thing at a time, and test. For instant numbers, pair this with our tuning calculator.

Tyre pressure

Lower pressure grows the contact patch for more grip and quicker heating, but too low makes the car vague and overheats the tyres. Higher pressure sharpens response and reduces grip.

Aim for an ideal hot pressure around 30 psi on tarmac. Run lower on dirt and cross country for compliance and grip.

Gearing

The final drive shifts the whole gearbox. A longer final drive raises top speed, a shorter one sharpens acceleration. Set top gear to top out near the end of the longest straight, then tighten the lower gears to keep the engine in its power band out of corners.

Alignment: camber, toe and caster

• Camber: a little negative camber improves cornering grip. Too much hurts braking and straight-line traction. Start around -1.0 to -1.5 front.
• Toe: front toe-out sharpens turn-in but adds twitch and tyre wear. Rear toe-in adds stability. Most builds run near zero.
• Caster: more caster improves high-speed stability and steering feel. Many cars like 5 to 6 degrees.

Anti-roll bars

Anti-roll bars fight body roll and are the easiest way to balance the car. Stiffer front adds understeer, stiffer rear adds oversteer.

If the car pushes wide, soften the front or stiffen the rear. If it steps out too easily, do the opposite.

Springs and ride height

Stiffer springs keep the car flat and responsive on smooth tarmac but skittish over bumps. Softer springs find grip on rough surfaces. Balance front and rear to the car's weight, which is exactly what the calculator does.

Lower ride height lowers the centre of gravity for better cornering on tarmac. Raise it for dirt and cross country.

Damping: bump and rebound

Rebound controls how fast a spring extends, bump controls how fast it compresses. Stiffer damping suits smooth roads and sharper response, softer damping soaks up bumps and keeps tyres planted.

A common starting point is rebound a little stiffer than bump. If the car skips over bumps, soften both.

Differential

• Acceleration lock: higher puts power down more aggressively and adds stability under throttle, but too high causes understeer.
• Deceleration lock: higher stabilises the car when you lift off, lower lets it rotate more into a corner.
• AWD balance: more rear bias makes an all wheel drive car feel livelier and more like rear drive.

Aerodynamics

More downforce means more cornering grip but more drag and a lower top speed. Crank it up for twisty tracks, trim it back for high speed and drag. Front and rear aero also shift balance, so add rear downforce to calm a loose car.

A simple process

Start from a sensible baseline, then change one setting at a time and drive the same stretch of road to feel the difference. Fix the biggest problem first, usually understeer or oversteer, with anti-roll bars and the differential, then fine-tune springs, damping and alignment.