Patagonia Sim RacingPatagoniaSim Racing
Setup guideCircuit

rFactor 2 (rFactor 2) setups

Developer: Studio 397CircuitReleasedSetups importable by file

Learn how to dial in your car in rFactor 2: what every setup parameter does, what changes when you raise or lower it, and where rFactor 2 stores its setups. All reconstructed 1:1 against the real in-game editor, so you stop copying setups you don't understand.

Generate your rFactor 2 setupSee all 14 simulators

Free to start: you only need an account, no card.

Files

Where setups are stored

rFactor 2 stores setups as .svm files in [Steam]\steamapps\common\rFactor 2\UserData\<your_name>\Settings\<track>\ (one folder per circuit). To import a community setup you drop the .svm into the matching track folder and load it from the garage screen. Le Mans Ultimate (same developer) inherits this exact file system. (folder structure by analogy with LMU; not verified against a real rFactor 2 install in this session)

Glossary

What each parameter does

The 28 settings you can tune in rFactor 2, with what each one does and the effect of raising or lowering it.

Ranges flagged as estimated are inferred from the car's physics when the editor doesn't show the slider limit; the rest come from verified in-game captures.

Tyres

  • Front tyre pressure

    Range: 110 – 190 kPaEstimated range

    Cold front tyre pressure (kPa). rFactor 2 models hot pressure rising from this value; you start below the hot target to reach it once rolling. (unit confirmed, range estimated by analogy with real GT3 on the same engine)

    If you increase ↑
    Sharper response but less contact patch and more heat; too high and the tyre slides.
    If you decrease ↓
    More contact patch and mechanical grip, but vaguer response and risk of overheating from flex.

  • Rear tyre pressure

    Range: 110 – 190 kPaEstimated range

    Same as front but on the rear axle: affects traction and rear stability. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Twitchier rear with less grip; can step out on power.
    If you decrease ↓
    More traction and rear stability, until pressure drops so low it overheats.

Alignment

  • Front camber

    Range: -4.5 – -1 °Estimated range

    Wheel lean seen from the front. More negative = more cornering grip, less under braking/straights. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Toward 0 (less negative) improves braking and even wear, but lowers grip while loaded.
    If you decrease ↓
    More negative gives more lateral grip in corners, costing braking and inner-edge temps.

  • Rear camber

    Range: -4 – -0.5 °Estimated range

    Rear axle camber: controls how much lateral grip the rear has in corners. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Toward 0 improves straight-line traction but the rear grips less laterally.
    If you decrease ↓
    More negative stabilises the rear when loaded, costing some pure traction.

  • Front toe

    Range: -0.4 – 0.2 °Estimated range

    Where the wheels point seen from above. Negative (toe-out) = sharper turn-in. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Toward toe-in (positive) adds straight-line stability but lazier turn-in.
    If you decrease ↓
    More toe-out sharpens entry, with a bit more nervousness and wear.

  • Rear toe

    Range: -0.1 – 0.5 °Estimated range

    Rear axle toe. More toe-in (positive) = more rear stability. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More toe-in greatly stabilises the rear on power, costing a touch of top speed.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less toe-in frees the rear for more rotation, but less stability.

Suspension & mechanical grip

  • Front anti-roll bar

    Range: 1 – 8Estimated range

    Front axle roll resistance (position scale). rF2 models it as a physical bar diameter converted internally to stiffness via a non-linear formula (not a direct N·m/° value) — shown here as a position scale, same approach as the rest of the catalogue. Stiffer = less relative front grip. (concept confirmed, scale estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Stiffer front = more understeer (front slides first). Useful if the rear is loose.
    If you decrease ↓
    Softer front = more front grip and rotation; fixes understeer.

  • Rear anti-roll bar

    Range: 1 – 8Estimated range

    Rear axle roll resistance (position scale). Same criterion as the front. Stiffer = sharper rear and less rear grip. (concept confirmed, scale estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Stiffer rear = more rotation/oversteer; helps understeer but loosens the rear.
    If you decrease ↓
    Softer rear = more traction and rear stability; fixes oversteer.

  • Front spring rate

    Range: 100000 – 300000 N/mEstimated range

    Front spring stiffness (N/m). Stiffer = the body dives/squats less and response is sharper, at the cost of following the road less well. (unit confirmed, range estimated by analogy with real GT3)

    If you increase ↑
    Stiffer front = a more stable, reactive platform, but less mechanical grip and more understeer over bumps.
    If you decrease ↓
    Softer front = more mechanical grip and better over bumps, but more pitch and vaguer response.

  • Rear spring rate

    Range: 80000 – 280000 N/mEstimated range

    Rear spring stiffness (N/m). With the front it sets the stiffness balance and how the aero platform works. (unit confirmed, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Stiffer rear = more rotation and response, but less traction and a twitchier rear over bumps.
    If you decrease ↓
    Softer rear = more traction and stability, but more pitch and the rear squats on power.

  • Front ride height

    Range: 25 – 90 mmEstimated range

    Front axle reference height. NOTE: in rFactor 2 this value is the physics model's INNER SUSPENSION PIVOT reference point, not the real floor-to-ground distance (motorlaps.com). It still works to compare 'higher/lower' between setups, but don't read it as the exact physical floor height. Lower = more aero load. (concept confirmed with caveat, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Raising gives more travel for kerbs/bumps and less bottoming, costing some aero grip.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lowering increases aero grip and response, but risks bottoming out and bouncing.

  • Rear ride height

    Range: 30 – 100 mmEstimated range

    Same caveat as the front: it's the suspension inner-pivot reference point, not real ground clearance. With the front it sets the rake that loads the diffuser. (concept confirmed with caveat, range estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Raising the rear adds rake: more aero load and rotation, until it gets unstable if overdone.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lowering the rear stabilises the car at high speed, costing some rotation.

Dampers

  • Front slow bump

    Range: 500 – 8000 N/(m/s)Estimated range

    Front damper resistance to slow COMPRESSION, in newtons per metre/second of shaft speed (weight transfer under braking/turning). This batch models only the slow channel (no fast/kerb channel). (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Higher = the front dives more slowly (firmer platform), but follows the road less well.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lower = the front dives more freely (more mechanical grip), with more pitch.

  • Rear slow bump

    Range: 500 – 8000 N/(m/s)Estimated range

    Rear damper resistance to slow compression. Affects how the rear squats on power. (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Higher = the rear squats more slowly (more reactive), with slightly less initial traction.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lower = the rear squats more freely (more exit traction), with more movement.

  • Front slow rebound

    Range: 500 – 8000 N/(m/s)Estimated range

    Front damper resistance to slow EXTENSION, in newtons per metre/second. Controls how the front rebounds after compressing. (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Higher = the front returns more slowly (holds load longer), but can stay 'hung'.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lower = the front recovers faster (better over repeated bumps), with less rebound control.

  • Rear slow rebound

    Range: 500 – 8000 N/(m/s)Estimated range

    Rear damper resistance to slow extension. Affects how the rear recovers ride height and how much load it holds. (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    Higher = the rear returns more slowly (more stable), risking lost traction if it stays low.
    If you decrease ↓
    Lower = the rear recovers faster (more traction over bumps), with more movement.

Aerodynamics

  • Rear wing

    Range: 0 – 15 °Estimated range

    Rear wing angle: makes downforce at the rear. More wing = more grip, less top speed. (unit estimated by convention, range anchored to the verified GT3 value on the same engine in LMU)

    If you increase ↑
    More wing stabilises the rear in fast corners and braking, costing straight-line speed.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less wing gives more top speed but the rear gets nervous at high speed.

Brakes

  • Brake bias

    Range: 50 – 65 %Estimated range

    Percentage of braking sent to the front axle. Higher = more front brake. (unit and order of magnitude confirmed by multiple community guides)

    If you increase ↑
    More forward = more stable braking, but more risk of locking the fronts and understeering.
    If you decrease ↓
    More rearward helps rotation on the brakes, with risk of locking the rear and instability.

  • Front brake torque

    Range: 800 – 2600 NmEstimated range

    Maximum available braking torque on the front axle (Nm), at full pedal. Higher = more peak braking force (easier to lock). (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More torque = shorter braking but easier to lock; demands more pedal feel.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less torque = harder to lock and more modulable, at the cost of slightly longer braking.

  • Rear brake torque

    Range: 600 – 2200 NmEstimated range

    Same as the front but on the rear axle: maximum available braking torque at the rear. (unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More rear torque = stronger rear bite, with more risk of locking and braking instability.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less rear torque = safer, more modulable rear braking, at the cost of some overall stopping power.

  • Front brake ducts

    Range: 0 – 6Estimated range

    How much air cools the front brakes. Higher = cooler brakes, but a bit more aero drag. (genre-generic control, not rF2-specifically verified)

    If you increase ↑
    More duct = cooler front brakes and tyres (better in long races/heat), costing a touch of top speed.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less duct = hotter brakes (better in the cold or single laps) and a bit less drag.

  • Rear brake ducts

    Range: 0 – 6Estimated range

    Same as front but on the rear axle: rear brake cooling. (genre-generic control, not rF2-specifically verified)

    If you increase ↑
    More duct = cooler rear brakes and tyres; useful if the rear overheats in long stints.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less duct = more rear heat (better in the cold), with a little less drag.

Differential

  • Power lock (on-throttle)

    Range: 0 – 100 %Estimated range

    How much the differential locks under throttle. Higher = more stable with more exit traction, but more understeer on power. (concept and unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More lock = better exit traction and stability, but too much tends to snap the rear loose under hard throttle.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less lock frees rotation, but if it's too low the rear won't hook up and you get understeer on power-down.

  • Coast lock (off-throttle)

    Range: 0 – 100 %Estimated range

    How much the differential locks when lifting off the throttle (engine braking). Affects how the car enters a corner when you lift. (concept and unit confirmed, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More coast lock = more stability when lifting, but can cause understeer on lift-off entry.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less coast lock = the rear rotates more on lift-off, with more risk of entry oversteer.

  • Differential preload

    Range: 20 – 300 NmEstimated range

    Minimum force to overcome before the differential starts to unlock. Higher = more base lock and exit stability; lower = more free rotation. (unit estimated by convention, value estimated)

    If you increase ↑
    More preload = more locking: better exit traction and stability, but too much tends to snap the rear loose under hard throttle.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less preload frees rotation, but if it's too low the rear won't hook up and you get understeer on power-down.

Gearing

  • Gear ratio set

    Range: 0 – 2Estimated range

    Gear set selector: 0 = Short, 1 = Standard, 2 = Long. Adapted to the longest straight of the circuit. It's a dimensionless ratio (not a physical unit), as flagged in the research behind this PR.

    If you increase ↑
    Toward Long = more top speed but less acceleration; ideal on high-top-speed tracks.
    If you decrease ↓
    Toward Short = more acceleration and better drive out of slow corners, but less top speed.

Electronics

  • Traction control (TC)

    Range: 1 – 10Estimated range

    How much it cuts power to stop wheelspin on throttle. Higher = intervenes earlier. (genre-generic scale, not rF2-specifically verified)

    If you increase ↑
    More TC = safer in the wet or low grip, but limits acceleration in the dry.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less TC = more raw acceleration if you can modulate; more risk of the rear stepping out.

  • ABS

    Range: 1 – 10Estimated range

    How much it prevents wheel lock under braking. Higher = more intervention. (genre-generic scale, not rF2-specifically verified)

    If you increase ↑
    More ABS = safer braking and fewer flat-spots, especially in the wet; slightly longer braking.
    If you decrease ↓
    Less ABS = shorter, more tactile braking, but more risk of locking up.
Free diagnosis

Is the car already doing something wrong?

Tell us what you feel on track and we'll tell you which rFactor 2 parameter to move, which way and why. No account needed.

Dial in your rFactor 2 in minutes

Pick your car, track and conditions and get an exact setup with the reasoning behind every change. Free to start.

Generate your rFactor 2 setup

The generator asks you to create a free account: pick a car, track and conditions and get exact values with the reasoning behind every change.