Assetto Corsa – Basic Drift Setup Guide

In this guide, we will provide you with the proper and recommended drifting setup for your car in Assetto Corsa.

Types of Drift Cars

In Assetto Corsa, there are three classes of drift cars that you can distinguish:

A – Beginner drift cars (such as Toyota GT86, Toyota AE86 Drift) with less than 300 BHP.

B – Street drift cars (including BMW M3 E30 Drift, M3 E92 Drift, Supra MKIV Drift) ranging between 300 – 600 BHP.

C – Pro drift cars (like WDT Pro pack, VDC Pack) with over 800 BHP.

Most online servers primarily feature street drift cars due to their moderate accessibility and challenging learning curve.

Please note that beginner drift cars offer fewer setup options compared to pro drift cars.

Setup

Gears

It is advisable to minimize the number of gears used while drifting, preferably limiting it to a maximum of four gears. This is because changing gears during drifting adds difficulty in controlling the car.

The ideal gear setting is to have a gear that is long enough to prevent constant bouncing back from the rev limiter, while also being short enough to keep the RPMs consistently in the high range.

Here are the suboptimal gear settings for a professional drift car. It is worth noting the emphasis on long gearing, where you can effectively navigate the entire track using the second gear.

Tyres

Compound:

In Kunos cars, the tires vary in terms of their grip, ranging from the most grippy to the least grippy options available.

• US, SS, S, M, H, – full slicks (not usable in drifting)
• SM – semi-slicks

ST – street

SV – Street 90s

To facilitate drifting, it is generally recommended to use tires with the least amount of grip. This allows for easier control of the car during drifts. For example, when using the M3 E30, the SV tires are considered the optimal choice, whereas many players tend to opt for the racing SM tires, which prevent the tires from losing traction.

When it comes to configuring tire pressure, the recommended tool to use is the Sidekick app. This app is considered a necessity for Assetto Corsa. To access the settings, simply click on the hamburger button located on the right side of the app.

In the provided image, the tire pressures are indicated as deltas from the ideal pressure. A value of +3.4 indicates that the pressure needs to be increased by 3 psi to reach the ideal tire pressure. When it comes to drifting, it is recommended to have a delta of +0 on the front tires to achieve the best grip, while the rear tires should have a delta of more than +4. Having low tire pressures on the rear tires can result in increased grip, which is not optimal for drifting. It is important to avoid excessively high tire pressures as they can lead to tire blowouts.

Please note that the delta values may change as you drive, so it is advisable to complete at least one full lap before adjusting the tire pressures accordingly.

Turbo

Increasing the turbo to 100% generates more power, resulting in a highly oversteering car. If you find it challenging to control your vehicle, it is advisable to decrease the turbo setting according to your preferences.

However, it’s important to be cautious as some professional drift cars are equipped with significant turbo lag. The VDC Nissan GTR R35 serves as a prime example of such a car. In order to maintain high RPM, you may need to engage the clutch abruptly. Drifting with these types of cars presents additional difficulties and requires advanced techniques to handle effectively.

Alignment

Camber

To fine-tune the camber of your car, the highly recommended app to use is CamberExtravaganza. This app is considered essential for making camber adjustments in Assetto Corsa.

In most cars, the ideal front camber setting is smaller, indicated by moving the slider more towards the left. Conversely, the rear camber setting is typically larger, indicated by moving the slider more towards the right compared to the front. A smaller camber angle results in increased sideways grip, providing better traction during cornering. It is important to prioritize having grippy front tires rather than focusing on the rear tires.

If you desire slower turn response, you can achieve it by increasing the TOE setting. This adjustment will help in reducing the car’s responsiveness and make the turning process more gradual.

Drivetrain

It’s the most important setting.

Diff power

• Boosting its value enhances the car’s inclination to achieve a greater angle. If the car becomes unmanageable, reducing it is advisable.

Diff coast

• Lowering this setting increases the car’s inclination to swiftly change directions (inertia drift) during coasting without throttle input. Conversely, raising it enhances stability during coasting.

Diff preload

• Raising this parameter strengthens the car’s resistance to changes in direction consistently. This proves beneficial when engaging in high-speed drifting (>120 km/h).

Suspensions

Wheel Rate

If the car exhibits excessive oversteer, it is recommended to raise the rates of the front wheels and lower the rates of the rear wheels.

On the other hand, if the car tends to understeer, reducing the rates of the front wheels and increasing the rates of the rear wheels can help mitigate the issue.

ARB

• Increasing rear ARB creates oversteer
• Increasing front ARB creates understeer

Generic

Brake bias

In the context of drifting, the intention is to utilize the brakes to induce oversteer, facilitating more effective rotation of the car, particularly when in close proximity to walls.

Feel free to decrease the brake value to achieve the desired effect. Additionally, exploring the setups utilized by other individuals can provide valuable insights. Consider activating the “setup exchange” feature in CSP (Car Setup Program) to access a wider range of setups from other users.