Bearcut’s newbie guide for drifting with the Logitech Driving Force GT
**Note, this is a step-by-step drift guide from a drifting amateur, meant for drifting amateurs. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please; no bashing.
Hey all, how are you? If you are like me, that means you probably broke down after several years of playing GT games and decided to get a force feedback wheel. It’s a tough investment for casual players, and can be made even more frustrating by the fact that when you get behind the wheel for the first time, you went from a drifting pro with the controller to someone who spins out on every corner.
Well anyway, after about two weeks of practice with the DFGT I am finally starting to hold some very nice drifts, and can consistently get over 7000points on Suzuka east, which I know, isn’t amazing, but it holds me in the top 100 (for that car) and it feels great when I make these good looking drifts with the wheel!
So, this guide is for people who are using the wheel for the first time.
So lets get the wheel set up first.
I use the following
DFGT Settings: Power Steering: OFF, Force Feedback: 6
You can find these under options in the main menu.
I have noticed some people suggesting to put the FF all the way at 10, some at 2, so I think it’s really a matter of preference. Try to find a setting where you can throw the wheel around easily, but also not too soft so you can still feel when the front tires are resisting. That first spot of resistance is often the “Sweet spot” that lets you hold a nice drift.
Let’s move onto the car. In general, this guide is for a Rear Wheel Drive, Front Engine vehicle, which most drifters use. Try to find one that has a decent torque so you can spin those back wheels easily, but also is fairly light so that you have good control of the vehicle. I have found the RX-7 and Suzuki Cappuccino to be the best for me to learn on, but others report a lot of success with the 350z (I’m not sure which version).
One thing I noticed by watching a lot of the online GT replays is that the best drifters in the world have their cars tuned very well. In addition to using N1 tires, their suspensions are very tight, and they drop their cars as low as possible. So, having a car that you can feel and are comfortable with is probably more important than anything else, but those quick tune settings can be pretty strange for a novice. Here are the settings I use for the Suzuki cappuccino HP Tuned, which is my current favorite drift car. It’s easy to control and has a decent power band as well as being light. I find that the counter steering is much more forgivable to mistakes then with more high powered cars. Here are my personal tune settings.
Suzuki Cappuccino HP Tuned (550 Performance Points)
Power(HP) +50 (178)
Weight(kg) 85% (476)
Tires N1/N1
Aerodynamics 15/25 (I think these are stock)
Ride Height (-10/-10)
Spring Rate 5/5
Damper Front 8, Rear 9
Toe 0.00/0.00
Camber Angle Front 2.5, Rear 1.0
Brake Balance 5/5 (you shouldn’t be breaking anyway)
Max Turning Angle (50)
Traction Control Off (Make sure this is off no matter what car you are drifting)
ABS Off
Transmission Final – 5.000
1st 3.478
2nd 2.021
3rd 1.619 (most important gear in this car)
4th 1.000
5th 0.790
With this setup, I do most of my drifts in 3rd gear at about 50-60mph. Make sure you set the final ratio and the specific third gear ratio to get the best results.
Now, track selection. Everyone says to learn on Eiger, and I used to drift Eiger on the controller, but really, the roads are super tight, the banks are tough, and you crash into everything when you lose control, making it fairly frustrating. So, I like to learn on Suzuka east, with has two big curves, and several S-shaped curves so you can practice your drifts on mainly flat ground with nice curves. Plus, it feels fun to take 3 of those curves without ever stopping the drift. Of course, you should practice where you feel most comfortable.
Now a step-by-step instruction of how I drift with the wheel and the Suzuki Cappuccino
1. Come into the turn near the top of third gear, around 65mph, but don’t be hitting the rev limiter
2a. Come off the throttle abruptly. This is to throw weight from the rear to the front, which reduces grip at the rear.
2b. Feint slightly by turning slight opposite of the direction of the turn. Make sure you do this immediately before you enter the drift (if the turn is right, feint left)
3. Now turn the car to drift by giving the wheel a brisk rotation into the turn (if the turn is right, turn right)
4. As soon as you begin to slide, the wheel will go slack. This is the tricky part, and requires coordination of two things
a. Throttle, you need to keep the throttle open so the back wheels continue to spin, but don’t just slam it down. I say about 80% throttle. You’ll have to play with this to get the feel.
b. BEFORE THE CAR BEGINS TO DRIFT ON SCREEN, begin your counter-steer. This is turning the wheel in the OPPOSITE direction of the turn, rather you are turning the wheel in the direction the car is actually moving.
i. Ok, I’m sorry if this is confusing, but basically it was a right turn, you turned the car right to start the drift, and the car is now sliding to the left. You are going to turn the wheel to the LEFT to counter steer.
c. When counter steering, as soon as the car begins to turn back towards the opposite direction, counter steer now back in the original direction but JUST UNTIL YOUFEEL RESISTANCE on the wheel. That’s the sweet spot. Hold this spot to pull off a nice drift, and gradually let the wheel straighten itself to come out in a straight line.
d. Don’t forget to give you car a nice even high throttle so that it doesn’t gain grip suddenly and send you slamming into the wall.
5. When the car begins to straighten out, do not let the wheel bully around you around with the force feedback. Point it in the direction it’s supposed to be going, and give it about half throttle, it should straighten out nice and even and allow you to get ready for the next turn.
Frequent problems that need to be remedied with practice.
Problem: I keep sliding off the road even though my car is drifting nice.
Answer: You simply need to learn the feel of the track better. It’s important to hit the turns on the track “just right” and this spot is different for every turn on every track. So make sure you pick a track you like and stick to it, rather than jumping around to several different tracks while learning.
Problem: I turn my wheel all the way to the lock, but the car has no control even at slow speed and just kind of slides off the road.
Answer: This is what I like to call the Sunday drive, and it’s usually because you didn’t enter the turn fast enough to start a good slide; so the car just starts sliding casually. Solution; don’t be afraid to hit those turns with a good amount of speed, you’ll get the feel for the individual turns eventually.
Problem: I pull off a nice drift, but shortly after beginning my car just spins out of control
Answer: You are counter steering too slow. Remember this is a 900 degree wheel so you have to spin that thing pretty fast. Also remember that you need to countersteer when the car starts the drift, but not when the drift starts on the screen. The feel of the wheel going slack and the sounds of burning rubber should be your key.
Problem: I’m drifting fine, I counter steer, and then my car turns in the opposite direction to fast and spins out of control the other way.
Answer: your counter steering well but you are not giving the car enough throttle. Don’t be afraid to keep the throttle open so that the car keeps sliding.
Well, that’s all I can think off. Hope this helps!!
I will be checking this post periodically to answer questions, but my knowledge is limited. You can also send me a message on PSN ID: Bearcut, but I won’t answer any blank friend’s requests.
See you on the track!
**Note, this is a step-by-step drift guide from a drifting amateur, meant for drifting amateurs. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please; no bashing.
Hey all, how are you? If you are like me, that means you probably broke down after several years of playing GT games and decided to get a force feedback wheel. It’s a tough investment for casual players, and can be made even more frustrating by the fact that when you get behind the wheel for the first time, you went from a drifting pro with the controller to someone who spins out on every corner.
Well anyway, after about two weeks of practice with the DFGT I am finally starting to hold some very nice drifts, and can consistently get over 7000points on Suzuka east, which I know, isn’t amazing, but it holds me in the top 100 (for that car) and it feels great when I make these good looking drifts with the wheel!
So, this guide is for people who are using the wheel for the first time.
So lets get the wheel set up first.
I use the following
DFGT Settings: Power Steering: OFF, Force Feedback: 6
You can find these under options in the main menu.
I have noticed some people suggesting to put the FF all the way at 10, some at 2, so I think it’s really a matter of preference. Try to find a setting where you can throw the wheel around easily, but also not too soft so you can still feel when the front tires are resisting. That first spot of resistance is often the “Sweet spot” that lets you hold a nice drift.
Let’s move onto the car. In general, this guide is for a Rear Wheel Drive, Front Engine vehicle, which most drifters use. Try to find one that has a decent torque so you can spin those back wheels easily, but also is fairly light so that you have good control of the vehicle. I have found the RX-7 and Suzuki Cappuccino to be the best for me to learn on, but others report a lot of success with the 350z (I’m not sure which version).
One thing I noticed by watching a lot of the online GT replays is that the best drifters in the world have their cars tuned very well. In addition to using N1 tires, their suspensions are very tight, and they drop their cars as low as possible. So, having a car that you can feel and are comfortable with is probably more important than anything else, but those quick tune settings can be pretty strange for a novice. Here are the settings I use for the Suzuki cappuccino HP Tuned, which is my current favorite drift car. It’s easy to control and has a decent power band as well as being light. I find that the counter steering is much more forgivable to mistakes then with more high powered cars. Here are my personal tune settings.
Suzuki Cappuccino HP Tuned (550 Performance Points)
Power(HP) +50 (178)
Weight(kg) 85% (476)
Tires N1/N1
Aerodynamics 15/25 (I think these are stock)
Ride Height (-10/-10)
Spring Rate 5/5
Damper Front 8, Rear 9
Toe 0.00/0.00
Camber Angle Front 2.5, Rear 1.0
Brake Balance 5/5 (you shouldn’t be breaking anyway)
Max Turning Angle (50)
Traction Control Off (Make sure this is off no matter what car you are drifting)
ABS Off
Transmission Final – 5.000
1st 3.478
2nd 2.021
3rd 1.619 (most important gear in this car)
4th 1.000
5th 0.790
With this setup, I do most of my drifts in 3rd gear at about 50-60mph. Make sure you set the final ratio and the specific third gear ratio to get the best results.
Now, track selection. Everyone says to learn on Eiger, and I used to drift Eiger on the controller, but really, the roads are super tight, the banks are tough, and you crash into everything when you lose control, making it fairly frustrating. So, I like to learn on Suzuka east, with has two big curves, and several S-shaped curves so you can practice your drifts on mainly flat ground with nice curves. Plus, it feels fun to take 3 of those curves without ever stopping the drift. Of course, you should practice where you feel most comfortable.
Now a step-by-step instruction of how I drift with the wheel and the Suzuki Cappuccino
1. Come into the turn near the top of third gear, around 65mph, but don’t be hitting the rev limiter
2a. Come off the throttle abruptly. This is to throw weight from the rear to the front, which reduces grip at the rear.
2b. Feint slightly by turning slight opposite of the direction of the turn. Make sure you do this immediately before you enter the drift (if the turn is right, feint left)
3. Now turn the car to drift by giving the wheel a brisk rotation into the turn (if the turn is right, turn right)
4. As soon as you begin to slide, the wheel will go slack. This is the tricky part, and requires coordination of two things
a. Throttle, you need to keep the throttle open so the back wheels continue to spin, but don’t just slam it down. I say about 80% throttle. You’ll have to play with this to get the feel.
b. BEFORE THE CAR BEGINS TO DRIFT ON SCREEN, begin your counter-steer. This is turning the wheel in the OPPOSITE direction of the turn, rather you are turning the wheel in the direction the car is actually moving.
i. Ok, I’m sorry if this is confusing, but basically it was a right turn, you turned the car right to start the drift, and the car is now sliding to the left. You are going to turn the wheel to the LEFT to counter steer.
c. When counter steering, as soon as the car begins to turn back towards the opposite direction, counter steer now back in the original direction but JUST UNTIL YOUFEEL RESISTANCE on the wheel. That’s the sweet spot. Hold this spot to pull off a nice drift, and gradually let the wheel straighten itself to come out in a straight line.
d. Don’t forget to give you car a nice even high throttle so that it doesn’t gain grip suddenly and send you slamming into the wall.
5. When the car begins to straighten out, do not let the wheel bully around you around with the force feedback. Point it in the direction it’s supposed to be going, and give it about half throttle, it should straighten out nice and even and allow you to get ready for the next turn.
Frequent problems that need to be remedied with practice.
Problem: I keep sliding off the road even though my car is drifting nice.
Answer: You simply need to learn the feel of the track better. It’s important to hit the turns on the track “just right” and this spot is different for every turn on every track. So make sure you pick a track you like and stick to it, rather than jumping around to several different tracks while learning.
Problem: I turn my wheel all the way to the lock, but the car has no control even at slow speed and just kind of slides off the road.
Answer: This is what I like to call the Sunday drive, and it’s usually because you didn’t enter the turn fast enough to start a good slide; so the car just starts sliding casually. Solution; don’t be afraid to hit those turns with a good amount of speed, you’ll get the feel for the individual turns eventually.
Problem: I pull off a nice drift, but shortly after beginning my car just spins out of control
Answer: You are counter steering too slow. Remember this is a 900 degree wheel so you have to spin that thing pretty fast. Also remember that you need to countersteer when the car starts the drift, but not when the drift starts on the screen. The feel of the wheel going slack and the sounds of burning rubber should be your key.
Problem: I’m drifting fine, I counter steer, and then my car turns in the opposite direction to fast and spins out of control the other way.
Answer: your counter steering well but you are not giving the car enough throttle. Don’t be afraid to keep the throttle open so that the car keeps sliding.
Well, that’s all I can think off. Hope this helps!!
I will be checking this post periodically to answer questions, but my knowledge is limited. You can also send me a message on PSN ID: Bearcut, but I won’t answer any blank friend’s requests.
See you on the track!
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