BustaWrench › Answers › What do loose, tight, wedge, rake and the rest of the sim ra
The short answer
Loose means the rear steps out and the car wants to spin; tight means the front will not turn and you understeer. Wedge is the diagonal weight distribution you use to make a car tighter or looser mid-corner, and rake is the front-to-rear ride height difference. Trail braking is easing off the brake as you turn in. The rest of the pit-lane vocabulary, in plain talk, is below.
Loose — the rear end steps out and the car wants to spin. You will hear 'loose in, tight off', which means the back slides on entry but the front pushes on exit. Tight is the opposite: the front will not turn, so you understeer. Tight is frustrating, loose is scary.
Traction circle — thinking about grip as a budget: use all of it for braking and there is none left for turning.
Wedge — the diagonal weight distribution; add or remove it to change how tight or loose the car is mid-corner.
Rake — the ride height difference front to rear. Nose down and tail up helps aero but can make the car twitchy. Weight jacker — a rear shock adjuster that changes how much weight sits on each rear tyre. Not magic, but it will fix a stubborn push.
Bump steer — the wheel jerks or the car darts as the suspension compresses, because the tie rods and control arms are not agreeing. Coil bind — a spring stacking solid so the suspension stops moving; it feels like hitting a brick wall mid-corner.
Trail braking — braking later than you think you should, then easing off the pedal as you turn in so the car rotates without snapping sideways. Apex — the point on the inside of the corner you kiss before unwinding the wheel. Get there late, not early.
Riding — cruising to save tyres or fuel. Just do not get caught napping, because the car behind is not riding.
Live axle — a solid rear axle connecting both rear wheels. Tough and simple, but it does not like bumps and it will hop under hard braking.
Tape — duct tape on the grille to block airflow. More tape means more downforce and hotter engine temps. It is a trade, not a freebie.
Vocabulary drifts between communities and between oval and road racing. If someone uses a term in a way that does not match this, ask what they mean before changing a click.
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