Caster - What's it good for anyway?

[Ske]

5.2 would be better for faster tracks, or stiff roll resistance cars.
5.4 average
5.6 would be better for shorter tracks, or soft roll resistance cars.

Does that make sense?
 

That's opposite of the norm.. as I see it the big thing with caster isn't the dynamic camber, but the centering force. In RL RWD tuning, higher caster is used for faster, straighter tracks where stability is key - and lower caster is used on twistier tracks for easier turning. High caster (5.5+) can introduce terminal understeer if you steer back and forth a bit, so I keep it a bit lower. I'm not 100% sure how it's done with FWDs, but in Forza I find the RWD application works to an extent.

I only mess with caster as a last resort, although when I was using the MS wheel I liked much higher caster settings because of the diffuse feedback.

[JG4tr]

Something definitely seems to be amiss with Forza's implimentation of Force Feedback as it applies to caster. The test I ran is not pure because of the changes to static camber that I ran in combination with the caster adjustments but, at low caster, the steering effort and centering force was high and at high caster, the steering effort and centering force was low. That is the exact opposite of what it should have been. I suppose that I should rerun the test, adjusting absolutely nothing except caster just to put a period on it. I reported the issue to Turn10 but, got and expect to get no response...

[Ske]

Hmm I never tried lower caster with the MS wheel but I DID (and still do) get stronger effort and centering force with higher caster... which is why I applied it. The MS wheel gave me such mushy and weak feedback I had to make it harder to turn by using high caster.

It feels much more like I think it should with the Logitech though... The wheel goes light as the caster angle is lowered, making it hard to keep steady. And when I increase it enough (5.2+ or so is when I usually start to feel the effect) the centering force becomes much stronger, feedback more vague and less predictable... and the car might even snap understeer in chicanes if the caster is too high - total loss of front grip, not just a bit too much slip angle.

[feuerdog]

Centering force should be higher with higher caster, agreed.

When I played Live for Speed with my Act Labs FF wheel caster setting was very important for proper feel.

The way Forza models grip in general is why it throws the wheel feedback off in this case though.

The force feedback you are getting in Forza is altered by grip, not just caster angle.  I think the grip feedback is stronger overall actually.

Ske - I think part of the difference in our driving/tuning style/feel is the way we acheive our stability.  A major part of that seems to be in the difference between wheel and controller input/feedback.

I might have to hook my wheel back up and see for myself just how different this feel is,...if nothing else it might explain why the calculator doesn't work as well in some cases.