F125 suspension setup for kerbs

Learn about F125 suspension setup for kerbs

Kerbs in F1 25 can feel like landmines. You turn in, clip what looks like a harmless painted strip, and the car hops, snaps, or washes wide. That frustration is normal: F1 25 punishes overly stiff cars and low ride heights because the floor, springs, and anti-roll bars all decide how the chassis “accepts” a kerb hit. By the end of this guide you’ll know exactly how to tune your F125 suspension setup for kerbs so you can attack chicanes without bouncing or spinning.

Quick Answer

If kerbs throw your car, soften the suspension and anti-roll bars slightly, raise ride height a touch, and add a bit more rear toe-in. Typical first pass: soften front/rear springs 2–3 clicks (rear slightly softer than front), soften rear ARB 1–2 clicks, raise ride height +1 front and +1–2 rear, reduce front toe a notch and increase rear toe a notch. Test, then fine-tune.

Why F125 suspension setup for kerbs Feels So Hard at First

• Kerbs create a sharp, high-frequency impact. If your car is too stiff or too low, the tire skips or the floor bottoms out, breaking grip instantly.
• F1 25 doesn’t expose damper sliders, so you must balance springs, anti-roll bars, ride height, and geometry to create “compliance” without making the car roll or understeer.

Promise: Follow the steps below and you’ll build a stable, kerb-friendly baseline you can tweak for each track and controller.

What F125 suspension setup for kerbs Actually Means in F1 25

These are the settings that most affect kerb behavior and what they do:

• Suspension (Front/Rear): Spring stiffness. Softer absorbs kerb hits better; too soft dulls response and can bottom out.
• Anti-Roll Bars (Front/Rear): Control body roll over one-wheel bumps. Softer bars let each side move independently. Too stiff = “pogo” on kerbs; too soft = sluggish change of direction.
• Ride Height (Front/Rear): Space between floor and track. A bit higher prevents floor strikes on sausage kerbs. Too high costs downforce and top speed.
• Suspension Geometry (Camber/Toe):
  • Camber: Less negative camber slightly increases contact patch on kerb landings.
  • Toe: Less front toe-out calms twitchiness; more rear toe-in adds exit stability when straddling kerbs.
• Tyre Pressures: Slightly lower can soften impacts but watch temperatures and rolling resistance.

Note: Damping isn’t adjustable in F1 25. Use the four controls above to simulate “compliance.”

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

• Hardware: Works for both wheel and controller. Controller players usually need slightly more stability (softer rear ARB, a bit more rear toe-in).
• Game mode: Test in Time Trial or Practice (consistent weather/track evolution). Avoid testing in races with heavy fuel if you’re still dialing the baseline.
• Menus you’ll use:
  • From the Garage, open Car Setup.
  • Use the Suspension tab (springs, ARBs, ride height) and Suspension Geometry tab (camber, toe).
  • Optional: Tyres tab for pressures.
• Pick a track section with demanding kerbs:
  • Flat/mid kerbs: Austria T6–T7, Mexico stadium.
  • Aggressive/sausage: Imola Variante Alta, Monza T4–T5, COTA esses exit kerbs.

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve F125 suspension setup for kerbs

1. Establish a baseline

• Do 3–5 push laps on your current setup.
• Note the exact corners where the car hops, bottoms, or snaps. Success looks like: You’ve identified “problem kerbs” and a consistent line/speed to compare changes.

2. Add basic compliance (springs)

• Open Car Setup > Suspension.
• Soften Front Suspension by 2 clicks and Rear Suspension by 3 clicks (keep rear slightly softer than front).
• Save as “Kerb Test v1.” Success looks like: On the same line, the car lands with one controlled bounce instead of multiple hops.

3. Free up each side (anti-roll bars)

• In Suspension, soften Rear Anti-Roll Bar by 1–2 clicks.
• If the front skates when landing on entry kerbs, soften Front Anti-Roll Bar by 1 click. Success looks like: Less “see-saw” bounce over single-wheel kerbs and steadier steering on landing.

4. Prevent floor strikes (ride height)

• Raise Front Ride Height by +1 and Rear Ride Height by +1–2.
• If you’re hitting big sausages (Monza/Imola), don’t be afraid to go another +1 rear. Keep rear a touch higher than front. Success looks like: No harsh bottom-out sound/spark shower on the kerb apex; car stays planted on throttle.

5. Stabilize steering and exits (geometry)

• Go to Suspension Geometry.
• Move Front Toe one step toward zero (reduces twitch on kerb landings).
• Add a little Rear Toe-In (1 small step) for exit stability when straddling kerbs.
• If the car still snaps on landing, move Front Camber and Rear Camber 1 click less negative. Success looks like: Steering wheel doesn’t kick or oscillate when you hit the kerb; rear end stays behind you on throttle.

6. Fine-tune balance

• If entry understeer increases: re-stiffen Front ARB by 1 click or reduce front ride height by 1 (if not bottoming).
• If exit traction is weak: soften Rear ARB 1 click or add a touch more rear toe-in.
• If straight-line speed dropped noticeably: lower ride heights by 1 (front and rear) and re-check floor strikes. Success looks like: You can attack kerbs without losing time elsewhere on the lap.

7. Optional: Tyre pressures

• In Tyres, lower pressures 1 step on the axle that suffers most over kerbs (often fronts for turn-in kerbs, rears for exits). Success looks like: Slightly calmer impacts without overheating.

8. Save and compare

• Use Manage Setups to save “Kerb v2” and A/B test against baseline. Success looks like: Kerb v2 is faster/more consistent through your test corners.

Common Mistakes and Myths About F125 suspension setup for kerbs

• “Max soft is best for kerbs.” Wrong. Too soft makes direction changes sluggish and can cause bottoming and snap oversteer.
• “Ride height doesn’t matter here.” It does. A +1–2 click change can eliminate floor strikes on sausages.
• “Toe is only for tire wear.” Front toe impacts stability on landings; rear toe-in transforms exit control over kerbs.
• Blindly copying Time Trial setups. TT cars often run extreme values and perfect kerb lines. Adapt to your input device and race conditions.
• Ignoring saves. If you don’t save, you’ll lose changes when leaving the garage.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

• Car bounces like a pogo over chicanes

  • Likely cause: Springs/ARBs too stiff or front/rear mismatch.
  • Fix: Soften rear ARB 1–2 clicks; soften both springs 1 click; consider 1 click less negative camber.

• Sudden snap on throttle when half-on the exit kerb

  • Likely cause: Rear too stiff or not enough rear toe-in.
  • Fix: Soften rear ARB 1 click; add 1–2 steps of rear toe-in; slightly lower rear tyre pressures.

• Bottoming out or being launched by sausage kerbs

  • Likely cause: Ride height too low; springs too soft for impact.
  • Fix: Raise rear ride height +1–2; if still striking, raise front +1; optionally re-stiffen springs 1 click to limit excessive travel.

• Understeer after softening for kerbs

  • Likely cause: Front too soft or front ARB too soft.
  • Fix: Re-stiffen front ARB 1 click or front spring 1 click; reduce front toe-out slightly less.

• Slower on straights after changes

  • Likely cause: Ride height too high or toe too aggressive.
  • Fix: Lower ride height 1 click front and rear; reduce rear toe-in by 1 step.

• Changes don’t apply

  • Note: You must Save the setup in the garage before going out. In sessions with parc fermé, only limited changes apply after qualifying.

What NOT to do:

• Don’t max out softness or crank ride height sky-high; you’ll lose more in lap time than you gain on kerbs.
• Don’t add huge amounts of toe; it heats tires and drags straight-line speed.
• Don’t try to ride every sausage kerb flat-out—some are still faster to respect.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

• Track-specific tweaks:
  • Imola/Monza: Prioritize ride height and rear ARB softness for sausage kerbs.
  • Austria/COTA: Controlled spring softness and modest front toe reduction calm fast, flat kerb sequences.
• Controller players: Bias toward a bit more rear toe-in and a slightly softer rear ARB for stability on exits.
• Wet conditions: Add +1 ride height front/rear and soften ARBs 1 click; kerbs are slipperier in the wet.
• Driving adjustment: Approach kerbs with the car settled—finish most of your braking before mounting them, and avoid full throttle while the inside wheel is significantly unloaded.

How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)

Run this checklist at your test corners:

• One clean “thud” over the kerb, not a series of hops.
• Steering remains steady with minimal kickback; no sudden snap on landing.
• No harsh bottom-out sounds or sparks when clipping known sausage kerbs.
• Exit traction consistent—you can apply throttle at the same point every lap.
• Lap delta improves or is more consistent (within ±0.05s across 3 laps).

If you tick 4/5, your F125 suspension setup for kerbs is in the window.

Next Steps and Related Guides

• Now that your F125 suspension setup for kerbs is dialed in, the next big gain usually comes from balancing roll control. Read our guide on F125 anti-roll bar tuning.
• Struggling with ground strikes on fast tracks? See our F125 ride height setup guide.
• For better exits over kerbs, pair this with our F125 differential setup guide.