Playing Forza Motorsport (2023)? You’ll need a different approach than the one outlined here. See the directions in our ForzaTune Pro app for more information.
Do you want to learn how to tune gears in Forza Horizon 5 or earlier Forza titles? The math behind gearing can be a bit confusing. You can do it by hand looking at the graph, but it takes about 1/10th of the time if you use a gearing calculator like ForzaTune Pro.
So let’s break down the steps you need when tuning gears.
Time Needed: 5 minutes
Required Tools:
- Xbox console or Win 10 PC
- Forza Horizon or Motorsport
- ForzaTune or ForzaTune Pro (Tuning Calculator App)
How to Tune Gears in Forza Using the Gearing Calculator
1. Check if you need to tune gears
If your vehicle does not have major upgrades or engine swaps, you can most likely skip the full race transmission tuning and install a sports transmission instead.
Sports transmissions keep all forward gears the same, but allow you to change the final drive. Increase final drive for more acceleration, and lower it for more top speed depending on your track or needs.
If you have significant upgrades or the stock gears are more for fuel economy (think 90s sports cars) continue to step 2.
2. Install Race Transmission
Some cars may have an adjustable transmission, and most will default to 6 gears. Install a race transmission with more gears if you have a narrow power band (see below).
3. Find Vehicle Information in Forza
Go to the power upgrade section in the game. Select an engine upgrade that shows a power and torque graph. Press the display button (usually ‘Y’) until you see details like weight and max torque.
4. Open ForzaTune or ForzaTune Pro
Choose a Saved Tune or start a New Tune from the main menu and enter details for your vehicle. Select Include Gearing Tune at the bottom and hit Continue or Next. This will take you to the gearing screen.
5. Fill in Power Band Information
Click Power Band in the app and follow instructions on that screen to get additional values. You will need details like RPM scale, Redline RPM and Max Torque RPM. A narrow power band will have the max torque RPM is closer to the redline RPM and may benefit from more gears if your game has the option.
6. Fill in Remaining Gearing Details
Fill in the max torque and the number of gears your car has (usually 6). Enter your tire size, found on the tire upgrade screen. Also, enter the top speed value, found on any upgrade screen where you change parts. ForzaTune (free) gives you the option to customize your maximum speed in first gear. ForzaTune Pro uses details about your vehicle to automatically fine-tune gears.
7. Copy Gearing Results Into the Game
In ForzaTune hit Calculate or Next to see your results. Go to the tuning menu in Forza and change your values to match what’s shown in the app.
8. Adjust Final Drive As Necessary
By default, the app tries to maximize acceleration but also reach its top speed. Feel free to experiment with final drive values, but don’t change the forward gears.
Want to Give it a Try Yourself?
Try the free or pro version of ForzaTune.
Video Tutorial
Want to see an example from start to finish? Check out a Forza Horizon 4 tutorial video below:
