Change vehicle handling like a pro

Vehicle handling is the difference between a car that feels planted and one that slides into every wall. FiveM lets you tune every physics parameter through handling.meta. This lesson uses vehicleDebug to test changes instantly - no restart between tweaks.

You'll build: A modified handling.meta for any vehicle - tweak mass, traction, suspension, and top speed with real-time testing.
Time: ~25 minutes
You need: A local FiveM server, a carpack or add-on vehicle, and a text editor.
You'll learn: What each handling parameter does (mass, traction, suspension, braking, acceleration), how to read handling.meta, how to test changes in real-time, and what changes improve control vs what breaks physics.

BEFORE YOU START

Build it

Read the current handling

You know what each parameter controls.

Open data/handling.meta in your carpack. Find the <handlingName> for your vehicle:

code

<handlingName>s98</handlingName>
<fMass value="1400.000000" />
<fInitialDragCoeff value="9.500000" />
<fPercentSubmerged value="60.000000" />
<vecCentreOfMassOffset x="0.000000" y="0.000000" z="-0.100000" />
<vecInertiaMultiplier x="1.000000" y="1.000000" z="1.000000" />

Key parameters:

fMass - vehicle weight in kg. Higher = heavier, slower acceleration, more stable
fInitialDragCoeff - air resistance. Higher = lower top speed
fPercentSubmerged - how much of the car is underwater before it floats
vecCentreOfMassOffset - shifts center of gravity. Negative Z = lower, more stable

Change vehicle handling like a pro

Build it

Read the current handling

Tune mass and traction

Test changes in real-time with vehicleDebug

Keep reading the full lesson