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

Traction and suspension are in sub-nodes:

code

<fTractionCurveMax value="2.400000" />
<fTractionCurveMin value="2.000000" />
<fSuspensionForce value="1.400000" />
<fSuspensionReboundDamp value="1.800000" />

Tune mass and traction

The car feels heavier or lighter as you intend.

To make a car more stable (less spin-outs):

code

<fMass value="1600.000000" />  <!-- was 1400 - heavier, more planted -->
<fTractionCurveMax value="2.800000" />  <!-- was 2.4 - more grip -->

To make a car more agile (drifty, responsive):

code

<fMass value="1100.000000" />  <!-- was 1400 - lighter, more nimble -->
<fTractionCurveMin value="1.500000" />  <!-- was 2.0 - less grip at limit -->

Rule: change one parameter at a time. Test. Then change the next. If you change 5 values at once and the car flips over, you won't know which one caused it.

Test changes in real-time with vehicleDebug

You see handling changes instantly without restarting.

Install vehicleDebug: https://github.com/ItsANoBrainer/vehicleDebug

Add it to your server and start it. In-game, open the vehicleDebug menu (default: F10). Select your vehicle. Now when you edit handling.meta and save, vehicleDebug reloads the handling data without a resource restart.

Keep reading the full lesson

Still ahead in this lesson

Common failures