BeamNG.drive v0.39 arrived on 29 July 2026 with the new NGRC Rally Utah 2026 event. BeamNG describes it as its first all-gravel Rally Loop. It combines four gravel stages covering 16.4 km with liaison sections for a total loop of about 30 km.
The route includes loose surfaces, river crossings, jumps and narrow canyon sections. That variety makes wheel setup especially important. You need enough force-feedback detail to read grip changes, but not so much torque that a landing, rock strike or crash becomes unpleasant.
This guide combines BeamNG's official wheel-setup workflow with SIMGASM-recommended starting values scaled for different wheelbase strengths. Use the torque table as a controlled first configuration, then tune Strength, Smoothing and driver-side output for your hardware, vehicle and comfort.
What is new in the v0.39 Rally Loop?
NGRC Rally Utah 2026 is more than a set of gravel time trials. The full Rally Loop connects the competitive stages with public-road liaison sections that include traffic. BeamNG also added rally-specific systems designed to make the event easier to enter and more authentic to run.
You can choose between three pacenote styles:
- Pro uses notes recorded by Alex Kihurani, whom BeamNG identifies as the 2024 British Rally Champion co-driver.
- Enthusiast provides nearly 200 available calls and more detail than the casual option.
- Casual offers Easy, Medium and Hard corner calls for drivers who want simpler guidance.
The event also supports selectable co-drivers, automatic clock skipping between stages, route-aware recovery that preserves fuel, and experimental virtual competitors with Pace, Consistency and Risk traits. If the included rally cars are not what you want, enter from Freeroam and select Player Vehicle to use another vehicle. The experimental loop-time options let you run Default, Current, Morning or Morning and Afternoon conditions.
Follow BeamNG's official wheel-setup workflow first
Before changing force feedback, update your wheelbase drivers and firmware. Then set the highest steering angle supported by your hardware and enter the same angle in BeamNG, in degrees. Use separate pedals when the driver offers that option.
If you previously changed the steering binding, delete it and create it again before calibration so an old configuration does not affect the result.
BeamNG recommends using a stock rear-wheel-drive ETK K-Series Kc6, with no mods or custom setup, while holding at least 60 fps during setup. This creates a consistent baseline before you introduce a rally car, gravel or third-party content.
Use this sequence:
- Set Smoothing to its maximum temporarily.
- Adjust Strength until the steering force feels firm but manageable while driving.
- Do not judge the setup only while parked; stationary steering can feel artificially heavy.
- Reduce Smoothing gradually until useful road and tyre detail returns.
- If the wheel becomes noisy, notchy or unstable, increase Smoothing slightly again.
- Enable Reduce strength at low speeds to reduce oscillation while parked.
For the general relationship between wheel rotation, soft lock and different cars, see our steering angle and wheel rotation guide.
Understand what the BeamNG controls mean
BeamNG's Strength value is a raw in-game slider value. It is not a percentage and it is not a torque figure in newton-metres. Since v0.35, the slider maximum is 500 rather than 1000. BeamNG says its official vehicles are generally tuned to avoid normal-driving clipping within roughly the 300–500 range, although the ideal value still depends on the car, wheel and driver-side settings.
Smoothing does not have a documented physical unit. Do not describe it as a percentage, frequency or time value. Use it procedurally: start high for the initial force check, then lower it until the wheel communicates useful detail without excessive vibration or chatter.
The Update Rate Limit is measured in hertz. BeamNG's Automatic option selects 400 Hz or lower. Automatic is therefore the sensible starting point unless your wheel manufacturer provides a specific reason to choose another supported value.
BeamNG v0.39 also introduces Adaptive Steering Damping as an experimental feature. It estimates the wheel's effective inertia and stiffness in real time to apply critical damping and reduce shake or oscillation. BeamNG warns that its effectiveness depends on frame rate and will be lower at reduced FPS, which makes the 60 fps setup baseline even more relevant.
Recommended torque starting points for NGRC Rally Utah 2026
Recommended baseline: use this table as a torque-scaled starting grid. Begin at BeamNG Strength 300, set Smoothing to maximum for the first force check, and apply the listed driver-side output before tuning one control at a time.
The percentages target up to a nominal 6 Nm initially: min(100%, 6 Nm / rated wheelbase torque x 100). Fanatec presents 5-8 Nm as a direct-drive starting range; the percentages below are SIMGASM's cross-wheelbase scaling method. Peak torque, holding torque, firmware response, force delivery and slider linearity vary by model, so use each value as the first calibration step rather than a universal final preset.
| Rated wheelbase torque | Recommended driver-side force start | BeamNG Strength start | Smoothing during first check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-6 Nm | 100% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 8 Nm | 75% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 9 Nm | About 67% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 12 Nm | 50% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 15-16 Nm | About 40-38% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 18 Nm | About 33% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 20-21 Nm | About 30-29% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 25 Nm | 24% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 28 Nm | About 21% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
| 35 Nm | About 17% | 300 | Start at maximum, then reduce gradually |
A BeamNG Strength value of 300 is the recommended starting value for this workflow, not a universal final target. Do not raise both the wheelbase output and the in-game Strength together. Change one control at a time and test it on a repeatable section.
In every row, put Smoothing at maximum only during the first Strength check. Then lower it gradually until the wheel delivers useful gravel detail without chatter.
Tune for gravel detail without losing control
Complete the official Kc6 baseline first. Then move to one NGRC Rally Utah stage and use the same short section for every adjustment. A stretch with loose gravel, a compression and a moderate corner is more useful than a flat straight.
Reduce Smoothing one adjustment at a time. Stop when you can feel the front tyres load up, distinguish compact gravel from rougher sections and notice the first signs of understeer without constant vibration. If the wheel chatters on a straight or feels harsh over small surface changes, add a little Smoothing back.
Jumps and crashes can create much stronger peaks than ordinary cornering. If those events feel violent, BeamNG's official documentation recommends lowering the manufacturer-side wheel force first. You may then increase the in-game Strength carefully if normal driving has become too light.
Use BeamNG's force-feedback graph to check the signal. If the trace regularly reaches the limit and flattens during normal cornering, you are clipping and losing detail. The Limit trace makes the selected force limit visible; Unlimited helps show what the game would request without that limit. Occasional peaks during an impact are different from sustained clipping through ordinary corners.
Leave Update Rate Limit on Automatic to begin with, enable low-speed force reduction, and avoid changing steering angle, Strength, Smoothing and driver output all at once. A controlled setup process is faster than chasing several moving variables.
Match the wheelbase to a stable cockpit
Force feedback only feels useful when the wheel mount stays stable. For compact setups and wheelbases up to 16 Nm, the SIMGASM Hobby cockpit collection provides a strong, space-conscious starting point.
If you use a higher-torque base, heavier pedals, several accessories or want more room for future upgrades, consider the SIMGASM Sport cockpit collection. Its thicker base and pedal tray, stronger and more adjustable wheel mount, cable slots and longer shifter arm provide more room for demanding rally equipment.
Always confirm the exact bottom-mount or side-mount pattern before ordering hardware. A torque category does not prove that two wheelbases share the same mounting pattern.
Quick setup checklist
- Update wheelbase drivers and firmware.
- Match the maximum steering angle in the driver and BeamNG.
- Reset and calibrate the steering binding if needed.
- Test with the stock Kc6, no mods and at least 60 fps.
- Begin with Smoothing at maximum.
- Start at BeamNG Strength 300, then tune against the FFB graph.
- Apply the torque-scaled driver-side percentage from the table as your first calibration value.
- Reduce Smoothing gradually while driving.
- Enable Reduce strength at low speeds.
- Leave Update Rate Limit on Automatic.
- Check the FFB graph for sustained clipping before starting a full Rally Loop.
Frequently asked questions
Is BeamNG Strength 300 the best setting for every wheel?
No. Start at 300 because it is the lower edge of BeamNG's documented 300-500 range for official vehicles. Then tune for the car, wheel, driver-side output and comfort while watching for clipping. Treat 300 as a consistent calibration baseline, not a universal final setting.
What Smoothing value should I use for gravel rallying?
BeamNG does not document Smoothing with a physical unit, so there is no universal numeric answer. Start at the maximum during the initial force check, then lower it gradually while driving. Stop when useful gravel detail is clear without constant chatter, oscillation or harshness.
Should I use Automatic FFB Update Rate in BeamNG.drive?
Start with Automatic. BeamNG says it selects 400 Hz or a lower rate because excessive update rates can reduce FFB quality on some wheels. Only override it when an official hardware recommendation or a repeatable test gives you a reason.
Does BeamNG publish official settings for each wheelbase torque?
BeamNG's setup guide documents the setup process and its controls, but does not provide one torque-by-torque preset for every wheelbase. The table in this article provides SIMGASM-recommended starting values, scaled to a nominal maximum of 6 Nm before individual tuning.
About the author
SIMGASM B.V. - Written with technical input from Johan Akkerman, founder and CEO of SIMGASM B.V. Johan combines experience in sim racing, motorsport and technical product development to help drivers build stable, practical simulator setups.
