Car tuning, setup and part wear in GearHeads Empire
How parts change performance, what balanced, power and grip setups do, how wet tracks weigh in and when repairs are worth it.
Published on October 12, 2026 · 2 min read
The garage is where the game is decided. Two drivers with the same car race differently if one of them chose better parts, a better setup and a better moment to repair.
Parts
Each car takes one part per category: engine, tires, suspension, brakes and so on. Each part changes the car numbers (power, grip, braking, weight, reliability) and the result shows right in the stats on the tuning screen.
- Installing a part costs 5% of its price (minimum R$ 50), whether the slot was empty or not.
- Removing a part is free. If you got it wrong, take it off and try another.
- Parts can be bought from the shop or from other players on the market, where each listing shows the part condition.
Setup: three ways to race
Before the race you pick a setup:
| Setup | What it gains | What it loses |
|---|---|---|
| Balanced | nothing | nothing |
| Power | power and acceleration | grip, braking and control |
| Grip | grip, braking and control | power and acceleration |
Power suits Drag and Sprint. Grip suits Circuit and wet tracks.
Dry and wet tracks
On a wet track, grip, control and braking count more and power counts less. A high-power, low-grip car struggles. Check the track condition before you confirm the race.
Wear
Every race wears the car down: 1 condition point per race, 2 in Drift and Street, and 1 extra if you lose. Installed parts wear too, and the more fragile ones (lower reliability) lose condition faster.
Below 80% condition, the car and parts start losing performance. The condition bar appears on the tuning screen, on the race screen, on the home dashboard and on market listings.
Repairs
You can repair the car, each part separately, or everything at once. The cost per point is a small percentage of the item value, and the game caps it at a fraction of what a win pays, so top cars do not lose money on every race.
A repaint costs 2% of the car value (minimum R$ 300) and is cosmetic only.
Pre-race checklist
- Car and part condition above 80%.
- Setup matching the race type.
- Dry or wet track checked.
- Cash reserve for entry fee and repairs.
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