I started a new thread, as I didn't want to muck up Red's gear thread.

I'm on the hunt for a new wheel. The red Momos I have are twenty years old, and although I've been doing fine with a controller lately, I want to step up my game.

The market for quality wheels is insane, but I'm here for it. I need to learn more, and make a good choice because it's easy to drop a grand or more on the best stuff. At least for Fanatec, which is where my eyes are right now. Thrustmaster, Logitech and a few more have fine options too. I'm not ruling those out. Any of these would be a step up for me at the mo.

I've been looking at Fanatec and I have to rule out the top stuff. I'm not going to drop 1500+ on this. When I first started looking I saw the wheel prices and thought that's pricey, but I bet it's worth it. Fanatec is high quality kit. But then I realized that's just the tip. That $600 wheel is just a wheel right? You still need to purchase the base with the drive mechanism. And pedals, And a shifter maybe. Desk clamps unless you have a stand. And it seems, depending on the wheel -- or 'rim' as it's called -- you might need an additional hub? I don't need to step up quite that much haha.

So there's always the Logitech G29-strata. Good wheel, much lower pricing, but still in the $300 range, in US dollars. Thrustmaster has a number of wheels too in this range, and these come with pedals. A shifter is usually optional and additional, but I'm good with paddles, it's mostly F1 and GT/ Super/ Hyper cars I'm driving these days and no need for a stick. But if I were to get back in to GPL....

Or rally.

So how do you get in to the Fanatec game without dropping a mortgage payment? On a different forum we've been talking sim racing and one of the guys there recently bought the McLaren GT3 wheel. This 'rim' is $200. And if I understand needs just a base, no hub, and that's another $350. A set of pedals is another $80 for the two-pedal starter model. Others are $500. I have no stand, well actually I do but my son uses it. Kids! So throw in some desk clamps (is desk mount even possible? I think it is). They even cheekily offer a a turbo kit or somesuch which brings the force feedback to max. Don't be throttlin' my feedback.

So if you add that all up, and skip the turbo racket, that's in the $700 range with no clutch pedal or stick.

And then once I used it I'd be looking at racing seats and such. You know this happens.







That's a great setup for F1. It has dual paddles. One set for gears and the other for whatever. I could see using it for launch control in the F1 cars. Or maybe there's a better idea. This might be the least expensive Fanatec wheel? Not sure, but it looks the business, has a great layout for the racing I do and the leap in quality and car control would be a massive boost for me. That's some serious cash to splash though.

Anyone here using a Fanatec wheel? Or this one?

The rim/hub/base arrangement means I could change wheels down the line without rebuying the other stuff. Just a quick release and the wheel pops off and slap another in its place. But I have to be careful because there are different ones, and not every thing is interchangable. I'm looking for a quality wheel for PC I can mount to a desk for a start.. I also want pedals that have the pedal travel arc within the base dimensions, so they can be pushed up against a wall and still have full travel, if you know what I mean.

The hub I mentioned is needed if you use a direct drive base, which puts out more torque and the hub is needed evidently. I won't be using a direct drive, which are top dollar.

This wheel is a replica of the one in the 650S, not the newer 720, which is probably more ergonomic, a better switch layout. As a replica it's full sized at 300mm wide. Most PC wheels are 270mm it seems. Not sure if that could make much difference, it's only an inch and a quarter, but obviously comfort is paramount for long racing sessions. I wish I could try it first.

I've been out of the game for a long time but to me it seems there's the "regular" brands like TM and Logictech and then there's an insane gap. Fanatec seems to be the only one that has somewhat "reasonably" priced high-quality products in their product range unlike Simucube, Ascher and the like. No doubt there's a huge difference in quality between Logitech and Fanatec that wouldn't be lost on a racer like you. Good luck, I hope you find a good solution!

Hi DBond, hey you can "mock" up our thread anytime. Really, I don´t put up threads to claim my own which would be ridiculous, I do this because for one, this Is SimHQ so were are talking simming here right, or at least for the most part we should be, and two, to Informe anyone Interested on the subject/sim and also get traffic flow for the site. Personally I think more people should pitch In no matter who´s started the tread, as long as you contribute to the thread and don´t turn It Into a TV gossip show It´s all good health for SimHQ and socially for those who are here. Oh and I do welcome your or anybody´s thread In case It´s not clear already!

Back to wheels LOL!

Right now I am not In a position for shopping, but as I did when I first wanted a PC but could not afford it, I spend a year looking through magazines. If that doesn´t give you a hint, that was way back In the late 90´s. Now we have Internet and well a bunch of people opinions are out for grabs. So I am basically doing research for when the day comes, and for anyone here.

From what I am seeing quality/price ratio for a semi-full (no stick) set-up would be Fanatec´s GT DD Pro, and Thrustmasters T-GT 2. This would be In the higher end of a standard race wheel combo budget so to say. Sure those guys with 10K rigs will be laughing now but hey In this case we be like Sunday drivers haha!

Both of these kits can be purchased with just a base and work or build your way around that, but to be clear we are talking about a 800 €/$ bracket here no matter which way you go. The Fanatec Is direct driven (DD), and the TM Is a new (for Thrustmaster) hybrid mix of DD. As a base only Fanatec also has the CSL Elite wheel base aside from the newer CSL DD wheel base. Another thing to consider Is the torque (Nm) which will translate to the fidelity that you will be receiving of the force feedback (FFB) from the sim.

Going lower In the price range I would put the Thrustmaster (TM) TS-PC, and T300RS. I wont mention Logitech because as I see it, they really never did hit a higher quality market although they claim to In the way that Thrustmaster has at reasonable prices. I just think TM Is above the Logitech offerings in general.

The above would be the more common "known" offerings, then we have the whole plethora of companies that offer kit´s and/or individual parts. I haven´t really looked Into these but here Is a few "reasonable" priced companies.

Moza:
MOZA Racing Home site

Cammus:
Cammus Home site

I am sure there´s a lot more out there.

As to what to spend, well that´s a Individual decision but as I see it, If one spends a lot of his/her spare time with a hobby and of course enjoys there time with It, then It´s well worth It IMHO.

That thread is like a repository of helpful information and for folks seeking it I thought it would be better not mucked up with my random musings.

Knowing not enough at this point it seems the drive base to get is the CSL DD or Elite. The GTR 3 works with all these bases, so many options that it's confusing which one to go for.


PODIUM Wheel Base DD1 (QR1 Wheel-Side required*)
PODIUM Wheel Base DD2 (QR1 Wheel-Side required*)
PODIUM Wheel Base DD1 PS4™ (QR1 Wheel-Side required*)
ClubSport Wheel Base V2
ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5
CSL Elite Wheel Base
CSL Elite Wheel Base V1.1
CSL Elite Wheel Base + - officially licensed for PS4™
CSL DD Wheel Base
Gran Turismo DD Pro Wheel Base

I mean come on right? Elite Wheel Base. And Elite Wheel Base 1.1? Which one do I want! The Podium options are the direct drive models. The rim I choose is very important, but the base is probably more so in the long run. I also think I'd be wise to drop more coin up front and get a three-pedal setup for a clutch. Don't need it now, but that could prove a regret down the line when I'd wish I had gone that route.

Jussi mentioned two brands I was unaware of, Simucube and Ascher.

I posted a message on that other forum to the dude who recently bought this wheel to get more insight in to his setup. So yeah, I'm focused on Fanatec, aiming at the entry level point of the high end market. I'm ready to blow anything south of a grand on this. I know it would be worth it to me considering how much time I spend with driving and racing games.

Well you got a point there with regards to the thread, but you get what I mean. If I could right now, I would go the Fanatec route too. It´s also well established (Integrated) In todays top race sims and has a diverse ecosystem to go along with It, so yes It ticks all the boxes In my book too.

I still have not decided the McLaren wheel is the one I'll go with. Matter of fact, I still haven't seen every Fanatec wheel. Wheel shape is one thing to consider. The McLaren wheel is a GT style wheel that would work great in those cars, or open wheel. I've never done much rally, but that's one class where this shape would feel wrong I imagine. And depending on your style, could actually make you slower, since there's no hoop to slide your hands around for max rotation. That's not an issue for me in what I run, although I could give rally a go at some stage.

But for those who could afford it, this is the beauty of the Fanatec system right? With a quick release modular approach, you could just swap to your rally rim and off you go.

I found this video review. Props to this dude, who has made a sparkling video, excellent commentary and camera work. I'm impressed.



I do want to make sure I see all of my options, but this wheel ticks every box for me. And with what I saw and heard in that video I think it's a perfect choice.

But I still don't know if these can be desk-mounted, and if they can is a specific base required? Is desk clamp hardware an additional option and is it an option on all bases?

Has anyone here moved to a direct drive wheel?

I spent close to $300 USD for my current Logitech wheel. That's plenty "high end" for me.

That is still an open option for me, I haven't ruled out one of the better Thrustmaster or Logitech type wheels. Which one do you have Panzer?

But yeah my focus is on this entry-level Fanatec option. I really like the modular nature. I may not need another wheel ever, but the fact I can have other options that are plug and play with the motor base and pedals would give me flexibilty to race different wheels in different class cars, as well as future-proof it if Fanatec release a wheel in the years ahead that I must have. If the pockets are deep enough that is. The $300 level wheels are certainly an option and would be on par with the red Momo I used for all those years. But they don't get along with Win10 and it's time for me to bring my racing game in to the 21st century. I've been using a controller and any of these options is going to be a step up.

Panzer's right that the sort of wheel he has is more than enough. It's gaming after all right? But I dropped about $1500 on my flight controls, and I'm not opposed to doing the same for my racing. Just depends on what a driver wants. I mean, watch that video and it feels like a new level. Needed? No way. Do I want that? Hell, yes

But I need to work out the right base and optional choices first.

With regards to base mounting. Be careful because these bases can have some serious output (FFB), I mean they can easily un-clamp your base from your desk. Even a simple stand like the GT Omega Apex wheel stand (see gear thread) could be a good option.

My thoughts too, as I also have the TM Warthog HOTAS, so why not do the same with my sim racing set-up.

You can try this on your Momo...
Xbox 360CE:
Xbox 360CE Home site

Thanks Red.

Spent some time looking at all the Fanatec options, and I want one. But they're mostly sold out of everything and I guess are only sold direct? I went through their configurator and they don't have the base I think I should buy. As a result I need to change tack in to other brands. So if I can't make up my mind then maybe I'll try that thing Red posted and see if the old Momos can come back to life!

The PC wheel market has a lot of options.

If you get a wheel stand, you can always go the DIY route for a seat. I used to work as a welder In a bus manufacturing company so I made up a seat base out of 20x20 steel square and bolted a old bus seat on It. Also did some DIY on my flight stick with some PVC pluming tube.

You can roast my rig now




My seat even has a ashtray on the back for those smoky fans hahaha.

Just trying to give some Ideas here...

I have the G29 and I actually paid $350 for it from Newegg back in 2016. This wheel has been magnificent and has served me very well.

Thanks Panzer. That one's on my list now. Well, actually it was the 923.

Nice setup Red. Which wheel is that? That shot shows why I've been using a controller, as I don't want the wheel sitting there when I'm not racing. If I'm playing another type of game or whatever I want to set it aside. So now I'm clamping and unclamping, the rudder pedals and driving pedals have to be swapped and all the cables are getting fouled up and stuff haha. Only so many USB ports. But I know I'll drive better with a wheel. I do fine with the controller, but I lack fine throttle and brake control, and have to use some crutches to make up for it.

Panzer how is your G29 mounted?

I also spent some time on Fanatec's forum and there are always issues with any product, but I saw enough threads about things like connectivity issues, and random disconnects that it gave me more to think about. For that sort of money I expect flawless performance for years to come. This is hard

Just running through my options, which are vast aren't they? And I thought Fanatec was high end...

https://www.precisionsimengineering.com/

I think he made this review just for you

My wheel Is a Sunday driver Logitech Driving Force GT (DFGT), which also gave me some headaches to get running on W10. All good now and running. With regards to Issues, well unfortunately everything PC related can give you some Issues specially depending on what you have Installed. I have a USB hub I can turn on and off what ever I have plugged In, very useful and In my case I can also use outboard soundcards/gear without having to re-configure my PC audio settings every time I want to switch from Internal to external sound card and/or controllers. I also don´t get my sim or apps confused by what´s plugged In.

Great video, and that's a lot of information. I've reigned in my ambition. Fanatec stuff is amazing, and all of the high end stuff is really. Those Precision Engineering products are sick. I also looked at the Ascher wheels that Jussi mentioned and those are amazing as well.

Despite the thread title I've dropped in to the mid-range. I ordered the Thrustmaster T248. It was priced at $299 on Amazon which is 100 off the MSRP, so felt like a good deal. And it was in stock, a major plus haha. I actually went for a bundle that included a headset, which I'll surprise my son with as his headset keeps losing the ear cup.

Once I had to course correct off of Fanatec-level wheels, I was looking in the $400 range. I looked at the Logitech G923 Trueforce, the Thrustmaster T300 RS GT Edition and the T248.

These wheels move away from the direct drive force feedback, and that's a big part of what you give up in this range. But I know that even so it will be the best FFB I've experienced considering what I've used so far. In the faceoff between those three options the T248 was the winner for four main reasons.

One, the price I spotted it at was hard to beat. Pricing is out of control these days, and over the past few days while I did my search I was steeled for spending a grand. So to find an agreeable option for $300 was good.

Two, the FFB is hybrid belt and gear, which gave it the edge for me over the G923. By making the move to a new wheel I am hoping to improve my driving, bring laptimes down through proper gear. I expect force feedback will be a big part of that. I think if I can go X amount of fast without any feel from the car and track, that having those indicators can only make me better. Belt driven is generally regarded as better than gear it seems, but worse than direct. So this was a slight edge in my decision, even if it's only a hybrid system.

Three, the paddles are magnetic. All of the reading I did showed this is the way to go if possible.

And fourth, the pedals that are included are said to be good, and improved over other recent offerings. These are also magnetic and that seems to be a good thing. And I get a clutch pedal.

I want one of those Fanatec setups, that is great gear. I watch some of the esports Formula 1 and a lot of those guys are using it. In the end I think it's just too ambitious for me, even if I could afford it. I kind of felt out of place considering it, like I do in an exclusive wine bar. Where's the beer menu, ya know? Maybe down the line, but for now, as long as it proves reliable, the T248 should suit me fine. I do think I'll need to get a stand, as the pedals will rock without being mounted. They say the brake pedal is pretty high resistance. But I sort of have $700 left to play with

I just noticed in Red's gear and tuts threads that Wango Tango bought the T248 as well, and for some of the same reasons. If you see this mate let me know what you think of it now that you've used it for a while. Which sims are you running with it? You drive rally right?

I clamp it onto my keyboard drawer which means I then place the keyboard onto the main part of the desk in front of my monitor. Yeah, it's definitely not a fancy setup like what Red has but it works.

Thanks PM.

Looking forward to seeing if this makes me better or worse

Nice DBond! Although wine Is cheap here In Spain, I am good with beer too!

TBH, I think anything above the 500 mark Is a bit overkill, but If you sum up a HOTAS with pedals and a track IR set, your already In the 800 mark. If I had to pick now, I might have gone the other way around because you can basically takeoff and land with a Saitek X52, or a Cyborg Evo which are In the 100 range. No one In VATSIM Is going to know what joy stick your using!

I do think too that you need a stand at least. I like most of us here don´t like to have my wheel mounted on my desk, and that was one of the reasons I didn´t get more Into sim racing till now. The stand gives you the freedom of getting your wheel out of the way.

I am lucky to have two PC´s now but that has been recent, so now I can "kind of" live with having my wheel mounted on my sim PC and do other stuff on my other older i5 PC although I also use It for motor bike simming and Rally sims both with controller. The more demanding sim/games like Star Citizen, Escape From Tarkov and other car sims etc. I´ll do on my simming platform along with any audio recording/production stuff.

The wine bar thing was a stretch admittedly, but it was like the Fanatec stuff was too high end. I still may go that route when they get a handle on product availability. Of course these sorts of things can be intentional too, to keep demand outpacing supply.

I'm talking about magnetic like it's new to me, but these are just Hall sensors, or similar right? That what I have in my flight sticks and throttles so yeah I'm familiar with that, Pots are old school and I'm happy to know the wheel and pedals don't use them.

I think I'll be happy with the choice. It's all I need really, the T248. If it had been 400 I would have gone with the T300 I think. And the price I paid is everywhere, even Gamestop sells these for $300. So not a deal necessarily, but good value I hope.

The one thing that worries me is every review or comment mentioned how loud the paddles are. When you release them they make a loud plastic click. Obnoxiously so according to some. I'll have a headset on most of the time so I hope it doesn't prove too annoying. It's supposed to be here tomorrow so shouldn't take long to find out.

Weeellllllll, I returned it and bought an Xbox Series X
Dropping $565 on a wheel seemed too much for me. I figured I would get more use out of the Xbox, especially since I can use it as my media center. We recently got fiber optic internet. So we got rid of or satellite TV.

The T248 does have fantastic FFB, very strong, it shook my desk, making my speakers jump around. The display is cool, but really you are looking at your screen during the game. The Pedals are a step up from the Logitech Pedals. In my time of indecision , I exchanged the T248 for the Logitech G923, the Tru Force model. Which right away I did not like, not at the same price point as the T248. The Tru Force grinding of the wheel felt cheap, and destined to break. It really was not enough of an upgrade from the G29 to justify the cost.
I am not a fan of the Thrustmaster clamp system, for a desk or table. It feels cheap. I may be wrong, I have never owned a Thrustmaster Wheel for a long period of time. I did prefer the T248 to the G293. Yes the Logitech has the better looking wheel, with the leather wrapping. But the better FFB and better pedals (mind you, the pedal cable is quite short) edge out the Logitech IMO. Pretty much every YouTube comparison I watched also (3 or so) But I can see myself buying the T248 down the road, at a more reasonable price tag. And mounted to a wheel stand.
Right now the Xbox Series X seemed like the best purchase. They are very hard to find, and I spotted inventory at a Best Buy about 45 minutes from where I live.

Honestly, the most fun I have had racing on PC has been Dirt Rally 2.0 with my old Logitech Momo, using the shifter as a handbrake. If I ever do upgrade from the Momo, I will need a setup with a handbrake. A button just does not work for me as a handbrake.

Bottom line, I like the T248, but not at the current price point.

Oh, yes the shifter paddles are loud, but they do not feel cheap. I did not mind them.

Thanks Wango Tango and that squares with what I read.

I went for the hybrid T248 over the gear-only G923 for the better force feedback (according to others) And I went for the T248 over the T300 for the better pedal set and lower price.

As I said if this wheel hadn't been knocked down $100 I would have opted for the T300, which has better FFB (all belt) and you can swap rims. But that is still bundled with the inferior pedals.

As I always do with anything I buy I researched the sh!t out of it. The market at the $300-400 price point is muddled. Each product has something it does better and something it does the worst. The T248 seemed the best overall package in this range, and the $299 price sealed the deal. If it had still been $399 I probably would have made a different choice.

I think you will be very pleased.
I'll save you some hassle. You will need to download and install the driver and firmware. LINK
This is for the Xbox version.
After setup, go into Thrustmaster Control Panel and test the different FFB effects. You will be impressed.

Thanks for the tip. Yes, that was the plan. Hopefully it all goes smoothly, and the set is not busted or porch pirates strike before I get home from work.

I'm excited to get back to using a wheel after getting away from them over the past few years for convenience.

The choice was hard because none of them were perfect, or ideal. no matter which choice you make one of the others does something better. The G923 has a better rim, the T300 has better FFB. The T248 has better pedals. Nothing stands out as clearly superior in all respects.

Hopefully I'll be able to turn laps with it tonight and I'll post a report.

The porch pirates struck elsewhere it seems, and so the box was sitting there when I pulled in to the driveway. After walking the expectant dog I got it all unboxed. Setup is pretty straightforward, and I downloaded drivers and flashed the firmware. I really like the pedals and those are what put the T248 over the top in my search.

I did however run in to trouble in regards to mounting it all. The wheel won't work on my desk since the clamp isn't designed to fit over deeper table frames, which mine has. So I went down to my son's play room and took his wheel and pedals off the stand and was able to use that to mount the wheel, but the pedals wouldn't fit, bolt holes don't line up.

I was able to mash together a workable arrangement to try it out. Fired up F1 2021 and took the Red Bull out to Austria and did some hotlapping. I set the wheel rotation to 360 degrees. What do others use for F1? I disabled the brake and traction control assists I used with the controller and yeah, not bad at all. I was a bit off my normal pace though as I get used to it, a couple seconds slower. The pedals were rocking under my feet and need to be secured. I can't do any serious racing with it the way it is.

But everything worked, the kit was in perfect condition, updating the software was a breeze. I was completely lost in terms of control mapping, which buttons did what. Like DRS is button 6 or whatever. Well, what button is 6 ya know? That will take time, and then to reassign controls to suit me. There will be a bit of a learning curve here, but a steep one.

I want to stop for a second and talk about that. People often say there is a steep learning curve meaning it's a long and hard thing to learn. But that wouldn't be a steep curve. It's steep because there is much to learn, but it's learned quickly. That makes it steep. Just wanted to point that out haha.

I need to understand the force feedback more. How to set it up best. The feedback I was getting around the Red Bull Ring was different than expected. Maybe it's me, maybe it's my settings. For example, if you know the track you know the short back straight between turns 8 and 9, with 9 being the first of two righthanders that lead back to the pitstraight. This short straight climbs a small rise, and right at the crest my wheel would rumble like it was rough pavement. What is the wheel trying to tell me here?

I'll be spending some time learning about FFB settings and how to get this wheel set up properly. Maybe it already is?

So overall I'm happy with the T248. The issues I have are more to do with my physical space and mounting options. I think a full race 'pit is the next step. I won't go fast until I can sit comfortably with everything securely bolted down.

With regards to wheel range, most set it up to 900 and then let the sim adjust to the specific car. That Is If the sim In question has that option. Being F1 a specific car sim I really don´t know how that would work there, and I don´t have F1 2021. As for FFB, from what I understand, 100% Is peak power but bear In mind each manufacture and wheel base treat FFB differently. What you receive on your wheel Is hard to describe because of what I just wrote about and because you are the receiving end, but usually It´s understeer, oversteer, grip, road rumble, slip, curb and sausage transitions. You then have to learn how to Interpret what and when. Also, each track Is different and should give you different feedback, along with tire wear, pressure, temperature, track rub In etc.

Oh and as one would expect, your realism setting has a lot to do with the overall outcome on handling and performance.

There´s a lot more to It, specially with regards to adjustment (specific to each brand and sim), but from what I understand It goes something like that.

If you do decide to look for a stand, avoid the single truss base type, The more rigid the better.

Yes, and this is odd because this was on a straight, flat out over that crest. I thought it might be some sort of reaction to the spring load coming off as the car goes over the crest, but it's unconvincing at best. Not sure what it is, but what else could it be? There are other tracks with elevation and I'll see if the same thing happens on other tracks when cresting a rise.

Do you have any other sim besides F1 2021 you can try out?

Yes, but most are uninstalled. Assetto Corsa, F1 2020, and a few more older titles. Matter of fact I want to hunt now for a new racing sim, but there's just so much. I won't dilute this thread with that talk. But yeah, I'd like a GT style sim with a robust career mode. I have ACC and Automobilista? wishlisted at the mo. I also play Forza Horizon 5 quite a bit and will try the wheel there too. But honestly I need to get my physical setup squared away first.

Does your wheel rotation match your onscreen rotation? Did you set your wheel rotation range to 900 in the TM app like I said? Try to match both TM app and onboard game settings to 900. I am afraid F1 is not the best sim to try these things out.

As for career mode, again I am afraid none of the actual sims have a Indepth career mode. ACC has, but the end goal Is meh.The main focus of these "newer" sims Is racing, either by championship or custom races so again I am afraid you wont get the career mode like In F1. You know by now that I am a rFactor 2 fan, AMS 2 Is nice for Formula cars too, and ACC Is basically GT cars.

If you have GTR-2 that could be a good reference for now for your FFB. Personally I don´t like how AC feels, they feel floating on track and I hate that. rFactor 2 feels like you really have contact to the ground (mechanical grip) and I guess I am spoiled by that. I don´t get this sensation with any other sim.

While each sim has there own settings, here´s a good video to learn what each setting does. Like I said, not all sims are alike but somethings will be so this Is a good starting point...



Not a easy thing to get right, and as I stated before each track, car and sim will be different but as to get a general Idea and bases.

Yes, thanks. I'll be checking out info for my specific sim/gear soup, see what others recommend.

900 degrees is way too much for F1 I reckon. 360 felt good and maybe 270 would be better. I have a lot of tweaking and testing to do.

Yep, I was just suggesting for testing purposes, and If you had the option to car specific. You might want to check out a recent video I posted In the gear section In thee event you run Into the subject situation.

OK, thanks for the tip.

So I have this nice wheel now and no acceptable way to mount it at the mo. As I joked about before I sort of have $700 left over after going with a much less expensive wheel. So of course that means I should blow it on a solution to my issue. Before I get to that, while due'ing my diligence I came across this, about various F1 drivers' sim rigs. This is Max

https://boxthislap.org/max-verstappen-sim-racing-setup/

There are links there for a bunch of them, Lando, Sainz, Alonso, Leclerc and more. Pretty interesting for folks who'd click on a racing wheels thread I reckon. These guys are not foolin' around

I also view iRacing more favorably now..

So back to my solution. I think the only thing to do is a seat/cockpit setup. I saw this one and it's the sort of thing I'm thinking. Fully adjustable up/down, forward/backwards for seat, pedals and wheel platform. It could double for flight rig if I had the energy to swap it out.

Open Wheeler Gen 3 @ Amazon

There are a lot of other options, and I might have a different vision after I've been through all of the F1 drivers' rigs lol, but this is the sort of thing I think would work, even if it's not this one in the end. The thing I am wondering though is how the inclined pedal platform works. Does it feel natural? Anyone use something like this? My pedals seem angled for laying flat. But maybe it is way better on the incline, and some of this depends on seat height and how far from you the pedals are mounted, how straight your legs are. I wish I could test it first. Most of these have the incline so it must be the way to go, unless my pedals sit a different angle than most.

I guess no one uses such a setup? I'll keep looking in to it. Driving position I think is the thing I need to sort. If I go all laid out low like open wheel then I also need a monitor mount solution to bring it down lower. This is quite the rabbit hole I'm jumping down. Let's see where it leads.

For the moment I have to just leave the wheel aside as it's no good trying to drive with your controls moving about. Once I get a solid foundation I'll give it all a proper go and get accustomed to it.

I don't want to end up looking like Checo does in that link I provided. He looks awkward the way he is reclined.

The winner of the racing seat search was indeed the Open Wheeler Gen 3. It seems very well built, is fully adjustable, has a shift stand and the company seems quite responsive. I read a few comments where the company machined some custom parts for specific requests and the customers were really happy. I don't expect to need that sort of thing, but it bodes well if something should be wrong, need repair or if I do want something custom. I also ordered 5-inch seat risers, so it can be slung low like F1/open wheel or set higher for a more GT-style position. It can double as a flight rig for Falcon, Elite or maybe the DCS Apache which I will probably pick up.

I also recently got a VR headset although I haven't used it much, and not at all for racing or flight. Might go well with a pit setup and racing in VR has to be amazing right? It's an older set, got it as a gift when a friend upgraded. Worth a go anyway.

For the times when I haven't strapped on the VR, I also ordered a 32" curved monitor to set in front of the new seat and wheel.

Pit should arrive in a couple days. I think I have it worked out aside from one thing, keyboard and mouse. I hope I can navigate menus with the controls on the wheel, but I will still probably need a KB + M within reach? That still needs a solution.

VR is intriguing, and I'll certainly give my set a run out to see how I like it. Do any of these sims support Track IR? Do you guys use either head tracking or race primarily in VR?

rFactor 2 does support Track IR, I just havent tried It yet. Not sure about ACC or the rest. AMS 2 Is great on VR so they say. I am on a 29" ultra wide monitor for now.

Thanks Red, and that reminds me of something else I've been wondering...

Does anyone race outside of the car? Like chase or bonnet cam or whatever?

I've played a lot of Forza Horizon 5 since around Christmas. I really like the Rivals mode, which is essentially hotlapping against player ghosts. Good stuff. On a different forum I made a post asking for some friend requests who were also in to this mode so I'd have some ghost targets to run against. One of the players who responded turned out to be much faster. I thought I was pretty fast, my laps are in the top 1% of the player base. But this guy smoked me by as much as seven seconds per 'lap'. Actually this is point to point sprint racing, so not a lap per se.

Anyway when it became clear he was just on a different level I asked him about it and it turns out he races from chase. I'm pit-only, because well, that's the way it should be!

Not to diminish his skills, and fast he is, but there's no doubt that such a view is a big SA advantage, where you get a much better view of the turns, can see over leading cars and basically have an advantage over those racing from the 'pit.

So I was wondering two things, who here races outside the pit and do any of the sims we are discussing have a view restriction setting? On one hand I want to involve as many drivers as possible, which these cameras might encourage, but on the other hand I think the field should be level and everyone racing from the driver's seat. I hadn't really considered that players would choose outside views when nice cockpits are available, but the fact it is an advantage means there are many who choose to run this way.

I don´t know about the rest, and I can only talk about the sim I am at present focused on (rFactor 2). rF2 has various views you can choose from, pit, bonnet and no dash/car at all. I am sure you can even set-up custom views as It has free cam and the likes. I have not explored all of rF2 yet because there´s quite a lot there, and you know what they say, "I rather spend time driving then tweaking", or at least for now. I can understand that "some" might have Issues from the pit with the recent halo on Formula/Indycars and rather drive from the top of the halo, but aside from that, personally I think FPV (pit or bonnet) should be used always. It´s like those that claim 3rd. view has no advantage over FPV In FPS games, I say yeah right! With regards to ghost, not In rF2 that I know of, and I think ACC neither but don´t take my word on ACC as I said I am focused on rF2 now. BTW, In rF2 you can set a transparency to the center halo column If you like.

Some clarifications and observations In general so there known, specially for those who haven´t yet touched on these new sims...

- rFactor 2: AI Is adjustable In various effects as follows. AI strength, AI aggression, and AI dampening, others sims will have similar settings. All three are dependent of which car and track you choose. When you start a new session/event the AI will learn the track as they lap, the more they lap, the better they get! The AI will also take Into account your driving of course, and adapt to It, but your AI settings will dictate how the AI will react and race so this Is key to how you will either enjoy or not a offline session. There´s a lot to It and tweaking these settings will be a must, or be prepared to get frustrated and perceive the wrong Impression of what the sim/AI is trying to do! I think this Is true with all these new sims to some extent/degree. They are more complex then one might think so It´s easy to jump Into false conclusions.

Just putting this out there so you get In there openminded and don´t jump Into conclusions because no one told you about It.

Another thing I would like to add...

I am driving (rFactor 2 again) with NO assist on except DRS on the Formula Pro. I am doing this because It´s the best way to learn how to drive overall. Now while assist are being used In GT cars specially, that Is something that should be settled on so everyone races/trains with the same advantages or disadvantages. It´s a similar point of view to your off the pit car handling, although this Is more aceptable because they are used In real life GT cars.

Good post Red. Yeah, that's a fine line for me. I don't want to be exclusionary, but it's sim racing and that means cockpit view. Hopefully most or all agree! No argument would convince me other views don't offer an advantage. And not just view, but what about wet weather? The cockpit drivers have to deal with rain on the windscreen while outside cams have none of this.

I don't care to be too elitist but yeah this is an interesting question.

And you bring up another good point, assists. Not sure how we will handle that. It's another similar question of simulation versus accessibility. Personally I only want to be able to use systems that the car I'm driving has. My new wheel has those switches that are perfect for brake bias, traction control, abs and engine mapping.

Things like 'assists' such as stability control, additional braking help or traction control are a different thing.

We'll find our level, but personally I lean toward sim. Let's see if I still think that after trying to get around a track in ACC!

The first thing I noticed the first time I jumped Into ACC, no machine gun down shifts! Glad more sims are getting to Implementing that too.

Yeah that's natural for anyone who raced GPL. Speed shifting is a quick way to a blown motor!

Lift to shift.

I currently have a "low-end" wheel (A Logitech Driving Force Pro). Kinda of looking at getting a Thrustmaster offering... What does anyone think about this: https://www.thrustmaster.com/products/tx-racing-wheel-leather-edition/ ?

I should change the thread title. I started off looking for high end, but in the end, I ended up with what is probably best classed as high low-end. Doesn't really matter what we call them, but the T248 is not high end.

Having just spent quite a bit of time comparing virtually every wheel on the market, I'd say that the TX would be a big upgrade and a good choice. That wheel uses the same basic setup as the T300, all-belt FFB. Both work with PC, but the TX is for X Box not Playstation if you use it with console.

The only reason I think I didn't go for that or the T300 is both are still bundled with the T3PA pedals. I'm sure they're fine, but Thrustmaster offers a couple better sets. You could always swap them out if not satisfied. Plus the TX should have quick-change rim like the T300, so you can use the base with a variety of wheels. Pots are Hall sensors. In the $500 range I think it's a good choice and good value. I haven't really used my T248 yet as I wait for the pit, but part of me wishes I had spent the extra coin on that level so I could swap out the rims for F1 and GT and other classes. I think that's pretty cool. If I'm not happy with the 248 I can always upgrade and keep using the T3PM pedals that came with it. But that's a ways down the road.

So yeah, I'd say that's a great choice in that price range.

As for my rabbit hole... I spent some time today re-arranging the room, rotating my desk 90 degrees to create sort of an alcove in which to place the pit. The monitor arrived and it's really nice. At 32" it's not wide enough to have distortion on the edge, at least that is noticable to me. Now just waiting for the pit. I didn't consider that the monitor would not have speakers, so I'm full time headset now.

I reinstalled Assetto Corsa and took the 458 Italia out around Zandvoort but with a controller it's a disaster. Loaded all of ACC in to the Steam cart and just hoping for a flash sale in the next 24 hours haha.

Personally I am looking at the TM TS-PC Racer. I think the TS-PC and the TS-XW Racer both share the same wheel base.

That's yet another rung up the Thrustmaster ladder and you wouldn't go wrong with that set up. Those pedals look to be more spaced, and I think I'd like that too.They look like they should be hung upside down.

I used a force feedback wheel for years, but never really paid much attention to the settings. As long as it didn't feel too wrong I was good to go. But it's come a long way both in terms of the wheel capability and the way the sims handle it. I expect I'll need to experiment quite a lot to figure it all out. The 248 is a cheaper FFB solution, and obviously has some holes in it's game in that regard. I could see wanting to upgrade that eventually, and seat time will make it all apparent. Those belt designs you guys are looking at are smooth and quiet, or should be, compared to the hybrid or gear stuff. I'll be happy as long as what I feel from the wheel feels accurate.

It´s a bit of a delicate situation to be honest because the mid-range Is at the 500-700€/$ mark. Below that your somewhere In no mans land IF your coming from a cheaper wheel. If you never had a wheel then sure that above average will do you fine, but let´s say your going from a 200 (or less) to a 400€/$ wheel, then the jump might not really be worth It as In the long run the next step would be above mid range anyway.

The FFB is as most state the most Important feature of a wheel base because that´s what´s going to output the feeling of the car your driving. Higher detail means more sensations of how the car Is reacting to your input, and how the track Is, so In theory and practice, higher torque means better transmission of those details. Of course this also has to do with how the FFB Is Implemented In the sim and how you have It set-up.

The T-LCM pedals seem to be a very good option at It´s price tag, even paired with higher end wheel sets as they are USB dependent.

Now all of this does not mean you can´t race with a lower end wheel and be just as good as someone with a direct drive (DD) wheel base. It´s a fact that there are a lot of drivers on cheaper wheels that are up there In the ranks. BUT, the decision Is always "how much" do you like this and will you In the long run. Small step shopping can sometimes lead to more money spent In the future, this can be for quality and practical reasons or because your advancing In your hobby. This Is with any gear In almost any hobby or armateur.

Anyhow, most of this probably has been deducted by most buyers but It´s always worth as a remainder.

As stated In one of the videos I posted on Thrustmaster gear, they really didn´t have a top high end tier up until now (T-GT II). There line up ended In the mid-range TS-PC, TS-XW and T-GT I. Now with the Introduction of there T-GT II which replaces there T-GT I and also offers new hybrid tech, one would think It´s there new flagship product. Truth Is the story doesn´t quite end there, from what I have found, TM Is planning to release a DD wheel this year which will compete with Fanatec and other DD base wheel companies. How will that compare to what´s out there quality wise and performance wise Is still yet to be known/seen. If this new wheel base will be released this year Is also to be seen.

Bit late to the coversation I know especially now that Derek settled on the T 248 , but I would really give a thumbs up to the Logitech wheel/pedal setups.

Owned several of them over the years and they never failed me once. Logitech Formula Force, the red Momo, G27 and nowadays the G29.
It was always plug and play and no matter the sim the stuff simply worked.

The pedal potis needed some maintenance after awhile but that was to be expected with heavy use.

I couldn´t exactly say the same about the Fanatec stuff I tried.
From loosing ALL force feedback during a race because of heat problems inside the base (Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo wheel) to constant maintenance of the ClubSport pedals v1 and v2 because of problems with their loadcells.

Yes, the Thrustmaster DD option is highly anticipated. There are so many options in the racing wheel market. You get what you pay for, and so this is just a matter of what a sim driver is willing to pay for his hobby. I just dropped a grand and still have a low end wheel

Before even really using it I am already thinking of upgrades!

But first I want to see how it goes. How much I like this wheel and pedals, how well I do with the racing, and whether I feel a more expensive solution is either needed or desired. Well of course it's desired haha.

The knocks against the 248 are the hella-loud paddles and the hybrid force feedback. But I like the pedals, the wheel is nice and has a great control layout. Lots of buttons and switches that will dovetail beautifully with GT cars and their systems. I also like the display on the T248. It allows you to tweak so many things from the wheel, as well as display lap times, speed, a rev display that flashes for upshift.and more.

We'll see where it leads, but the 248 is a great place to start without breaking the bank. At $299 it's a good deal, although the price seems to be going up.

For all the guys here looking at new wheels good luck!

Hey Frank. You know, the Fanatec issues put me off a bit too, it's interesting you bring that up. It's high quality kit, but seems to have a few niggles, especially connectivity issues.

You know of course I was a red Momo guy myself! Logitech makes good stuff for sure. I just felt better going Thrustmaster, and the pedals can be used if I go higher in the TM lineup. Hall sensors were a big plus too.

But yeah, I agree, Logitech should be considered right alongside these others.

Derek, I would have done the same in your position.

Without the need for getting a wheel/pedal setup which works on PC and PS5, I would invest in a high quality pedal set from Heusinkveld and be done with it for the rest of my sim racing life.

Well, that's a situation where you buy the full Heusinkveld setup for your PC and keep the G29 for the console

I have no problem spending your money!

I've got my old Thrustmaster TMX Pro on the go again (had to dust off the old girl a bit)... tried it out on ACC last night and all seems to be functioning again.

Excellent Troop! Hope to see you out there soon.

Thank you all for the feedback. I'll let everyone know what I decide hopefully by next month or June.

Just a question to clear up things about compatibility.

I checked the availibility on a T-248 wheel and see that they advertise it for PS5/PS4.
In the specs though they say it is PC compatibel.
I guess it is no need to ask, but just to be sure I do as I will use them on PC if I decide to buy.

https://www.komplett.no/product/120...tt-og-pedaler/thrustmaster-t-248-ps5ps4#

Yes, that's the wheel I have and it works with PC. Finally got my new rig in place last night and I'll give my thoughts a little later on it. The short version is I really like it

There are a a lot of choices and I won't push you toward one over the other, but if you opt for the 248 I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thanks DBond.
As a total novice on PC racing I take any good advice of course.
What I see is a jungle of wheels so your advice is valuable.

It sure is a jungle of wheels! The 248 is what I am calling high low end. For the money I think it's a good value, the T3PM pedals are excellent. It's a hybrid gear and belt FFB system, which brings down the price. But I finally turned laps for realz last night and I had a great time. Other wheels have better force feedback, but not having used them I can't know what I am missing!

So once again the porch pirates failed to inflict, and there was the seat when I pulled in to the driveway. Heavy box at 65 pounds.

Had to carry the pieces upstairs one by one and set to building it. Of course I read everything I could about it ahead of time, and I saw comments like "took 20 minutes" to put it together. "Comes mostly assembled, ready to use right out of the box"

Either those people were high, had an army of workers, or were actually talking about one of Open Wheelers other products. I suspect the latter. It took me nearly 2.5 hours to get everything done. But man, was it worth it.

The rig is fantastic. It fits in my space perfectly (has about a 60-inch long footprint) is great quality, very rigid and adjustable. The seat reclines, the wheel stand is adjustable for height and slides closer or farther away, the pedals do too. The Gen 3 comes with hardware to mount any wheel, and even comes with a set of wrenches. I'm six foot one and 200 pounds, and it's very comfortable. I had been concerned about the inclined pedal platform, but since they all do this, I reasoned it must be best right? Well it is, and the pedals sit at just the right angle.

Now all my gear is bolted down, which feels amazing, and the pedals don't rock or slide around. Feels like I'm in a racing car. I bought the optional five-inch seat risers. Good thing too, as without these you're basically on the floor, slung out low like a F1 car. That would work if my monitor were also set really low. But it's up on a desk and this extra height is needed. A couple more inches would be good too, as I'm still looking up a little at the monitor.

I settled on a GT-like seating position, with the wheel more near the gut than higher up at eye level like open wheel. So my arms are bent and in tight, not extended straight out. Very comfortable for me, but this lower wheel position means the display on the 248 is not close to my line of sight and as a result not really useful when driving.

Having had the chance to knock a few laps around some of the tracks in AC, ACC and F1 2021 I don't think I could be more pleased with how it turned out. The 248 is the business, feels great and I love the pedals. The racing seat tops it off and gives me an awesome setup.

Why?

Because DBond said so.....



:

Nice!!!
It makes my TMX Pro look ancient!

What?! How'd you get it so fast? You're not foolin' around! Let us know how you like it and if there's anything I can do to help. Check the firmware, latest is 2.00 I think . Flashing that was the first thing I did.





Thanks, and age is just a number

I just checked around a little. Found they had it in a warehouse half a mile away.
Also checked the T-300 that was also mentioned, but that would be 2-3 weeks of wait.
If it is good enough for you guys it is definately good for me .
So an easy decision.
Now i must find the best place for it by the PC.
I have a PS4 in my living room. I guess that would be an option too. My brother is crazy about cars and he will probably go bananas if he sees this. He doesn`t know a thing about computers, but give him a wheel and some pedals he will be totally sold.

I also downloaded Teamspeak last night. First time since playing Flaming Cliffs ages ago. That must have been in the Frugal era. Also did some ARMA too in those times. Where did JAMF go btw? Very nice guy and had some fun missions with him.
I set up TS and stumbeled upon Nephilim. He was very nice and helpful. Strange to talk to people in that way again.

Thanks for offering help.
I will probably get back to that.

Haven't seen JAMF in a long time. He popped in here at SimHQ occasionally, but if he's been here recently I have not seen him. Yeah, he was probably the most helpful Frugalite in terms of information. No matter the topic, JAMF would pop up with the goods.

Good luck with your logistical solution. For me the only thing that made sense was a racing seat after finding the wheel clamp didn't fit the desk I wanted to use.

For what it's worth, I bought the Open Wheeler Gen 3. There were a number of choices in this range and lower, and a few that are more highly regarded. But the best reputation ones were like a box frame setup and I wanted something where the pedal-end of the rig could slip under the desk to bring me closer to the monitor, and reduce the floor space it took up in the room. I considered wheel stands, but in the end going for one with a pedal mount solution was a good decision.

Installed and tried.

FUN.

One problem though, the pedals are so hard that when I brake I also use force in the wheel so it moves. I don`t know if I dare to tighten the screw too much.
Is there a way to loosen the pedals?

Initially I use the Ferrari wheel set up as the T248 isn`t available. I`ll see if I can down load T248 settings somewhere.

You can adjust the brake tension. There are 4 settings. I found the default too stiff.

Thank you Wango Tango.

I will try that.

Yes, that brake pedal is stiff. It's perfect when bolted down, but left loose the pedals are unstable due to the force required. Hopefully you can drop the resistance a notch or two. Or maybe you can support the leading edge, propping them up at an incline.

I have dropped the resistance to max now. Still stiff really.
The leading edge is against a wall, so that`s perfect.
I believe the biggest problem now is the chair I am using.
It has wheels so the problem is the balance of forces. The brakes are so stiff that the forces I use work opposite to my chair, so the result is that I use more force holding the wheel. Which again puts forces to the bracket that holds the wheel.
Yeah, my english is not optimal, but I guess you understand.

So the quesrion #1 is: Is it possible to get even softer springs? Third party ?
Question #3 ; May be the clutch pedal can be used as a braking pedal? The spring seems marginally softer. Or may be switching the spring from the clutch<+
Qustion #3 : A rather radical sollution. Is it possible to us a wheel switch as brake? Not that I would like it, but it could be part of the discussion.

The clutch pedal can be used for sure. Just map that instead as the brake axis. But then you'd have no clutch of course and in the 488 at least, I need the clutch just to get moving. But maybe the brake could do that duty as you probably won't need it much. Or assign it to a button?

I wouldn't try a switch unless it's an axis. If it's on/off that would suck.

Great setup updates all around!

Not pulled the trigger yet, but I did see this on eBay, thoughts?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2554868440...r=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Argon, that's the base I was going to get but Fanatec was sold out. The base is the key, because you can then swap to any number of wheels, or 'rims'.

Not having used Fanatec all I can say is it is very popular, with a great rep. Whether that's a good price I can't say, but is less than I was going to pay for a similar setup new.

I had some concerns about reliability, particularly connectivity, but every product has it's issues. If it were me I'd want one with a warranty.

It just sold, so I guess it was a good buy! Thanks for the insights though - this gives me more to consider. I was leaning more towards the Thrustmaster TS-PC base with Ferrari wheel.

That is a very nice setup. That BMW GT2 wheel is wonderful!

Had the chance to try it out many years ago. Very solid, build like a tank!

While I had mixed experiences with several Fanatec products over the years, one wheel base is still going strong after 10 years though I don´t use it anymore because of compatibility issues with my actual console.



The actual CSL Elite wheel base is very similar in construction. So it should be high quality as well.

Well blast! Now I’m kicking myself for not clicking Buy Now!

I was having such great time with all the sim racing gear I only just bought that I sold it all and this is my new rig. Just a modest one for banging about the track.

https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/...share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Just the perfectly sensible setup to see if you enjoy the hobby without breaking the bank...

No way !(?)

What a weekend warrior eh?

If I like this sim racing business I'll think about upgrading that thing.

I laughed out loud.

My TMX Pro has just given up the ghost... it just won't power up and not registering when I try to update drivers or firmware.
Plug fuse is ok, and all my Thrustmaster flight sim gear is still showing ok.
All the relevant firmware and drivers are up to date anyway as I checked that a few days ago... The bloody thing switched off yesterday but got it going again after I gave it a couple of thumps, the power light kept flickering on and off but then stayed on so I could continue playing, but it just plain refused to power up today... bloody hell!

That is a huge bummer! I've heard of the power supplies going out - do you think you could get a hold of a spare?

I wouldn't have a clue how to strip it down and replace it...

Sorry to hear that Troop! That's bad luck. I'm sure you checked that the power plug was fully seated where it connects to the wheel? I read that it can feel in, but if it doesn't 'snap' in place it's not connected although at first glance all appears correct. That's a long shot and probably the first thing you checked.

Well, maybe it's a sign from the racing gods that you deserve a new wheel

If your handy with simple soldering, and have some general Idea of electronics...

Thread:
TX Power supply replacment



Another similar more detailed fix...


If your not comfortable doing these kinds of fixes, you might find someone In your country that can. Hi Fi service repair shop or similar. I have some experience from modding my guitar amp and making my own pedales but this fix Is not really to complicated to be honest, that´s If you have done "some" electronics before, If not, see If you can find a handyman that can help you or do it for you watching the above videos. Or find a shop that can.

Firmware update...


Hope you can get It sorted out.

The T300 and TX are the same by the way.

In case your motor dies.


There´s plenty of videos on YT on how to fix TM Issues really. Just do a search If you need to.

He has the TMX which is not the same as those wheels I don't think

TMX and TX are different strata

Have you seen the videos? I guess not because the fix Is about swapping the power supply, and the TX has more power VS the TMX Pro. One just needs to pay attention to the power rating and swap accordingly. If I am not mistaken, the TMX Pro uses a 24V (2A) power supply.

Here´s some Insight (T150 and TMX Pro share the same power supply)...

No, and in that light I hope it works!

By the way, one of the concerns I had about the T248 was how loud the paddles were reported to be. And they are! But with the headset on and the engines cranked way up I can't hear the paddles. It would be more annoying to others in the house than to me driving.

Ok, I did manage to find a good deal on eBay for a brand new Thrustmaster TS-PC Racer base and Ferrari 488 wheel - so I pulled the trigger! On TM's site these are sold out, and everywhere else they are $699.99 U.S. I paid $550 + tax, S&H. I hope it's the real deal!

Now, to get me some pedals. I'm leaning towards sticking with all TM gear for this, so looking at the T-LCMs.

Congrats Argon! That's a really nice wheel, and a replica from one of my favorite road cars. All-belt FFB. The only thing I might not like is the wheel is Alcantara I think. Or the ones I've seen are. It's a wheel covering. Some love it, and it's used on many top of the line wheels.. My concern is that it wears off with use, but it's only speculation. And anyway you can swap rims as desired.

I think the T-LCMs are the right match for a wheel like this. Nice set up!

Thank ya! Yeah, it's Alcantara. I may get the leather-wrapped wheel TM has avail. as well. We'll see how I like it. I've heard it holds up really well actually.

Good to see you concur on the pedals. Waiting to see if I can find a deal there too.

I'm sort of new myself, or at least this is my sim racing 2.0 after such a long time away, so I'm only just learning about all of it myself. But I have recently run the rule over all this hardware. There may be better pedals, but I think the T-LCMs are really nice and you'll have no regrets.

I had a good racing sim stint back in the 1990s, then dropped it for a while, came back in the early 2000s and then dropped it again. My hardware was never mid-range or high-end, tho I did have Thrustmaster's Forumula T2 wheel and pedals in the 1990s - which was a HUGE step up from the keyboard, mouse or even joystick.

Just found a set of the T-LCMs on eBay, only slightly used and still with the box and accessories for $180 + S&H. Bought it!

Happy New Wheel day to me

Congrats! Let us know what you think once you've put it through the paces.

Thanks, will do.

How exciting! My stuff should be here next week. Also got the TS-PC base. What pedals did you go with?

The newer T3PM which are bundled with the recent T248 wheel. DBond has them too. These will have to do for now, the ones I wanted were to expensive for now (DC Simracing DC2). There made 40km from were I live.

And Wigean has the same ones, the T3PM

Very nice setups, you guys are getting here!

The pedals are in! They are used as was stated in the auction, but only just slightly. Going through getting them set up for the position of my gaming chair. I think I want the pedal heads more angled and not as flat faced? Also, I'm NOT mounting this to a rig, so I believe I want to go with softer springs. What is everyone that has the T-LCMs setting in the calibration tool for the force setting?

Congrats on the fine sim racing kit! How do you like them?

Does anyone else have T-LCMs here? Not sure that you aren't the only one. Load cell is a neat concept, braking according to how hard you push, not how far you push, feeling like real brakes. Not tried these myself, but I like the idea.

My pedal board sits at maybe a 30 degree incline? Didn't know how I'd get on with this set up, but it's just perfect. Part of the equation is your seating position, how high or low you're slung. The racing seat I have puts the pedals just right and I like the incline, but I'm also slung pretty low compared to your average computer desk chair. Bolting them down is the final perfect piece of the pedal puzzle, while I perplex this pathetic palooka with my powerful pachydermous percussion pitch. Sorry, I got rolling on the alliteration and couldn't stop. Bugs Bunny quote.

I'm having such a good time returning to sim racing I'm even thinking of going with a new wheel, even though I just bought this one. I like it fine, but I think I'd like a T 300 or even better, better. And my son uses a cheap Logitech which he doesn't like. He's a drifter -- kids dontcha know -- and his wheel doesn't auto-center like the T-248 does when you let go of it and evidently that's 'really important for drifting, dad'

So I'm kicking it around and if I do I plan to keep the T3PMs and give Ben the 248 and the T3PAs that come with the 300. But it's just an idea and not set on this wheel anyway.

Hope this helps a bit...

Break...


Dead zones...
Min.18:25 mark.

Thank you! That'll give me a good baseline to start at.

The wheel should be here tomorrow. Can't wait!

Your welcome.

I suggest you get, If you don´t have one already that is, a dedicated power strip with a on/off switch for the wheel base. It turns out that even If the wheel base Is not In use with your PC off, It still drains a bit of power from the supplied power source. I was hearing a very faint buzz while all my gear was turned off on my desk, at first I could not pin point were It was coming from (I have two PC´s In my desk area), until I put my ear real close to the wheel base chasis. So best thing to do (If you want to), Is to switch off your power strip were your wheel power supply Is plugged Into. There´s other reasons to do so that I will get Into once I do my personal review (wheel will self calibrate each time you turn on the PC).

I did get In touch with TM support about this to find out If this was a normal behavior for this wheel base, but so far no reply. Others who I asked seem to have the same behavior, so It might be a common thing for the TS-PC wheel base.

Ah good to know. When my wheel isn't in use, I disconnect the whole thing entirely (it really gets in the way). I'll probably coil the wheel's power "brick" up on my gaming chair and unplug the power cord from the outlet when not in use - we'll see.

Great, just for the record, here below Is TM reply with regards to the power supply...

Hello Mike,

Thank you for your enquiry and for contacting our Thrustmaster technical support.

You are describing a low buzzing noise inside the unit when it is connected to your computer USB and to the power outlet. You can hear this noise even when not using the wheelbase.

We inform you that it is normal : when the wheel is connected to both the USB and the power outlet, it is then "On", and draws a bit of power, even if you are not actively using it. In such cases, we would advise to disconnect the wheel USB, simply to save energy.

We wish you a pleasant day and remain at your disposal for any further information.

I got my stuff in and all mounted up.

The feeling of the new wheel and pedals is great! My driving is already improved. I am however having a slight issue: During some heavy use and on rough roads where the FFB is strong, I am seeing what I term "ghost inputs" from some of the buttons of my wheel. I'm going to check the pins on the swapable rim - and see if they are loose, bent or maybe broken.

Anyone else seen anything like that? I did some research, and this apparently happened a lot with the T300 base and rims.

Here are some pics:

I have not, but congrats on the new kit man! That's a sweet setup and hope to see you out on the track.

The thing that comes to mind about your trouble is what is known as 'clipping' where the FFB calls for more strength than can be delivered. Probably unrelated, but the common approach is to set FFB strength lower than max, around say 75% to cover for this.

I don't think this makes ghost buttons so probably the wrong issue.

Thanks for sharing those pics! Wow what a nice set up you have, and you're in a classic F1 car at the old Monza right? This man does it right

No maybe that's Imola. What track is that?

Congrats on the new setup!

Like the way you have it installed so you can easy switch between racing and flying!

Your very well surrounded ArgonV

Congrats on your new set-up! Where do you have the "drink" button map to? Remember, If you drive don´t drink!

With regards to your ghosting, yes It a good Idea to check your pins as you say. What I do, so there´s no USB conflicts (which could be the Issue), Is have all my flight gear, and offboard audio recording gear hooked up to a USB hub that has Individual on/off buttons. My TS-PC power plug Is plugged to a on/off power socket, so when ever I turn that off, the whole wheel set goes offline, and all I have to do Is turn on whatever I have plugged Into my USB hub to get those online. If I want to use my wheel, I turn off whatever Is on on my USB hub, and then power up my wheel from It´s on/off power socket. If I want to fly, I do the opposed.

You might also consider getting some gloves, basically because these alcantara wheels can get ugly and dirty due to sweat and gripping over time. At the moment I am using a pair of MBT Spiuk gloves, but these are winter gloves so I am looking for something lighter like maybe the Sparco Meca 3 gloves. MBT gloves can do you fine though, as long as there light and not to heavy padded.

Yes, if I had alcantara, and not the Liverpool midfielder, I'd be wearing gloves too I think. But that's not my style. I'm racing in bare feet

Very nice set up ArgonV

Extra points for the picture of your wife.
I guess you earn some extra sim time by placing the photo below the monitor.

Thanks very much all!

@DBond: Indeed what I am experiencing is not FFB clipping - but rather erroneous button presses. I cleaned the connector and tightened down all of the screws going into the hub and the ones holding in the male-to-female the PS/2 connector.
It has only happened once since that, and I unplugged and re-plugged in the unit's USB cable and it has not happened again. Static build-up?
That is indeed the GPL 67 mod for Assetto Corsa, at the Monza track.

@Red2112: I have a lot of USB devices plugged in as you see. The controllers on my Playseat Flight plug into a USB 3 hub that I've zip-tied and wired in on one of the chair legs, with all of the cables for the speakers and controllers running down the floor on the right side together as one group. The chair came with the quick-release center mount, so for the wheel and it's power supply - I've zip-tied all of those cables to the center mount for ease of removal. Of course the rudder pedals and gas/brake pedal wires have more free-play. When I want to move the T-LCM pedals out, I unplug the RJ connector from the back and move it aside.
I've had to add some sticky Velcro to the bottom of the T-LCMs, as with the pressure I was applying they slid on my carpet - I'm using the red springs, I find I like their feel the best.
The center mount pole has some bounce, but I've found it far more sturdy than a keyboard tray - and I can keep my keyboard and mouse on the desk tray, pull the tray out when I need to - granted at a far reach... I've not mapped the drink button yet, as I'm at a loss as to what I should map it to!

Will do on the gloves. My hands actually don't sweat, I've found my backside and arse sweating more than anything in this seat when driving! Not so much when I'm flying.

@Wigean:The wife is always with me in my pit, whether flying or driving. I'm very blessed in that she loves to read a lot - so this gives me a lot of fiddle and play time lately!

Yeah it was obvious it was something else, not sure why I mentioned that.

How's the GPL mod in AC? I mean I'm sure it's great. If you keep driving those cars, or have done so already, can you say how the driving compares between the mod and the Lotus 49 that comes with AC? Just curious if they feel the same to drive. When I got back in to this a few weeks ago, the Lotus at old Monza was one of the first things I did. I mentioned the GPl-related achievement for cracking 1:30. But I struggle. It looks like GPL, and it sounds like GPL, but I just felt it didn't drive like GPL. And I didn't know if it was me, the long layoff, my wheel or FFB settings, the physics. GPL was always challenging to drive, but this felt different. Curious if the mod drives the same.

@ArgonV
The thing I noticed when I first set up my wheel rig was that the USB that plugs from the wheel base to your PC uses the old style (USB type B) connector which doesn't seem give a firm connection due to the nature of the type B connector, so yes It´s something to watch out for. Glad It´s working for you now.

@DBond, the 67 GPL mod really does remind me a lot of the original GPL! The cars have 0 down-force, and slide quite a bit, and the steering is something to grapple with.
I can say, right now I'm cheating and letting the game shift and throttle blip for me, while I handle the downshifts. I suck at driving those cars, but they are so #%&*$# fun.

Also, I discovered the BOOST mode in the TM control panel for my wheel - And I gotta say I love the improvement! I can really feel when the car's rear end is getting away from me around sharp turns, and can actually save it now.

I tried boost on my wheel in ACC but couldn't feel a difference. But mine's a different sort of setup than yours.

Thanks for the info.

I managed to find a decent deal on the TH8A shifter on eBay, "slighty used, like-new" so it says. Well I grabbed it and will report back when it comes in and I get it installed.

Sadly, the last several days and last weekend we've been very busy - so I have had little time for practicing on the new wheel and pedals setup. I need to dial in my settings a bit more per-sim, and get some control maps config'd for my various sims (GPL, AC, GT Legends).

Alrighty, the shifter came in! Now to try and find out how I'm going to mount it to my wheel stand... Any ideas?

Bolts?

Just joking. But there aren't holes to use to mount it? Or is there no shifter platform thing in the first place? The seat I bought came with one, which can be mounted on the left or the right. So yeah, get a racing seat!

Without a shifter stand I don't know what to do. Whatever it is it has to be bolted in place I reckon, not just sitting on a table or desk. Or maybe a small table with some of that anti-slip matting?

Congrats on all the new kit, looks to be a great set up.

Yeah, I do have mounts to the left and right of the seat - but I'm using that for my HOTAS and I don't want to remove that to use the wheel/shifter. I have no other shifter platform, but I'd like to maybe put something off to the right side of my wheel stand?

Howdy gents!

Sorry I have been MIA for a while, work and the whole month of May have been keeping me busy... June isn't panning out any better! Well the setup I had was just not sustainable. It was becoming a PITA to have to remove my joystick base from its mount to mount on the shifter, then individually set up and plug in the pedals and center pole each time, all-the-while stretching my legs over the center pole to sit in the chair. The shifter was still in a bad position too, and just didn't feel good. I switch my gaming back and fourth from flying, to driving, to FPS/RTS all the time...

So, after looking around at options that would work with my Playseat Airforce (and fit in front of my desk) I settled on the GT Omega Classic Wheel Stand. It was only $125 after taxes with free shipping from their store! Everything (including the wheel power puck, zip-tied to the underside) is mounted on this one stand! So I just pick the whole thing up, plop it in place, and plug in the USB and power cables. I don't even have to move my joystick base for the shifter. I just unscrew the handle and set it aside so I don't accidentally wack it when I'm reaching for the the shifter (takes 2 seconds). The stand is very adjustable, and seems more stable than the center pole. Better yet: the pedals do not lift when mashing on the brake or clutch since they are bolted down on the stand. In fact, everything is bolted down to the stand, it came with pre-drilled holes for all of the major brands! Lastly, my mouse/keyboard tray is able to extend out further now too, so I can easily reach for the mouse when I'm not driving.

I'm moving into a house in July, and my study will have more room so I can just set this aside in a corner when not in use, in the meantime:

Nice! That does it.

Good choice, that looks way more comfortable to use with the rest of your equipment!

I´m using the GT Omega classic wheelstand for years now and was always happy how quick you can set it up and store it away after some racing fun.

Recently I added the rear seat frame with one of their racing seats and put the whole rig on caster wheels to quickly move it out of the way when I need my PC for something else.

Question: Does anyone have the serial din to mini din cable that the TH8A shifter uses, that ya are willing to part with? Mine did not come with one, and I’d like to be able to plug it into the TM wheel base.

Thanks!