rec.autos.simulators

Run, do not walk to the store and do whatever you have to do to get a hold
of the new TM Nascar Wheel.  UPS just dropped one off at my door, and it
just plain kicks ass.  The wheel is very comfortable (small, nicely padded
and contoured, and has a very very stiff resistance).  The pedals are great
as well, with a much stiffer brake than gas (the brake is a bit upright for
me, but then again I'm used to the rollers in my old T1).  The shifter takes
a little getting used to, as it actually moves about 15 degrees in both
directions (it takes a full throw to change gears).  It also has two wheel
mounted buttons if you prefer that (I use one of these for reverse).  The
pedal units have a switch to control weather the pedals appear on the same
controller as the wheel (replacing the in-line adapter the was needed
before) and also has a position that allow you to place the wheel in
pass-through mode to use another stick.  I don't know the pricing (I think
it should be similar to the T2), but its a great wheel regardless.

I give it a big 10/10.

--


http://www.racesimcentral.net/

Doh!  How could I forget the best thing about this wheel, that being the way
it attaches to your desk.  It has two big clamps (they will fit anything
from those fold up tables with the metal lips under them to an office desk a
couple of inches thick) that lock down with a cam-type thing.  If I took my
monitor off, I'd have no trouble picking up my desk by the wheel.  There is
absolutely no way this thing will come loose during a race.

--


http://ebusch.akorn.net

No you are wrong, my T2 can come off the desk easily, it also slide around
the table even with the big clamps on

Umm.. Maybe I read your post wrong, but you said that UPS just dropped
it off at your door, but then you go ahead and say you don't know
about the pricing? Are you testing this wheel, or what? If so, how can
I sign up? :)

Ben

-={ To get my real email address, remove the NOSPAM }=-

SPAMMERS!!! Read this!!!
I want you to send me spam! Then I'll send you a legal
notice.. Have a nice day!

How do you get UPS to drop one off and not know the price?

% No you are wrong, my T2 can come off the desk easily, it also slide around
% the table even with the big clamps on

Ooops, sorry, Eric is talking about the NEW ThrustMaster NASCAR Pro
wheel/pedal combination.  That problem has been cured and with what I
would call an excellent clamping design.  It is easily adjusted to almost
any thickness of desk/table top.  I have a very unique setup, an old
wooden dining table for my race/computer needs.  It has a base/lip
running about 2-3/4 inches from the edge underneath the top.  I thought
I was going to have trouble with this wonderful clamping device.  Since
the clamps are about 5 inches deep from the lip of the wheel base.  But,
the clamps can swing in or out.  I was able to "spread eagle" them and
it held the wheel very securely.  It's a quick clamping and release
mechanism and can be adjusted to desk tops of about 2-1/2 inches thick.

The wheel as Eric mentions has alot more tension than the T1/T2/GP1
wheels.  You may find that you will need to be hitting the workout room
each morning at 5:30 just like Mark Martin if you plan on full length
races.  But, it isn't just more tension.  It actually is a "progressive"
tension.  The more you turn the wheel the more resistance.  There is
also a "soft" spot in the middle.  I find the feel very realistic and
the "soft" spot makes it extremely easy to center the car or make minute
adjustments going down the straights.

The new shifter is great.  I learned to master the "no-movable" shifter
on the T1, but I still made a few shifting mistakes while racing under
pressure.  That won't happen with the new shifter.

The pedal unit could be a little bit better designed.  It still has a
tendency to tip if not properly held down by pressure from your feet.
But, it is alot heavier and less prone to tipping and sliding than the
T1/T2 units.  The pedals are molded hard plastic and shaped like the
pedals you see Ricky Rudd working at the road circuits.  The pedals
aren't as closely mounted as on the T1/T2 so whose with wider feet
should feel much more comfortable.  But I still wouldn't go racing
in Doc Martins. ;-)  As Eric also mentioned it is possible to put the
pedals onto separate joystick axis.  This can provide for a more acurate
simulation of trailbraking.  No longer will you have a schizophrenic car
when you apply the brake and still have some throttle going.  However,
getting used to having them on a separate axis is like learning to drive
with a clutch for the first time.  I lost a few 10th's of second for
some time.  Still have a hard time getting the braking down just right.
Speaking of braking.  The brake pedal has a different feel than the gas
and has a slightly shorter throw.  Also there is that wonderful "almost"
dead zone just before the pedal meets the metal.  Very much like the
real thing.  This should help prevent locking up the brakes as easily on
the road courses as was with the old T1/T2 pedals.

Folks this isn't just another T1 or T2 with the NASCAR name.  It is a
higher quality product with a much more realistic feel.  The suggested
retail price is $179.95 and you should be able to find them first at
Circuit City.

And for our European cousins, don't feel left out.  In a few weeks you
should be seeing an official F.I.A. Formula 1 version.  Same wheel and
design (don't forget the buttons on the wheel for shifting for you F1
fanatics).  

Thrustmaster must be doing something right to have the two most
prestigeous racing sanctioning bodies license their product.  For more
information point your browser to:
http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/pre.htm

% >Doh!  How could I forget the best thing about this wheel, that being the
% way
% >it attaches to your desk.  It has two big clamps (they will fit anything
% >from those fold up tables with the metal lips under them to an office desk
% a
% >couple of inches thick) that lock down with a cam-type thing.  If I took my
% >monitor off, I'd have no trouble picking up my desk by the wheel.  There is
% >absolutely no way this thing will come loose during a race.
% >
% >
% >--


% >http://ebusch.akorn.net
% >

% >
% >>Run, do not walk to the store and do whatever you have to do to get a hold
% >>of the new TM Nascar Wheel.
% >
% >

%  

--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I've spent some more time with the NASCAR Pro wheel and thought I would
add something about the "bottom line", "Will it help in obtaining better
lap times"?

Well, it did for me.  I've been a long and happy owner of Thrustmaster's
T1 wheel for years.  The T1 was a great improvement over my joystick,
in comfort, immersion, and car control.  The NASCAR Pro wheel is yet
another level in this improvement.  As anyone knows who has spent some
time in the garage setting up a car, adding rear weight bias can produce
higher speeds through the turns.  This is a big key to getting top lap
times at ovals.  However, with the T1 I always had to go the other
direction (moving weight forward), as I had a tendancy to "oversteer"
through the turns and actually losing speed.  With the progressive
tension in the NASCAR Pro wheel, I've found that it's harder and harder
to break the rear loose in the turns.  It just gets harder and harder to
"crank" the wheel and thus forces one to be smoother and more precise
with the wheel movement.  Also the the NASCAR Pro wheel is smaller in
diameter than the T1's, so there is more human torque required to turn
the wheel.

At Darlington the best qualifying attempts I could obtain with my T1
were in the high 30.150 range.  But this wasn't the norm.  Usually 30.2
- 30.3 which always put me at the back of the pack.  When I first got
the NASCAR Pro wheel, my qualifying efforts were actually worse.  I
thought this was simply due to my not getting used to the braking and
throttle being set to a different joystick axis.  Then it hit me, or
actually I hit the wall and earned yet another Darlington stripe!  It
was alot harder to turn the wheel and the car felt much "tighter" in the
turns.  So?  Head to the garage and slip some rear bias into the car.
Next time out I easily had a sub 30.0 lap time with no effort at all and
my first pole at Darlington.

The same thing applies in the real racing world.  There is alot of
attention paid to how the steering feels and translates car handling to
the driver.  And since in the sim world our butts are numb we are
limited as to the feedback we get about how the car is reacting.  So any
advantage we can get to help us better control the car, the better
driver we will become.
--
**************************** Michael E. Carver *************************
     Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./.  [-  < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Better than the TSW?

I paid $129 at Circuit City

Scott

#91 Snap-On Tools Monte Carlo
#20 Orleans Hotel Chevy Truck

In it's price range, I haven't seen a better wheel than the new
Thrustmaster.  The TSW may very well be better (I've never used one so I
really can't comment), but it costs substantially more, and is in limited
supply.

--


http://ebusch.akorn.net

I paid $129 at Circuit City

Scott

#91 Snap-On Tools Monte Carlo
#20 Orleans Hotel Chevy Truck

Eric is trying to tell us that Thrustmaster gave him a freebie.

The Nascar wheel isn't the FF one is it?

Joe

That's enough to convince me, Eric! grin

"You were doing so well, then you suddenly hit the wall.  What
happened from your perspective?"  "The wheel came off the desk..."

It's going to look like T2 I think