rec.autos.simulators

by **Txl** » Tue, 16 Jan 2001 18:20:42

Hello,

As you know I am a big fan of my ACT-LABS wheel.

Howeveer one has tobe honest and tell the good AND the bad things about
things.

Yesterday I had a problem with my wheel.

On of the "locks" that prevent the wheel from turning "too" far broke, so
now I can turn my wheel to the left almost 180.

The good news is that the whell works fine thank you, the bad news is that
this lock was here to prevent a big plastic thing fixed on the steering
column to hit the big dented wheel on which the belt is running (gtx slot)
will see what I mean.

I unscrewed the cover and of course I found the broken part, to my big
surprise the plastic was "wrongly" built, there was a bubble in the inside
of it, therefore making it much weaker and in the end it broke.

I can understand the reason for this part to be here but after about 27
seconds of looking and using my super creative mind I said to myself "why
the f.... did they use this shitty piece of plastic to get under such a
strain ?".

In fact I am going to drill a hole in the front cover of the wheel, put a
nice steel rod in the hole, tighten it on the back with a nut, and put a
plstic cover on it like a *** (sorry but that's all I could think of to
explain) to prevent the part on the steering column hitting the metal.

So here's the bottom line for Raymond and other GREAT people at ACT-LABS,
why didn't you use a good ols steel thing to hold the wheel instead of
molding (with bubbles in it) a plastic thing about 4mm long which has to
stand the whole weight of the wheel when you get to the lock ?

Besides that I would like to point out that the wheel still works, i don't
know many wheel that would still work without a lock....it's jus that when I
trun left I can't go all the way otherwise the steering column protudring
thing touches the belt wheel.

thanks

by **GTX_SlotCa** » Tue, 16 Jan 2001 23:15:40

I imagine the bubbles in the plastic are a manufacturing defect more than an
engineering one. It's something that nobody has much control over as it's
hard to check without actually breaking the part. It probably occurs in 1
out of 1000 units produced. I'm not certain of this because I haven't
actually seen one broken, but from the reports I get I have to assume this
is the case.

Now, while you're putting pins in the cover (I used black, anodized screws
for mine), you might want to locate them so they'll reduce the sweep of the
wheel (arc) to 180 from the stock 270. You'll find the steering accuracy
improves greatly.

--
Slot

Tweaks & Reviews
www.slottweak.com

by **Txl** » Wed, 17 Jan 2001 09:03:31

So basically make the wheel go from 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock ?

Sounds good...

even though you are right about the manufacturing defect and not the design
for the break up I still think that this little plastic *** about 4mm
long is a bit 'light' to stand the BIG thing on the steering column....

> I imagine the bubbles in the plastic are a manufacturing defect more than
an
> engineering one. It's something that nobody has much control over as it's
> hard to check without actually breaking the part. It probably occurs in 1
> out of 1000 units produced. I'm not certain of this because I haven't
> actually seen one broken, but from the reports I get I have to assume this
> is the case.

> Now, while you're putting pins in the cover (I used black, anodized screws
> for mine), you might want to locate them so they'll reduce the sweep of
the
> wheel (arc) to 180 from the stock 270. You'll find the steering accuracy
> improves greatly.

> --
> Slot

> Tweaks & Reviews
> www.slottweak.com

> > Hello,

> > As you know I am a big fan of my ACT-LABS wheel.

> > Howeveer one has tobe honest and tell the good AND the bad things about
> > things.

> > Yesterday I had a problem with my wheel.

> > On of the "locks" that prevent the wheel from turning "too" far broke,
so
> > now I can turn my wheel to the left almost 180.

> > The good news is that the whell works fine thank you, the bad news is
that
> > this lock was here to prevent a big plastic thing fixed on the steering
> > column to hit the big dented wheel on which the belt is running (gtx
slot)
> > will see what I mean.

> > I unscrewed the cover and of course I found the broken part, to my big
> > surprise the plastic was "wrongly" built, there was a bubble in the
inside
> > of it, therefore making it much weaker and in the end it broke.

> > I can understand the reason for this part to be here but after about 27
> > seconds of looking and using my super creative mind I said to myself
"why
> > the f.... did they use this shitty piece of plastic to get under such a
> > strain ?".

> > In fact I am going to drill a hole in the front cover of the wheel, put
a
> > nice steel rod in the hole, tighten it on the back with a nut, and put a
> > plstic cover on it like a *** (sorry but that's all I could think of
to
> > explain) to prevent the part on the steering column hitting the metal.

> > So here's the bottom line for Raymond and other GREAT people at
ACT-LABS,
> > why didn't you use a good ols steel thing to hold the wheel instead of
> > molding (with bubbles in it) a plastic thing about 4mm long which has to
> > stand the whole weight of the wheel when you get to the lock ?

> > Besides that I would like to point out that the wheel still works, i
don't
> > know many wheel that would still work without a lock....it's jus that
when
> I
> > trun left I can't go all the way otherwise the steering column
protudring
> > thing touches the belt wheel.

> > thanks

by **Steve Garrot** » Thu, 18 Jan 2001 00:45:23

Great, now I am going to have to go home and take apart my wheel so
that I can make this alteration! Will it be obvious? or should I asks
for some images?

SLG

>I imagine the bubbles in the plastic are a manufacturing defect more than an
>engineering one. It's something that nobody has much control over as it's
>hard to check without actually breaking the part. It probably occurs in 1
>out of 1000 units produced. I'm not certain of this because I haven't
>actually seen one broken, but from the reports I get I have to assume this
>is the case.

>Now, while you're putting pins in the cover (I used black, anodized screws
>for mine), you might want to locate them so they'll reduce the sweep of the
>wheel (arc) to 180 from the stock 270. You'll find the steering accuracy
>improves greatly.

>--
>Slot

>Tweaks & Reviews
>www.slottweak.com

(All spelling errors are intentional and are there to show new
and improved ways of spelling old words. Grammatical errors are
due to too many English classes/teachers)

by **Txl** » Thu, 18 Jan 2001 08:29:20

I did it this afternoon, VERY EASY....

open up the wheel, the usual way.

Measure the distance inside the wheel between the steering column "block"
and the big black cylinder in the wheel (the thing around the steering
column.

Make a circle using the same distance outside the wheel, on the gray sticker
(the one with RS written on).

Drill 2 holes SLIGHLTY above the horizontal line, don't make them 9 and 3
o'clock but quarter to 9 and quarter past three (think about the diameter of
the screws you'll put in).

Put your screwe, washers in and out, works SPLENDIDLY.

While I was at it I also made a complete chassis (steel frame) to put a
seat, the pedals and the wheel, if you have access to a good (industrial)
welding machine it takes about 3 hours for 2 people (without a clue at the
start) to design and do it....

> Great, now I am going to have to go home and take apart my wheel so
> that I can make this alteration! Will it be obvious? or should I asks
> for some images?

> SLG

> >I imagine the bubbles in the plastic are a manufacturing defect more than
an
> >engineering one. It's something that nobody has much control over as it's
> >hard to check without actually breaking the part. It probably occurs in 1
> >out of 1000 units produced. I'm not certain of this because I haven't
> >actually seen one broken, but from the reports I get I have to assume
this
> >is the case.

> >Now, while you're putting pins in the cover (I used black, anodized
screws
> >for mine), you might want to locate them so they'll reduce the sweep of
the
> >wheel (arc) to 180 from the stock 270. You'll find the steering accuracy
> >improves greatly.

> >--
> >Slot

> >Tweaks & Reviews
> >www.slottweak.com

> (All spelling errors are intentional and are there to show new
> and improved ways of spelling old words. Grammatical errors are
> due to too many English classes/teachers)

rec.autos.simulators

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)

Design flaw with ACT LABS wheel (bit long and complicated)