I found a great Win98 DX 7 dead zone fix at this site
http://www.racesimcentral.net/
Its called DXTWEAK
DX Tweaker Application:
Note:
DX Tweak allows you change calibration information and deadzone settings
of a DirectInput game controller and test the effect of the changes
directly. Read the Readme.txt for full details its operation.
File to download:
Readme.txt
DXTweak.exe
Usage:
Read the Readme.txt file.
Launch DXTweak.
Cheers,
Chatham, Melbourne