My Thrustmaster Nascar Pro Steering Wheel and Pedals are falling apart and
am looking to replace them. Any recommendations for an inexpensive
wheel/pedal combo (under $100) that I don't have to build. Your help is
appreciated.
How long did u have the NASCAR PRO wheel and how much usage did it recieve?
Cause I just bought that wheel last month and I was hoping it would last 4 year
through College.
--
Ed White DJ and Rusty in '99 GO #2 & #88
>>My Thrustmaster Nascar Pro Steering Wheel and Pedals are falling apart and
>>am looking to replace them. Any recommendations for an inexpensive
>>wheel/pedal combo (under $100) that I don't have to build. Your help is
>>appreciated.
>How long did u have the NASCAR PRO wheel and how much usage did it recieve?
>Cause I just bought that wheel last month and I was hoping it would last 4
year
>through College.
> >>My Thrustmaster Nascar Pro Steering Wheel and Pedals are falling apart and
> >>am looking to replace them. Any recommendations for an inexpensive
> >>wheel/pedal combo (under $100) that I don't have to build. Your help is
> >>appreciated.
> >How long did u have the NASCAR PRO wheel and how much usage did it recieve?
> >Cause I just bought that wheel last month and I was hoping it would last 4
> year
> >through College.
The Andretti Wheel is a particularly nice wheel -- a real surprise,
actually given the previous driving wheels that Mad Catz has brought
us. The Andretti Wheel looks a bit like a Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro
wheel, with better ergonomics and switch placement. It seems to be a
bit more well-built than the NASCAR Pro wheel -- and the pedals have
the most travel I've seen in any pedal combo, including the TSW
products. The pedals have a unique dual-hinged feature that allows
the pedals to pivot much like the pedals in a real car, but the motion
doesn't translate well to bottom-hinged pedals, and it takes some
getting used to. Once you "learn" how to use the pedals, though,
they're VERY nice. Plus, the Andretti Wheel is a true digital wheel,
which lessens the CPU load and provides for better frame rates. Add
in the fact that it's both gameport and USB compatible right out of
the box, and you've got a pretty sweet controller. From a durability
standpoint, I think it's going to hold up better than the Thrustmaster
products. One downside is that the Andretti Wheel is NOT compatible
with DOS games, so ICR2 and N2 are out if you want to use this wheel.
The ACT Labs RS wheel is also very nice -- some people have made
negative remarks about the amount of friction in the pedals, but I
think they may be the best set of pedals I've used aside from the TSW
and TSW2 pedals. These things stay put like you wouldn't believe, and
while the travel may seem a bit small compared to other pedals, the
sweep is VERY linear, and they work great. Even the TSW pedals aren't
really all that superior to the ACT Labs pedals. Unfortunately, the
paddle shifters are not the best, and there's no stick shift, but the
steering wheel itself is VERY nice and there are plenty of buttons
that allow you to relocate your shift functions if the paddle shifters
don't work suit you. The ACT Labs wheel also seems to be much more
duarable than the Thrustmaster products. If you go with the full ACT
Labs PDPI/RS combo, you also get split-axis support -- AND what may
well be the smoothest control input, bar non (including the Saitek R4
and Microsoft Sidewinder digital FF wheels, and the Mad Catz Andretti
Wheel). The only thing I've seen that's even close is a TSW2 wheel
coupled with a PDPI L4 card, and THAT will set you back more than
$280, so if you've got more than $100 to spend but don't want to get
into the $200+ range, you really can't beat the ACT Labs PDPI/RS combo
for $135.
Both the Mad Catz Andretti Wheel and the ACT Labs RS wheel have pedals
that far surpass anything that Thrustmaster has to offer, and build
quality and materials that seems to promise better durability, too, so
either of these would be worth considering if you're looking for a
non-Force Feedback wheel in the sub-$100 range.
FWIW, The IRL Insider Magazine will be conducting a head-to-head
shootout of these wheels in the June issue, I believe. The review
will include the ACT Labs PDPI/RS wheel, the Mad Catz Andretti wheel,
plus the Logitech Formula (non-FF) wheel, the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro
wheel, and hopefully the Thrustmaster NASCAR Super Sport wheel. Stay
tuned -- everybody's been going ga-ga over Force Feedback wheels, and
all the while, the manufacturers have been producing some truly great
non-FF wheels while we weren't looking.
-- John Bodin
Publisher, The IRL Insider Magazine
http://irlinsider.adnetweb.com/
On Sat, 1 May 1999 23:52:54 -0700, "Mark Abbott"
:-(
-- JB
>The Andretti Wheel is a particularly nice wheel -- a real surprise,
>actually given the previous driving wheels that Mad Catz has brought
>us. The Andretti Wheel looks a bit like a Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro
>wheel, with better ergonomics and switch placement. It seems to be a
>bit more well-built than the NASCAR Pro wheel -- and the pedals have
>the most travel I've seen in any pedal combo, including the TSW
>products. The pedals have a unique dual-hinged feature that allows
>the pedals to pivot much like the pedals in a real car, but the motion
>doesn't translate well to bottom-hinged pedals, and it takes some
>getting used to. Once you "learn" how to use the pedals, though,
>they're VERY nice. Plus, the Andretti Wheel is a true digital wheel,
>which lessens the CPU load and provides for better frame rates. Add
>in the fact that it's both gameport and USB compatible right out of
>the box, and you've got a pretty sweet controller. From a durability
>standpoint, I think it's going to hold up better than the Thrustmaster
>products. One downside is that the Andretti Wheel is NOT compatible
>with DOS games, so ICR2 and N2 are out if you want to use this wheel.
>The ACT Labs RS wheel is also very nice -- some people have made
>negative remarks about the amount of friction in the pedals, but I
>think they may be the best set of pedals I've used aside from the TSW
>and TSW2 pedals. These things stay put like you wouldn't believe, and
>while the travel may seem a bit small compared to other pedals, the
>sweep is VERY linear, and they work great. Even the TSW pedals aren't
>really all that superior to the ACT Labs pedals. Unfortunately, the
>paddle shifters are not the best, and there's no stick shift, but the
>steering wheel itself is VERY nice and there are plenty of buttons
>that allow you to relocate your shift functions if the paddle shifters
>don't work suit you. The ACT Labs wheel also seems to be much more
>duarable than the Thrustmaster products. If you go with the full ACT
>Labs PDPI/RS combo, you also get split-axis support -- AND what may
>well be the smoothest control input, bar non (including the Saitek R4
>and Microsoft Sidewinder digital FF wheels, and the Mad Catz Andretti
>Wheel). The only thing I've seen that's even close is a TSW2 wheel
>coupled with a PDPI L4 card, and THAT will set you back more than
>$280, so if you've got more than $100 to spend but don't want to get
>into the $200+ range, you really can't beat the ACT Labs PDPI/RS combo
>for $135.
>Both the Mad Catz Andretti Wheel and the ACT Labs RS wheel have pedals
>that far surpass anything that Thrustmaster has to offer, and build
>quality and materials that seems to promise better durability, too, so
>either of these would be worth considering if you're looking for a
>non-Force Feedback wheel in the sub-$100 range.
>FWIW, The IRL Insider Magazine will be conducting a head-to-head
>shootout of these wheels in the June issue, I believe. The review
>will include the ACT Labs PDPI/RS wheel, the Mad Catz Andretti wheel,
>plus the Logitech Formula (non-FF) wheel, the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro
>wheel, and hopefully the Thrustmaster NASCAR Super Sport wheel. Stay
>tuned -- everybody's been going ga-ga over Force Feedback wheels, and
>all the while, the manufacturers have been producing some truly great
>non-FF wheels while we weren't looking.
>-- John Bodin
> Publisher, The IRL Insider Magazine
> http://www.racesimcentral.net/
>On Sat, 1 May 1999 23:52:54 -0700, "Mark Abbott"
>>My Thrustmaster Nascar Pro Steering Wheel and Pedals are falling apart and
>>am looking to replace them. Any recommendations for an inexpensive
>>wheel/pedal combo (under $100) that I don't have to build. Your help is
>>appreciated.
> What are you playing these days, Mark? I've been evaluating both the
> Mad Catz Andretti wheel and the ACT Labs RS wheel -- both fall into
> the $65 range, but neither offers split-axis support. You can get
> split-axis support on the ACT Labs RS wheel if you order the PDPI RS
> cartridge and PDPI L4 digital game card, but that runs the price up
> into the $135 range. At any rate, I'd recommend either wheel very
> highly.
The amount of friction in my RS pedal unit was excessive in my opinion,
but after opening the unit up I was able to eliminate the friction
entirely. Each pedal's "upright" rides on a pair of nylon bushings, and
it's a simple matter of adjusting the tension on the bushings and adding
some grease in there (I use and highly recommend "Finish Line factory
approved Grip Shift Lube" available in any quality bicycle shop) A few
small dabs of lube where the bushings slide and on the place where the
uprights slide is all it takes... once your RS pedal unit is opened
it'll be obvious where the grease should go...
Once the bushings are adjusted and lubed, the pedals are every bit as
nice as anything I've ever felt (again, bearing in mind that I haven't
yet tried TSW or ECCI's units)
Whatever wheel unit you choose, the PDPI gamecard is a must... I've used
almost every gameport out there, and the PDPI is by far the most
precise. The frame rate boost is a plus, and unique to the PDPI. With
any gameport in my system other than the PDPI, I get a noticeable frame
rate stutter in the "90" at the Glen (the combination of a hard right
turn with some trail braking and closed throttle is typically the worst
case scenario for any analog gameport), but the PDPI gameport eliminates
this effect completely for me. I can't see myself ever racing without
the PDPI.
Trips
D Bell on VROC
>> What are you playing these days, Mark? I've been evaluating both the
>> Mad Catz Andretti wheel and the ACT Labs RS wheel -- both fall into
>> the $65 range, but neither offers split-axis support. You can get
>> split-axis support on the ACT Labs RS wheel if you order the PDPI RS
>> cartridge and PDPI L4 digital game card, but that runs the price up
>> into the $135 range. At any rate, I'd recommend either wheel very
>> highly.
>I've just spent some time testing a PDPI/Act Labs RS combo, and I'm
>nothing short of amazed at the precision and linearity of this package.
>I've been racing with some modified pedals of my own, and within a few
>laps I felt VERY comfortable using the PDPI/Act labs combination. I've
>yet to see any wheel/pedal setup that comes close (bear in mind I
>haven't yet tried any TSW or ECCI products)
All in all, though, anybody who doesn't give the ACT Labs RS/PDPI
combo a second look is cheating themselves. With unmatched precision
and split axis support, this may become THE setup of choice for GPL
drivers.
-- JB
Thanks for the recommendations everyone. I will probably go with the Act
Labs wheel. Your input is appreciated.