T2 + NASCAR = Loose?

Hi everyone. I just got my T2 steering wheel/pedal unit and tried it out on Atlanta and Bristol. My setups for these tracks are now incredibly loose coming out of turns 2 and 4. Is this a common phenomenon experienced when you switch from joystick to wheel & pedals? I'm also having problems getting the timing down between braking and accelerating through the turns. It feels a lot clumsier doing this with your feet than by pressing a button on your joystick. I guess it takes a little while to get used to. Anyone else have comments on this? Is it normal for joystick setups to be way out of whack? I haven't tried driving in traffic yet, but I hope the wheel/pedal unit will make it easier to navigate. Bill.

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>Hi everyone. I just got my T2 steering wheel/pedal unit and tried it >out on Atlanta and Bristol. My setups for these tracks are now >incredibly loose coming out of turns 2 and 4. Is this a common >phenomenon experienced when you switch from joystick to wheel & >pedals? >I'm also having problems getting the timing down between braking and >accelerating through the turns. It feels a lot clumsier doing this >with your feet than by pressing a button on your joystick. I guess it >takes a little while to get used to. >Anyone else have comments on this? Is it normal for joystick setups >to be way out of whack? >I haven't tried driving in traffic yet, but I hope the wheel/pedal >unit will make it easier to navigate. >Bill.

Bill, Along with the 2 <so far> responses you got in reference to Wheel lock and verifying that linear steering is enabled (both good advice) I gotta throw my spark plug in the pile: Having just gotten the T-2 myself, I really love the thing. Extreme's setup would prolly be better but WAY outta my price range. Enuff of that tho. After getting the T-2 setup on my desk and loading up nascar, I quickly loaded up a track and went for a drive. It looked (and sounded) like I was driving with the monitor off <G>. I consider myself to be real strong at bristol and a 'few' others. And the result was pretty much what it sounds like your going thru. Remember IN the box and ON the box where they talk about the possibilty of needing a stand alone game port card?? Welp, I decided that they where trying to sell me something else that I didn't need. I was obviously run, I run NASCAR (happily) on a DX4 100 with 12 megs RAM and a puny 14" Monitor (unhappily). I did alot of playing around with different calibration utilities that I have and did indeed notice a serious calibration problem running the T-2 thru my sound card. I dunno that that is your problem, but look into it. After killing myself with Race #2 and varied practice for NASSCAR I quickly went to Wal-Mart this afternoon and got a CH Products "Game Card III" CPU speed detecting (automatic too!) game card. End result was Night and Day!! $25 I wish I'd spent when I got the T-2. This is not too downgrade thrustmasters card but I checked them both out and A) didn't notice any big difference in the SPecs on each card and B) personally I didn't want a speed switch*** in with the rest of the spagetti wiring from My PC. I ran the #3 race today and while I would have prefered a much better finish. I did notice a very big difference in "MY" driving ability again. I was happy with the T-2 before but now I am thrilled with it . Check into it :) PS - If ya DO get this card E-mail me and I'll save ya some aggrivation with the card setup BEFORE you close your PC back up! Andy A

writes: That's interesting. All my setups tightened up after I hooked up my T2. I had to loosen up almost all my setups except for Bristol and Talladega. i think it may have something to do about the way you drive the car with the wheel as opposed to the joystick. arzee

>Hi everyone. I just got my T2 steering wheel/pedal unit and tried it >out on Atlanta and Bristol. My setups for these tracks are now >incredibly loose coming out of turns 2 and 4. Is this a common >phenomenon experienced when you switch from joystick to wheel & >pedals? The pedals work differently. The joystick buttons have a feature that give you gradual acceleration/braking, whereas the pedals react directly to your input. Try squeezing the throttle down on exit instead of tromping on it. But once you get used to it, you'll find that two-footed driving will let you balance the car a lot better through the turns. I had to adjust all my setups after switching to a wheel/pedal combo. But after a few hours of practicing, my lap times went up significantly. I've found it a lot easier to work through traffic, especially at Martinsville. You can work the inside of the straights and leave your left foot poised to slam on the brakes in case an AI car cuts you off in the corner. Dave

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> Newsgroups: rec.autos.simulators > Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1996 07:09:51 GMT > Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada > >and verifying that linear steering is enabled (both good advice) I > Are you sure about this? I tried changing mine to Linear steering, and > the car became completely uncontrollable - moving the wheel even a > tiny fraction of an inch made too large a turn. It was way, way too > sensitive. > Joe

I use CH Virtual Pilot Pro as a steering device and I find the non-linear steering setting better and less twitchy than the linear steering setting. By the way, what is the wheel lock-to-lock angle on the T2? Is it 90 degrees? 180 degrees? -- -Jim

>and verifying that linear steering is enabled (both good advice) I Are you sure about this? I tried changing mine to Linear steering, and the car became completely uncontrollable - moving the wheel even a tiny fraction of an inch made too large a turn. It was way, way too sensitive. Joe

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> writes: > > Newsgroups: rec.autos.simulators > > Date: Mon, 11 Mar 1996 07:09:51 GMT > > Organization: MIND LINK! - British Columbia, Canada > > >and verifying that linear steering is enabled (both good advice) I > > Are you sure about this? I tried changing mine to Linear steering, and > > the car became completely uncontrollable - moving the wheel even a > > tiny fraction of an inch made too large a turn. It was way, way too > > sensitive. > > Joe > I use CH Virtual Pilot Pro as a steering device and I find the non-linear > steering setting better and less twitchy than the linear steering setting. > By the way, what is the wheel lock-to-lock angle on the T2? Is it 90 degrees? > 180 degrees? > -- > -Jim

Lock-to-Lock on T2 is close to 270 degrees. I recommend anyone who hasn't tried both "linear" and "non-linear" options give it a try (a fair try-numerous laps at different tracks) and decide for themselves. Personally I like non-linear in ICR2, I concur with above that it's tooooo twitchy otherwise. However I prefer linear in NASCAR-it acts like a steering quickener in an otherwise "sluggish" responding vehicle. I imagine I could even find a preference in the same game changing from ovals to roads. \//ade Tschida #49 D B Motorsports

I'd guess at about 270 degrees of lock to lock. It also has a variable resistance as you turn. So initially it's a good idea to leave a lot of lock there so that you aren't killing your arms holding the wheel to one side as you turn (now I know why the drivers are big into physical fitness - even with power steering turning that beast for a couple of hours will definitely wear on you. Mike -- _ ___/ \___ Speed Bump Motorsports... The name says it all. NRL95 #110 Hershey's Kiss Chevrolet Monte Carlo PRO95 #53 Hershey's Kiss Penske PC23/Ilmor D SIMCAR96 #45 Hershey's Kiss Pontiac Grand Prix IVGA #2027 (membership, not the car!)

In my case, yes. I'd imagine that it's a frequent occurance. Yep. First thing you have to adjust is steering lock. Then get a feel for what the car is doing. Then start messing with the setup. It will. Trust me. Mike -- _ ___/ \___ Speed Bump Motorsports... The name says it all. NRL95 #110 Hershey's Kiss Chevrolet Monte Carlo PRO95 #53 Hershey's Kiss Penske PC23/Ilmor D SIMCAR96 #45 Hershey's Kiss Pontiac Grand Prix IVGA #2027 (membership, not the car!)

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>Bill, > One of the reasons you are having probs with the T2 is that the >traction was changed for the 2 different devices. A person using the >buttons for acceleration is given more traction in the game then a >pedal user. I suppose they did that to even out the disadvantage a >joystick user has to a modem user. Unfortunately, a good driver will >always be able to out do someone with buttons than someone with >pedals. That is how people hit 186's at Atlanta. I have a T2 (used >to have a T1, now I want a TSW pretty bad <G>) and when using the >pedals was only able to hit around a 183-84 in quals, switched on of >the buttons to the accelorator.....185- 186's and in testing this have >been able to do it on most tracks.... it takes practice but it works. >Even without the speed increase, I'll take a wheel and pedals over the >joystick any day! >-- >Simcar #93 Big "O" Boats/Exide Batteries Chevrolet >"It's Always Darkest before it goes totally Black"

I've been driving Nascar since it was released and tried several different control setups. I completely agree with Brian. Using button to accelerate is definitely the fastest way to get around the tracks in Nascar (Watkins Glen and Sears Point are so/so in my opinion). Here is something concrete to back up my opinion. My best time at Bristol is 134.783 (using button for acceleration) with the very same setup (using pedal for acceleration) I am about a mile off the pace. Of course someone out there will say that I am a lousy driver who doesn't know how to use a pedal properly. To that I don't have anything to say except my lap time. Pekka Heino "Flyin'Finn" _____________

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> >Bill, > > One of the reasons you are having probs with the T2 is that the > >traction was changed for the 2 different devices. A person using the > >-- > >Simcar #93 Big "O" Boats/Exide Batteries Chevrolet > >"It's Always Darkest before it goes totally Black" > I've been driving Nascar since it was released and tried several > different control setups. > I completely agree with Brian. Using button to accelerate is > definitely the fastest way to get around the tracks in Nascar (Watkins > Glen and Sears Point are so/so in my opinion). > Pekka Heino > "Flyin'Finn" > _____________

I completely agree with both of these. With a CH Products Virtual Pilot Pro using fire buttons I was able to drive very competitively at nearly all tracks. When I got my T2, I was suddenly all over the place with these setups. I haven't been as lucky yet to get back within 1mph of my former speeds but I am improving. Personally, I like the realism associated with pedals. I do miss fire buttons for gear shift though. 1-handed steering isn't my forte, so I use auto-shift for now. David Martin IVL Series Director http://www.card.unc.edu/~ivl #26 Samuel Adams Chevy