Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
TD4 and N2. Thanks.
Ed
If you can swing it, I'd go with the TSW wheel and pedals, will set ya back
app 300.00. My second choice would be the Nascar Pro wheel and pedals, run
ya app 120.00
--
Don Burnette
I-65 Racing
Dburn on Ten
> Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
> and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
> TD4 and N2. Thanks.
> Ed
I just bought the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro wheel and am pretty
dissapointed in it. It is made completely out of plastic. At least the
T2 had some metal. The first day I got it, the "quick release" clip
broke. I just ran out to the hardware store and bought a couple of long
bolts and wing-nuts. It works a hell of a lot better than their plastic
crap.
Other than the cheap materials, it works ok. I just wish I would have
bought a T2 instead. T2s are built better and cost less money. I can't
believe Thrustmaster. I thought you were supposed to improve product
design, not cheapen it. It should definitely have the word "Pro"
removed from the title.
Todd
> Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
> and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
> TD4 and N2. Thanks.
> Ed
You gotta remember that the lever works on a cam. If you tighten the lever
till it can't turn and then try and cam it down, damn right it'll break.
You've got a LOT of leverage on the lever. I tighten the arms till first
resistance, then use the lever. Not a problem and I don't find it any
cheaper made than the T2. I think the "feel" of the wheel and pedal design
is much better. But I don't stomp on the gas to accelerate and slam
against wheel in anger when I crash. I guess that is what differentiates
the Ernie Ivans from the Mark Martins ... the way they treat their
equipment.
>Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
>and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
>TD4 and N2. Thanks.
>Ed
I just got the Thrustmaster GP 1. It doesn't use pedals but 'paddles'
on the wheel for acceleration and breaking. It is built stout. The
people on Best buy also told me it is being cleared out (I guess for a
replacement model). I got mine for $47 and it is very nice (and it
has good reviews).
Dan P.
_______________
Remove 99 in my address to reply
>Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
>and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
>TD4 and N2. Thanks.
I bought one called CH Raceing systems(has a home page)
Now if I had used TRW or another i might tell a big difference.
It was my first and i am very pleased. It cost $99.00 dollars
and comes with a $20.00 rebate and I got a game need for speed that is
pretty cool.
Again if I had used a TRW i might tell the diff, but for a newbie and
just getting the turn of things iam happy. If I ever find someone in
my town with a TRW I wanna try it and compare. I JUST dont
believe I can have any more fun than I have with it now.
I talked to alot of people and looked at T1 T2, & Pro Ive heard more
complaints on them, but some folks swear by them.
The only thing I will do is make me a leather steering wheel wrap.
You can buy em at a parts store and change it to fit.
dmac
> Other than the cheap materials, it works ok. I just wish I would have
> bought a T2 instead. T2s are built better and cost less money. I can't
> believe Thrustmaster. I thought you were supposed to improve product
> design, not cheapen it. It should definitely have the word "Pro"
> removed from the title.
I was surprised to see an EB near my office selling a T2 for $20 MORE
than the new NASCAR wheel. Maybe the store agrees with you.. :)
--
Neil Yeatman
Ajax, Ontario, CANADA
|> I just bought the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro wheel and am pretty
|> dissapointed in it. It is made completely out of plastic. At least the
|> T2 had some metal. The first day I got it, the "quick release" clip
|> broke. I just ran out to the hardware store and bought a couple of long
|> bolts and wing-nuts. It works a hell of a lot better than their plastic
|> crap.
This is not totally true. I went over it with a magnet and have found
metal in several places. :-)
See, there is a trick to the plastic " bolts ". Don't torque them to
700 ft. lbs then attempt to push the levers over. Plastic does indeed
break if stressed. But so does metal for that matter.
And the " plastic ***" seems to be working just fine here.
The wheel feels " funny " when compared to the T1 / T2, but once you
get used to it, it sort of grows on you.
The pedals... Well, the pedals have changedfrom rollers ( T1 ) to
pivitial pedals ( T2 ) to the current thin, low resistance gas, wide,
high resistance break (Nas Pro). Again, these take some getting used to.
The one constant thing through all these evolutions, is that pedal base.
I have to wonder " can they use this thing? ". I don't feel the pedals
are complete until they are screwed to a piece of plywood about 3/4th "
thick, 2 ' long, 1 1/2' wide. Then you can use them without chasing the
pedals all over the floor. Once you can get those suckers fixed in
place, they work really well.
|is much better. But I don't stomp on the gas to accelerate and slam
|against wheel in anger when I crash. I guess that is what differentiates
|the Ernie Ivans from the Mark Martins ... the way they treat their
|equipment.
Hey don't make me start talking about my T1 ( 3 years, no problems ), or
my T2 ( 2 years, no problems ) or my Nas Pro ( 1 month! ). If I didn't
have cats who like cords, my T1 and T2 would be like new.. Except for
the holes I drilled in the pedal base! Or the T1 wheel base where I
bolted that sucker to the desk top!
--
Robert Johnson
ICQ# 1655618
Chieftian On TEN
If you have the money the Extreme Competition Controls lineup of
steering wheels are sublime. I had been using T2s and after the ECC
wheel I can't think of them as anything but junk. If you are just
playing an arcade racer I would say stick with a good joystick and
some pedals but if you want to get serious about N2 or GP2...well the
wonderful physics of these games really comes to life when you have a
one of the ECC devices. The weight transfer...steering with the
throttle, pinpoint turn ins, now that is RACING!
...will transform your sim racing experience like nothing since the
Rendition card for N2...
Well, not exactly "completely out of plastic". The steering column/shaft and
supporting bushing are machined stainless steel. We knew this would be an
area of great stress so we tried to beef it up. For that matter, the base
plate on the pedals is metal as well - along with other misc hardware.
As for the broken part of the clamp (all these parts are made of nylon) we
found with some testing of the first production run that air bubbles had
gotten into the "t"bolt, plus some other minor issues. These were quickly
corrected. And, as always, we'll stand behind what we make. Just let our
service people know and we'll either fix it or send you out new parts - for
free. Also, as mentioned in some of the other follow up posts, when adjusting
the clamps, you just have to get close with the arms and the cam will do the
rest. I have one of the first run of wheels and even after taking it on and
off my desk several times a day (job requirement - good lap times in TOCA) for
several months it has held up without a hitch.
In the end, we appreciate comments - good and bad - about our products. It is
largely the comments relating to what people didn't like on our previous
wheels that led to the changes on the Nascar Pro.
Thanks,
Alan Smith
ThrustMaster, Inc.
Quoted text (23 lines)
>I just bought the Thrustmaster NASCAR Pro wheel and am pretty >dissapointed in it. It is made completely out of plastic. At least the >T2 had some metal. The first day I got it, the "quick release" clip >broke. I just ran out to the hardware store and bought a couple of long >bolts and wing-nuts. It works a hell of a lot better than their plastic >crap. >Other than the cheap materials, it works ok. I just wish I would have >bought a T2 instead. T2s are built better and cost less money. I can't >believe Thrustmaster. I thought you were supposed to improve product >design, not cheapen it. It should definitely have the word "Pro" >removed from the title. >Todd >> Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand >> and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as >> TD4 and N2. Thanks. >> EdI have a question on the springs for the Nascar Pro wheel. Are they an
improvement over the T2? I know of 3 folks who have had the Nascar Pro
wheel for about 3 months, and have had a spring break. I saw one of the
springs, and it seemed to be smaller guage than the T2 springs. I
understand the pedals have 2 rather than one, so one acts as a backup, but
has a much softer feel when working alone. Is this going to be a trouble
spot for the Pro wheel as it was for the T2?
--
Don Burnette
I-65 Racing
Dburn on Ten
snip snip
Hi Ed,
I've only been using my ECC wheel and pedals for two and a half years. It's
been thrown in the boot, thrown around the boot (my driving!), dragged about by
my uncaring flatmates, tortured by my uncaring flatmates (probably not as bad
as been driven by me), and finally suffered from my amateur surgery (to install
upgrades) and opened up to see how it works. It has suffered a failure, one on
the joystick buttons has failed, but I tracked that down to a break in the
cable, not the wheel itself. When I opened it up I was impressed as much by
the insides as the out. BTW did you guys know how fine (and fiddly) the wires
inside a joystick cable are?
I'm on my second computer (third if you count a loaner) and the wheel is about
the only bit that won't need upgrading (sorry ecc, why should I buy your new
super duper wheels when my old mk1 model still works so well :-) ?). Maybe
when the thieves strike.
brian
ps I have nothing against thrustmaster gear. I have a TM joystick, throttle and
acm gamecard which all work superbly. But I used the t1 (no t2 at the time)
and bought the ecc after just looking at the pictures. There is no comparison.
>> Any recommandation on steering wheels in terms of brand
>> and model? I'll use it mainly for driving games such as
>> TD4 and N2. Thanks.
>> Ed
