Getting a steering wheel system

This is probably asked here every other week but I'll do it anyway. My GP1 by TM broke and I have to get a new wheel. Which is better, making my own or buying one? I don't have very much money to spend, about a 100$, and the cheaper the better. Is it easy to make a wheel on my own? I know there are lots of instructions on the web, but is there something you would recommend? And if byuing one is the better choice, is TM's T3 the best at this price range? Thanks for all your answers Nick

On Fri, 24 Apr 1998 22:09:43 +0300, Nicholas Turbanov

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>This is probably asked here every other week but I'll do it anyway. >My GP1 by TM broke and I have to get a new wheel. Which is better, >making my own or buying one? I don't have very much money to spend, >about a 100$, and the cheaper the better. Is it easy to make a wheel on >my own? I know there are lots of instructions on the web, but is there >something you would recommend? And if byuing one is the better choice, >is TM's T3 the best at this price range? >Thanks for all your answers >Nick

I have a GP1 and I wanted to build my own so It would hold up longer. I checked out Wally's site and added some ideas of my own. I used plastic gears which took a coupleof tries to get the proper ratio. The pedals are the hardest to get comfortable with. After using the wheel paddles on the GP1, sitting rigid using the pedals takes some getting used to. I am going to build a set of pedals to better fit my style than the ones on Wally's site. It takes a lot longer than 4 or 5 hours to build a set. The best thing is that if it breaks you can fix it yourself. Email me if you want some tips on making a good wheel using metal. Jerry

% This is probably asked here every other week but I'll do it anyway. % My GP1 by TM broke and I have to get a new wheel. Which is better, % making my own or buying one? I don't have very much money to spend, % about a 100$, and the cheaper the better. Is it easy to make a wheel on % my own? I know there are lots of instructions on the web, but is there % something you would recommend? And if byuing one is the better choice, % is TM's T3 the best at this price range? If you have the time, the skill and the tools, you may be better off making your own. To buy a real solidly constructed wheel you will need to start looking at $200 (US). However, having said that, I think that Thrustmaster's Formula1 Pro (or NASCAR Pro in the States), is a very good deal for the price (going for about $130 US). You will have to do a little maintenance earlier on the TM than you will on a TSW or ECCI wheel. But, with proper care and a few spring replacements, I think you will be happy with the T3 (if you are referring to the Formua1/NASCAR Pro). BTW: What happened to the GP1? Thrustmaster may still repair it (even if the original warranty has expired). If it is something that they are aware of being a "weakness" in the design, they have been very good at fixing units out of warranty. You may want to look into this (at least as a spare). They have a forms page where you can describe your problem and they will either send parts or issue a RMA for sending a unit in for repair at: http://www.thrustmaster.com/support/servmail.htm THRUSTMASTER CONTACT INFORMATION CUSTOMER SUPPORT SERVICE&REPAIR (503)615-3201 phone (503)615-3202 phone (503)615-3300 fax (503)615-3300 fax GENERAL CONTACT INFO ThrustMaster, Inc. 7175 NW Evergreen Pkwy. #400 Hillsboro, OR 97124 (503)615-3200 phone (503)615-3300 fax Technical Support and Repairs Center +44 (0) 1276 609697 Mon. - Fri. 10:00am - 6:00pm (GMT) FAX +44 (0) 1276 609696 Product Return Address ThrustMaster Europe Ltd. Unit 9 Southern Trade Centre Admiralty Way Camberley Surrey GU15 3DT United Kingdom Please do not return any product without calling ahead FIRST! General Contact Information ThrustMaster, Inc. European Headquarters Unit 9, Southern Trade Centre Admiralty Way Camberley Surrey GU15 3DT United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 1276 609955 Fax: +44 (0) 1276 609696 Technical Support and Repairs Center +49 (0) 273 279 1845 Mon. - Fri. 4:00pm - 7:00pm Central European Time FAX +49 (0) 273 279 1847 Product Return Address ThrustMaster Deutschland GmbH Siegener Str. 210 D-57223 Kreuztal-Buschhuetten Germany General Contact Information ThrustMaster, Inc. Erdinger Strasse 84 85356 Freising Germany Tel: +49 (0) 816 187 1093 Fax: +49 (0) 816 187 1084 -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

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>This is probably asked here every other week but I'll do it anyway. >My GP1 by TM broke and I have to get a new wheel. Which is better, >making my own or buying one? I don't have very much money to spend, >about a 100$, and the cheaper the better. Is it easy to make a wheel on >my own? I know there are lots of instructions on the web, but is there >something you would recommend? And if byuing one is the better choice, >is TM's T3 the best at this price range?

If you feel confident you can build a wheel on your own, try fixing the TM first. This should be the least expensive and least troublesome option. -- Wolfgang Preiss \ E-mail copies of replies to this posting are welcome. Uni des Saarlands \ and U.S. law. You have been warned.