Split Axis on Pedals - how important

I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks!

> I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be > able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make > an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks! It's a "must have" for GPL and MGPR, I would like to have it in all other racing games for not having to switch joystick configurations. As switching configs using the MS FF wheel is real easy, this is not so important anymore. l8er ronny -- Your mouse has moved. Windows must be restarted for the change to take effect. Reboot now? |\ _,,,---,,_ I want to die like my Grandfather, ZZZzz /,`.-'`' -. ;-;;,_ in his sleep. |,4- ) )-,_. ,\ ( `'-' Not like the people in his car, '---''(_/--' `-'\_) screaming their heads off!

% I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be % able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make % an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks! As auto simulations become more sophisticated in their physics engines, I feel that having the throttle and brake on separate axes is a #1 issue. -- **************************** Michael E. Carver ************************* Upside out, or inside down...False alarm the only game in town. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=<[ /./. [- < ]>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It's only an issue if you like to trail-brake. I have a normal T2 and it works just fine. The work required to convert to split axis and possibly gain 1 sec aren't worth it to me. However, if your buying a new wheel -- I would get the switchable split-axis wheel :) Jason. > I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be > able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make > an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks! -- -------- Jason Monds "My other car is a Ferrari" (Please remove 'no extra spork' when replying)

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> % I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be > % able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make > % an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks! > As auto simulations become more sophisticated in their physics engines, > I feel that having the throttle and brake on separate axes is a #1 > issue.

Exactly. Last night I used a borrowed TSW wheel for the first time. It has non-configurable single axis pedals. I've been using split axis pedals for over a year. GPL is very difficult without split axis pedals. I really didn't realize how much the throttle helps stabilize the car during weight transfer. It was tough to keep the car from spinning without being able to blip the throttle. I think anyone who is driving GPL without split-axis pedals is handicapping themselves greatly. -- Pat Dotson IMPACT Motorsports http://www.impactmotorsports.com/pd.html

Very very important for games like GPL that have realistic physics, in GPL, split pedals are a huge help especially for stopping spins, you can be applying front brakes to the point of almost locking, when the back end starts to slide and come around a nice throttle blip makes the wheels catch and voila! no spin... Thats one of the examples, I've also found it very useful in controlling the car when sliding on the grass and also to allow left foot braking through turns like T1 at Rouen where you can go through there in 4th with almost full throttle if you do a bit of left foot braking... What it boils down to is if you are getting a *new* wheel, split axis should be one of your priorities if you plan to drive realistic sims, for people with older wheels like my T2 it *might* not be worth all the work to go through and modify them for split pedals, but for me personally I am definitely glad I did rewire the T2 pedals for split-axis, I trail brake a lot and since I used to repair avionic radios for a living, a little bit of rewiring was not a big deal to me and I have really noticed a big difference in being able to get the most out of the GPL car by using brake and throttle separately. Hope that helps you to make your decision. Seeyas on the track. --John (Joao) Silva >I'm looking to buy a FF wheel and am wondering how important it is to be >able to have the throttle and brake on a separate axis. Some reviewers make >an issue of it - most don't even mention it? Thanks!

>work to go through and modify them for split pedals, but for me personally >I am definitely glad I did rewire the T2 pedals for split-axis, I trail brake >a lot and since I used to repair avionic radios for a living, a little bit >of rewiring was not a big deal to me and I have really noticed a big >difference in being able to get the most out of the GPL car by using brake and Okay, I'll bite. How DO you rewire the pedals for split axis? In N2 I do a lot of 2-foot driving and I would think the settings allow me to define pretty much whatever I want for a brake (don't they?). URL with details would be most beneficial (my news server deletes messages after ONE day!). "Gunner"

I've done this and it's not difficult if you can use a soldering iron and make your own adapter. You also need some 15 pin D connectors which will fit your gameport. They're not that hard to find. Try www.hut.fi/Misc/Electronics/docs/joystick/index.html. The guy knows his gameports. LOL. Zog

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> >work to go through and modify them for split pedals, but for me personally > >I am definitely glad I did rewire the T2 pedals for split-axis, I trail > brake > >a lot and since I used to repair avionic radios for a living, a little bit > >of rewiring was not a big deal to me and I have really noticed a big > >difference in being able to get the most out of the GPL car by using brake > and > Okay, I'll bite. How DO you rewire the pedals for split axis? In N2 I > do a lot of 2-foot driving and I would think the settings allow me to define > pretty much whatever I want for a brake (don't they?). > URL with details would be most beneficial (my news server deletes > messages after ONE day!). > "Gunner"

Sigh... Don't I know it! Using my old GP1 I've tried coming up with ways of trail braking using a single-axis throttle/brake (which I believe might shave SECONDS off my times at tracks like Spa and Monza). For the big downhill right turn at the Glen I brake, blip to prevent spinning, brake, blip, brake, blip, etc. It sounds ugly, it looks ugly, difficult to repeat, and is not nearly as fast as (I'd guess) it could be if I could blip and brake simultaneously. Now that I think about it, does anyone know where I can find a really cheap set of CH Pedals? Martin Nigel Mansell RIP!

Here you go. Don't go burning stuff up with that soldering gun. http://huizen.dds.nl/%7Ejjcox/ Cheers, Steve B. remove "edy" from address for email

Search www.dejanews.com for "split axis" in this newsgroup about the time GPL came out, Steve Smith had a Word .DOC file that explained step by step how to do it (I didn't grab it since mine were already split). In a search for split-pedals you should even find a post by me where I posted the exact procedure I followed and was given to me by Grant Reeve (big thanks again Grant), this was a text file, either way it should be pretty easy for you to find these in dejanews. BTW, my rewiring didn't involve needing a whole new joystick plug, just adding one more wire from the pedals to the joystick plug (digging in the plug to find which wire to tap into) and also adding a switch to the pedals to allow switching from single axis to split-axis, not too terribly hard if you aren't afraid of a multimeter or soldering iron, but if you aren't comfortable with that you might want to think twice since it could possibly***up your T2. Hope this helps. Seeyas on the track. --John (Joao) Silva

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> Okay, I'll bite. How DO you rewire the pedals for split axis? In N2 I >do a lot of 2-foot driving and I would think the settings allow me to define >pretty much whatever I want for a brake (don't they?). > URL with details would be most beneficial (my news server deletes >messages after ONE day!). >"Gunner"

> >I think anyone who is driving GPL without split-axis pedals is > >handicapping themselves greatly. > Sigh... Don't I know it! Using my old GP1 I've tried coming > up with ways of trail braking using a single-axis throttle/brake > (which I believe might shave SECONDS off my times at tracks like Spa I tried the single-axis pedals at Mosport in GPL. I'm doing 1:22's in the Coventry there with my regular controller. After switching to the S-A pedals, my fastest time was only 1:24. It felt like walking on eggshells everytime I would start to brake. With more practice, 1:23 wouldn't be too difficult, but I would be a lot less consistent. Do yourself a favor and get some pedals to go with your GP1 :) -- Pat Dotson IMPACT Motorsports http://www.impactmotorsports.com/pd.html

posted in rec.autos.simulators > Okay, I'll bite. How DO you rewire the pedals for split axis?... > URL with details would be most beneficial... In response to a similar question, I'm still planning on converting my pedals. But I haven't got enough time in a day to do all the driving I would like, let alone time to do the conversion. -Ferdinand-