steering wheel for GPL

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.

Hi Mark, I'm having a pretty good time with the TM Nascar Super Sport wheel and pedal combo, it provides split axes for gas/brake, paddle shifters on the wheel, and pretty good performance, for around $65......Only problem with the paddle shifters is if you crash, you can't go directly from 5th to 1st, must go 5,4,3,2,1, so don't crash! Have fun -- Ed White DJ and Rusty in '99 GO #2 & #88

I received the Nascar Pro for Christmas a little over a year ago. Its been used heavily (especially Nascar 2) over the last year. I have had to change the pedal springs twice but recently the shifter has failed to work and am looking for a replacement. Since I have gotton a lot of use from the wheel I can't complain too much, just looking a replacement that you people have had good luck with.

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>>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.

e:mail tm and they will send you the switches for the shifter for free then you can get another year out of it, might as well get some new steering bungees for it too. JM

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> I received the Nascar Pro for Christmas a little over a year ago. Its been > used heavily (especially Nascar 2) over the last year. I have had to change > the pedal springs twice but recently the shifter has failed to work and am > looking for a replacement. Since I have gotton a lot of use from the wheel > I can't complain too much, just looking a replacement that you people have > had good luck with. > >>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.

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 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" >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.

I'm a moron -- ignore my first question; the answer is obvious, since the title of the thread is "steering wheel for GPL." Doh! Still reeling from the C***te tragedy, I guess. :-( -- JB

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>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 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" >>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.

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> 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) 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

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>> 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)

If you've used the ACT Labs pedals, you've got a pretty good idea of how good the TSW2 pedals are; the TSW2 pedals are heftier, they may be a bit more durable, and they're very easy to repair -- I have no idea how difficult/easy pot repair is going to be for the ACT Labs pedals. The stock TSW pedals have slightly stiffer return springs and a smoother stroke than the TSW2 pedals, which puts them a notch up the scale (but just barely). I don't have any firsthand experience with the ECCI pedals, but my guess is that I'd find them annoying, since they're two-footed pedals and I'm a one-footed driver (right foot for gas/brake and heel-and-toe braking). I fully agree with this -- if you don't have a digital wheel already, then you REALLY need a PDPI L4 board. Even with a PDPI card, though, my TSW2 is still not quite as smooth as the ACT Labs RS/PDPI combo -- it's really an amazing setup. I just wish its wheel was as rugged as my TSW2 combo. Plus, although the ACT Labs' leather-like wheel is maybe the nicest thing I've wrapped my fingers around aside from my TSW2's Caliba Kadet wheel, it's just not *quite* as nice as, well, my TSW2 Calib Kadet wheel. 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.