Anyone got AL performance pedals?

Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal minority here? I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy with my shifter. TIA for reviews/opinions... Mark Reading, UK

"Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal > minority here? > > I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy > with my shifter. > > TIA for reviews/opinions...

Hi Mark, I absolutely love mine and would not go back to the MOMO pedals if you paid me. Mine havent shown any signs of wear but I think i am quite easy on wheels and pedals as I have a fairly smooth driving style and I always use socks on the pedals. Ash http://www.siroccoracing.com

Mark A few of us want to make an AL order and will share the carriage costs with you if you want to. We are in Leicester....Midlands. Let me know mate. AD

Mark wrote:

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> Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal > minority here? > > I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy > with my shifter. > > TIA for reviews/opinions... > > Mark > Reading, UK

Didn't they redesign the pedals to prevent the breakages? I thought only the first batch are at risk.

This is just my opinion, but the only thing that stands out on the AL Pref. pedals is the pedal travel, for the most part they are made rather cheaply, the base and cover are all made out of pretty thin plastic and it is some what flexible as well, more than I thought it would be. I was expecting that if it was plastic it be of a material that is more like a plastic model but thicker of course. I guess there might be an advantage to the flexibility in that it will not snap and break but the whole thing seems to be somewhat light and noodle-y. I should mention that there is an attachment and a built in "container" in the base to put steel or lead shot to add weight. I originally ordered my complete RS package around Christmas time last year and had the gas spring break in 3 months; I e-mailed for replacements and was told that they will be sent out right away. After waiting 2 weeks I e-mailed again and was told that they were on back order but due in by the coming weekend and would be shipped out as soon as they get them. Another two weeks went buy and I still have no springs. I'm starting to get a little PO'ed now so I send tech support a nasty letter saying how I think I'm getting a run around and no honest answers to my questions and that I will copy the nasty note to Act Labs forum if I don't get a decent response from somebody. Well right away I get an e-mail from Ed somebody-or-other saying that a new and improved Perf. pedal set is on the way to me and that all I have to do is put my "old" broken set in the new packaging and return to Act Labs, I of course pay shipping to Act Labs. Ok no prob, I get the new pedals in about a week and as far as I can tell they are not all that much different than the "old" pedals, there is an added boss under the pedals to absorb some of the pedal pressure I guess. Well any way about 3 weeks later the gas springs break again! I e-mail support to order new springs and this time I get them in about a week. I get 2 left hand springs and 1 right hand spring ?????? Then about a month later I get 4 more springs with out even asking for them?????? The ones I have in there now have lasted for about 6 months now I guess. I have to say that I'm kinda afraid to use the pedals very hard, I need to make these last, and I can't afford to plop down another $300.00 on something else (what I paid for the whole package including shifter and plates, shipping). If you are living in England I might try to get some kind of guarantee from Act Labs that they realy improved the pedals they are shipping now. Good luck, Gerry (I'm a top poster, can't stand scrolling/reading thru stuff I already read) "Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

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> Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal > minority here? > > I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy > with my shifter. > > TIA for reviews/opinions... > > Mark > Reading, UK

Even if you have to replace the springs twice a year, it's still worth it. The Performance pedal set is a significant improvement over any stock pedal that comes with a consumer-grade wheel. My suggestion is to order some spare springs for both the pedals and the shifter while you're at it, cause they all break periodically. Come to think of it, the periodic failure actually contributes to the realism of the simulation. Racer break stuff before a race, racer beg and steal parts scrambling for a fix, racer is poorer as a result. <g>

It's hard to say how prevalent the problem was for the breaking brake pedal, but it seems to be cured with the new design. They added extra webbed reinforcement. The 2 gas springs stretched on mine, but I got several replacements within a week. I've never had a spring break (although I've taken Spring Break in Ft. Lauderdale before). You don't have to wait for new springs if you have a problem with them. You can make your own with springs from a hardware store: http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/al_shear_springs.html The pedals are nice. They modulate very well and are easy to drive with. I've got lot's of wheels and pedals, but these are my favorite by far. -- Slot Tweaks & Reviews www.slottweak.com "Mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]... > Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal > minority here? > > I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy > with my shifter. > > TIA for reviews/opinions... > > Mark > Reading, UK

In this price range you won't find any better. I've never had any springs snap yet - but I have been forced to change 'sloppy' springs once - going twice as we 'speak'. I've previously had a 'T2' aswell as a MSFF - both of them having been heavily modified over the years.... yet noen of them came withig the same Sears parking-lot of the Act-labs units... -- ed_

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> > Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal > > minority here? > > > > I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy > > with my shifter. > > > > TIA for reviews/opinions... >

Run and hide from these pedals. I had them from Dec 25, 2001 until April 13, 2002 and replaced the springs 3 times. Sure, the springs were shipped to me for free, but three times in 4 months? Check the Papy NR2002 for posts about these pedals and you'll see what I mean. The wheel is "pretty good" and the shifter is top notch. Someone REALLY screwed up on the pedal design, though. I have 2 others sets of pedals and haven't changed my driving style at all and those pedal sets lasted for years each, without somuch as a creak. Purchase the AL "Performance" (their word, not mine) at your own risk. Please feel free to ask other questions about the pedals, I'd more than happy to answer them. Lawman_02766

On 17 Oct 2002 03:19:11 -0700, [email hidden] (Mark) wrote:

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>Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal >minority here? > >I can stretch to the �75 it'll cost to import them and I'm well happy >with my shifter. > >TIA for reviews/opinions... > >Mark >Reading, UK

Mark, Pedal arms don't break that often. I have 3 other friends that have the unit and they've never roken theirs yet. I have broken the brake pedal, but once AL sent me a new one, it has not broken since. Looking at the new brake pedal, it seems to have more plastic struts at the joint. However the springs do break a lot for me and my friends. I've replaced the springs so many times, that the plastic threading holding the screws have stripped. I have since replaced the springs with my own found at the hardware store and all is peachy. You can try a couple of fixes: http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/al_shear_springs.html http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/al_perf_pedal_spring_mod.html Would I buy them again? Now that I can make my own springs, yes I would. No other pedal unit comes close to it in terms of price. Most of it's downfalls can be fixed. -- karkrazy AT softhome DOT net http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm

I love the act labs pedals. As far as the springs are concerned, I too have not had a breakage, but the accelerator is getting sloppy after a year of use. The base is big and tough and the "throw" on the pedals is perfect. I also enjoy, especially on the brakes, the increasing pressure needed to press down on the brake pedal. Makes for easy modulation of the pedal. Mike

On 17 Oct 2002 18:24:49 GMT, [email hidden] (Race1530) wrote: >I love the act labs pedals. As far as the springs are concerned, I too have >not had a breakage, but the accelerator is getting sloppy after a year of use. If it's sloppy, then it's broken. If you open it up, you see that there are cracks in the spring. Most of my springs don't snap right in half, they just get flimsey. -- karkrazy AT softhome DOT net http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm

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> You can try a couple of fixes: > > http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/al_shear_springs.html > http://karkrazy.m4driving.sm/al_perf_pedal_spring_mod.html > > Would I buy them again? Now that I can make my own springs, yes I > would. No other pedal unit comes close to it in terms of price. Most > of it's downfalls can be fixed.

Thanks for all the replys, guys. The springs in my old T2 used to wear out pretty quick and these same to be about the same design. In the 4 or so years I've owned a TM F1/NASCAR Pro, I haven't had to open the pedals once - although the pots are a bit spiky now... I still use them with the MOMO alongside a modded T2 set for clutch and find them pretty smart but clutter, spiky pots and reducing active controllers required for racing make the AL jobbies seem like a good plan. Cheers, Mark Reading, UK

On Thu, 17 Oct 2002 06:19:11 -0400, Mark wrote: > Are the breakages as common as reported or are we talking vocal minority > here? I got these around xmas 2001. I like them when they're working-- they're quite smooth, and have very good travel. I like the extra resistance under the brake pedal too. That's the good news. The less good news is that in the 10 or so months that I've had them, I've broken the brake spring once, the gas spring twice, and the brake pedal itself once. They claim the replacement brake pedal has been redesigned, and in fact it hasn't rebroken. The springs are the same though, and they're pretty chintzy. Further, the springs are an awful pain in the rear to replace (IMHO), and although the company will send out new springs when your old ones break, they sure take their time about it (I've waited as long as a month to get replacements). As bad as the quality is (and my opinion is indeed that the quality is bad), I don't think you'll find much of anything better for the price, unless you want to go with the not-very-carlike CH pedals. If I had it to do over, I'd probably spend some more and get the Thomas or BRD stuff instead. I may do that anyway, next time my A-Ls break just before a league race.... Marc

On Thu, 17 Oct 2002 17:02:15 -0400, Marc Fraioli wrote: > That's the good news. The less good news is that in the 10 or so months > that I've had them, I've broken the brake spring once, the gas spring > twice, and the brake pedal itself once. They claim the replacement > brake pedal has been redesigned, and in fact it hasn't rebroken. The > springs are the same though, and they're pretty chintzy. Further, the Not that I like talking to myself all *that* much, but I just thought I'd follow-up to report that several hours after writing the above I broke the spring under my brake *again*, so that makes four spring breakages in under a year. If you get these pedals, count on changing a spring or two pretty much quarterly. Marc