SimRacing.org.uk

HI guys,
    any help or advice would be appreciated....just purchased a thrustmaster scuderia cockpit, all setup and working fine but i'm really struggling to match my normal lap times post wheel...i was using a xbox wired pad previously, even though i hated it, i was able to post much better lap times than i can manage now with the wheel...i guess its a case of practice, spent most of yesterday trying to get used to it without much success...any tips on settings, sensitivity etc would be appreciated, i'm determined not to pick up the pad again but i am really struggling especially with P&G.

have you activated the P&G force-feedback/controller settings via the P&G front end menu?
Worth also getting hold of the 'advanced ffb' mod from No-grip downloads for more finite tweaking to your own tastes.

Surprised that you can be quicker with a gamepad than a bona-fide steering wheel in a car racing sim!  :P  is it calibrated properly?

Hmmm...............

I should try lashing it to a desk for starters.

It must feel like both track rods are made out of rubber!

My wheel is clamped firmly to a desk and gets a right good knocking about, limited by the desk hitting the wall in moments of extreme wheel wangling.  

Just out of interest, why didn't you buy a G27?

this is the wheel guys, http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/ferrari-wireless-gt-cockpit-430-scuderia-edition (http://www.thrustmaster.com/products/ferrari-wireless-gt-cockpit-430-scuderia-edition)  i would have preferred a clamp type but i am seriously limited for room and dont have a pc desk as such...this cockpit folds away nicely, i just bring it out when i need it....the wheel does not have force feedback, not a problem as i've never been a FFB fan, always end up disabling it....just used the wheel on race 07 and its great with that, its just P&G im really struggling with and to a lesser extent GTL.....got sensitivity at 50% brake & throttle 90% prob just have to practice more i guess, although i get the feeling i'm never gonna get used to it...i'm about 6 seconds off my best with a pad....thats huge! :(

It looks to be only 270 deg which is sort of like an old MS Sidewinder, should still be better than a gamepad
I think I would struggle with using one once you get used to the wheel being firmly fixed to something

I have the force on very low anyway, so wouldn't really miss it.

Most people who have used pads and then bought a wheel go a lot faster, and wander round the track less  ::)

theres no issue with it moving about etc....it has 3 clamps which tighten nicely, the base is heavy and never moves....if anyone can share their in game settings regarding sensitivity etc i can at least have a starting point...cheers!

Will you be changing your name now?

lol why would i be changing my name? although super sloth comes to mind!!!

Your no longer without a wheel  ;)

lol i'm so slow sometimes...if i cant get my lap times down this bloody wheel will be out the window...practice practice practice me thinks!

I have all of my sensitivities set to 50%, which I believe means linear; a 10% dead band on the brake and 24% on the clutch.........which you don't appear to have.  The clutch is historical and relates to the fact that my clutch potentiometer is goosed.

well i felt totally embarrassed tonight at charade....started steady enough but just when i thought i'd clicked with this wheel it all fell apart, i'll sit out the next race if im not any better, i think i got in peoples way tonight.....damn you wheel!!!! :/

I really don't think that "wheel on a stick" is doing you any favours at all.

The force feedback tells you a lot about what the car is about to do and I wouldn't be without it, although I know that there are very fast aliens out there who don't use it.

Once you have bought something people tend to want to use it of course
But if you had asked people on here what to get, then what you have would not
have been in anyone's list.  :(

I think Clive is probably correct. When my G25 throttle pedal pot wore I went back to using an ancient MS Sidewinder wheel
and pedals that I used to be "ok" with, and after using the G25/27 I was several seconds off my own pace
and, I kept falling off as the braking was a completely different feel. I moved the clutch pot to the throttle as I
don't use the clutch on that system, so now using the G25 again, and suddenly I was back to normal pace.

Reminds me of a floor polisher  ;)

Just looked at WGD's link to his Thustmaster ,

First of all  ... Why is prince Harry playing racing sims, and why can't he afford a G25/27??!!!

Seriously WGD, I was thinking about how what you now have would feel like in use. If the base is very heavy and stable and the steering column locks out at a fixed angle to give a "solid" feel at the wheel, then I can sort of see that it might be usable.
But, I could not contemplate using it from a sofa or soft chair as shown in the photos, as personally I want my a**  planted firmly so that I can exert maximum energy into the steering and brakes, rather than have my input absorbed by the equal and opposite reaction into the soft furnishings. I would have thought that it was very tiring to sit on a soft chair for 40-50 mins and work your limbs in that way, but then I am old and probably totally unfit!  I usually have my steering wheel set for something like 180degreees, lock to lock, as an absolute maximum and with a bit of slide I only use 30degrees of movement either way from straight ahead. Any more movement involves the use of too much energy and I am trying to be as green as I can in my life  ;D

Preferably I would want to use it from an upright or office type chair and have the wheel coming over the top of a desk, but it did occur to me that if the steering column will drop low enough and you arrange the pedals box to stand up you almost have a proper sim rig that you could drive from the floor, or ideally from a recycled bucket seat. I think I am getting carried away with fantasy here, so I'll stop  :scared:

As for settings I was amazed by Clive L's settings and will have to try what he suggests. I only recently dipped into the GTL/PnG sim world and simply transferred my GPL settings across. This means that I have all sensitivity settings in PnG at 100% and maybe just 10% dead zone on the brake and clutch ( I also had to re-assign the clutch pot to throttle duties because of years of gas mashing in GPL!!  ;D ).

Off to try these alien settings now

I think that I forgot to say that my wheel is set to 270 rotation.  I tried 360 but my elbows ended up in a knot!


It will be interesting to see how the floor polisher does at Bridgehampton.  The place is a mass of bumps and hollows and without FF I would find it very hard.  I expect that I would spend a lot of time wondering what had just put me in the sand.


I've destroyed four Mustangs in the paddock!

its all adjustable from the length of the steering column to the angle..like u said i sit fairly upright using an office type chair..everything is tightened using a spanner and is very secure, there is off course slight movement when turning the wheel but nothing that puts you off or hinders..the pedals are an absolute joy...not even a tiny amount of movement or slippage (love that word) the only movement as such is vertical and thats because i need the column extended as i'm a 6ft plus guy and it is only slight, i dont even notice it. there is no left or right movement, you turn left it stays rigid ditto the right...tbh i would have loved the wheel you recommend but i simply dont have the means of clamping a wheel to a desk or fixing the pedals somewhere secure...smallish bedroom 3 kids in rest of house and no spare room...this is ideal as it sits in the corner just bring it out when i need.