G27 Questions

EIF · Aug 25, 2011

I hooked up my new G27 a few days ago and I'm left feeling dissapointed by it.

FFB Deadzone - Is it normal to have FFB deadzone around top centre of the wheel? I don't have any steering deadzone but my brain thinks there is because I don't feel any FFB at around 5-10 degrees of centre, really dont like it at all.

Steering Angle- I currently have the wheel set to default at 200 degrees but I can turn the wheel well beyond this in every game. Shouldn't there be a limiter in place? In Profiler>Properties I can't turn it beyond about 180.

Vibration - In Dirt3 and rFactor the vibration is best described as a "knocking" senstation, feels very rough.

Rev Light - I can't get these to work in any game I have tried (Dirt 3, Shift2, rFator, Race 07 Demo) but they do work in Profiler>Properties.

rFactor Settings -Is there a page here which describes how to set up the wheel for rFactor. I've got it working ok but I'm bemused by all the settings (Rates etc) in Controls.

Skazz · Aug 25, 2011

Eifion Evans said:
I hooked up my new G27 a few days ago and I'm left feeling dissapointed by it.

Q: FFB Deadzone - Is it normal to have FFB deadzone around top centre of the wheel? I don't have any steering deadzone but my brain thinks there is because I don't feel any FFB at around 5-10 degrees of centre, really dont like it at all.
A: There is a small FFB deadzone because Logitech doesn't want the two motors burning each other out. That said, my experience is that it's much smaller than what you are talking about, however it varies a lot per game. Try a variety of games, see if it's constant or not. e.g. rFactor feels bigger FFB deadzone than DiRT 3 or iRacing to me.

Q: Steering Angle- I currently have the wheel set to default at 200 degrees but I can turn the wheel well beyond this in every game. Shouldn't there be a limiter in place? In Profiler>Properties I can't turn it beyond about 180.
A: There's a "soft" stop, done by FFB. If you push hard enough you can go straight past the soft stop. When in game, fighting centering spring, you may not realise the soft stop is there?

Q: Vibration - In Dirt3 and rFactor the vibration is best described as a "knocking" senstation, feels very rough.
A: The cog-based feedback is pretty sharp and aggressive. Stuff like rumble strips or changes to surface texture feel very good, but little bumps on the road can feel strange. You feel sensations and you need to get used to them. One tip is to try and no have FFB set too high in-game, since the wheel amplifies FFB values and can end up saturating (like an amplifier distorting), which takes all the nuance out of things. There's a good article on racedepartment frontpage from a few months ago about it.
If you decide you hate cog-based FFB, the other option is belt-driven. Fanatec and Thrustmaster both offer this, but their belt-driven wheels are considerably more expensive than a G27. Personally having come from many years of cog-based FFB I'm finding the belt drive of my shiny new Fanatec GT2 wheel a strange experience: It's a lot smoother but slightly less immediate feeling.

Q: Rev Light - I can't get these to work in any game I have tried (Dirt 3, Shift2, rFator, Race 07 Demo) but they do work in Profiler>Properties.
A: Can't help there sorry

Q: rFactor Settings -Is there a page here which describes how to set up the wheel for rFactor. I've got it working ok but I'm bemused by all the settings (Rates etc) in Controls.
A: There are vast threads about Logitech wheel tuning for rFactor. You've got Realfeel, Leo's FFB, and huge numbers of controller.ini discussions. Try nogrip as well as racedepartment forums.

EIF · Aug 25, 2011

Very informative post Skazz, thank you.

It sounds like my G27 isn't faulty and is running normally then. I just need to get used to it I suppose. I'm not too concerned about the rev lights because they do work in profiler properties so it's a software issue most likely, I dont really look at the wheel when racing anyway.

Fine tuning the wheel for rFactor sounds very complex, I'l need to do alot or reading lol

David Ignjatovic · Aug 25, 2011

Eifion Evans said:
I hooked up my new G27 a few days ago and I'm left feeling dissapointed by it.

.

It's the same with game reviews, if anything is good-ok, people go overboard showering it with praise, yet after a while, you begin to hear some criticisms that should've been noted and emphasized from the beginning.

First the good news, G27 and Simbin are a near perfect match, ie, I'm much faster than my DFGT, the clutch works as does the LED, so it's probably that you're using an older unpatched demo that accounts for the LED's not working in race07 demo.
Bad news is there's no question a deadzone exists and it's not far from being a joke, maybe this is why some of the aliens use the DFGT wheel and G25/27 pedals, as the DFGT has no deadzone and has FFB basically as good.

That said, I've gotten used to it, ie, dialing in little steering adjustments to keep in on the racing line....but I can't say I'm the least bit impressed by it's presence or the FFB compared to DFGT, speaking of which, the G27 is a chattery bastard on the rumple strips or under brakes in Iracing.

As for F1 2010, oh boy, the deadzone really sux there, as such, I couldn't beat my DFGT times at Melbourne with or without driving aids, so I'll be reluctant to buy 2011.

I only ever intended to keep the G27 for a short period{12months tops], so I can live with it, but I'll be dumping it for T500 or Fanatec CSR line, but if I wasn't an open wheeler crazy, I would've bought the T500 first up.

David Ignjatovic · Aug 26, 2011

Btw, I still thoroughly recommend a G27 over a DFGT anyday, as despite the G27 shortcomings, it really does slay a DFGT overal+ I'm anywhere from 1.5-2.5secs a lap faster than DFGT, and there's more to come, whereas DFGT I had for 18months and had peaked long ago.

EIF · Aug 26, 2011

Interesting post David. My choice of wheels was either a G27 or a Fanatec, probably the GT3. The Fanatec felt like a gamble to me becasue of their expense, reliablilty issues etc but everyone seemed to praise the G27 so highly it seemed ike the obvious choice.

After a bit more time on the G27 I am getting more adapted to it but I can't help but still feel a bit dissappointed by it. The FFB deadzone in particular is a real sore point for me, it really affects my driving

I feels worse in rFactor than the other games I've tried. I hope it wont be so noticable on F1 2011 either because I intend to play it alot.

I will definatley pick up the Simbin titles for sure, playing RacePro on xbox made me realise what I'm missing on pc, Forza just didnt cut it anymore for me.

David Ignjatovic · Aug 27, 2011

You might enjoy Shift2 as a driving experience, but it's a terrible game overall...otherwise there's tonnes of content in Simbin.

EIF · Sep 3, 2011

I downloaded and tested RealFeel for rFactor today and it transforms the G27, there is almost zero FFB deadzone anymore with this plugin. It makes the wheel feel so much tighter and precise, suggests to me it's software dependant and not really a hardware issue afterall.

Finally I'm happy with my G27

Skazz · Sep 3, 2011

Eifion Evans said:
I downloaded and tested RealFeel for rFactor today and it transforms the G27, there is almost zero FFB deadzone anymore with this plugin. It makes the wheel feel so much tighter and precise, suggests to me it's software dependant and not really a hardware issue afterall.

Finally I'm happy with my G27

Glad to hear it!
To be honest, if you want the ultimate in FFB with your wheel, join a trial month of iRacing. It will blow you away. rFactor with Realfeel gets close (on certain cars, tuned properly, with certain tracks), whereas iRacing is just amazing all of the time on all of their laser scanned tracks.

EIF · Sep 3, 2011

Yeah I'm definately going to try iRacing soon although much of the content I really want (F1 ,Spa, Suzuka etc) will cost more and I'm still thoroughly enjoying the very high quality and completely free mods for rfactor at the moment

Frapp Lee · Aug 24, 2019

I realize this is a very old thread so, I feel funny posting this here - just a couple of quick questions. Why are NOS G27s so expensive now? I realize that they are not produced any more but, if they were rubbish they would be much cheaper. Yes/no? A freind of mine is looking to buy a wheel and would like to stay under $500.00. What are his best options? He is open to a used G27.

Any insight/guidance would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

FraPP!!!

Miguel Batista · Aug 24, 2019

For 500 you have plenty of options. I would go for a T300 Alcantara edition. You get 3 pedals, a T300 base (best bang for your buck) and a 30cm rim that feels awesome! With the money left over get a playseat challenge or a wheelstand.

If you are willing to peruse second hand markets, you might be able to find a similar combo but with a TS-PC racer base or a full T500 system which is almost as good. Fanatec stuff (shiny new GT2 makes me feel old) is usually pricier but you might find some CSL Elite wheels in budget. If you can squeeze some loadcell pedals (like some CSR elites) and you are set for life.