I apologize for the long text beforehand. But I feel it might be worthwhile to understand where I'm coming from and where I want to be with my casual driver simracing experience ;-)
Hi all,
its been a while since I bought my Thrustmaster T500RS set along an Omega Wheel stand. Back then I was still mulling over buying a new PS4 when AC was announced for that platform. I still had my PS3 and played Grand Turismo 5 but not really happy with the experience. The Fanatec products were (and are) really expensive for a casual player like me and it was still not clear if they will be supported on PS4 IIRC.
A lot happened. PS4 didn't come to pass, instead I bought a dedicated gaming PC with R3E and AC installed playing mostly GT3 cars and never looked back. Meanwhile I tried some Fanatec products and was really hooked regarding the immersion. Especially regarding operating forces of the pedal set and feel of the steering wheel (BMW version).
So I looked into improving my existing T500 set to get closer to the experience I wanted to get out from it. Meaning new rim and improving the already sturdy built pedal set.
Over time I realized that even nice DIY rims are too expensive for my tastes. There are at least two chaps creating beautiful wheel creations with price tags I'm not willing to follow. Basically I wanted a Fanatec BMW-style rim on my T500 wheel base. Fortunately Thrustmaster released just that a few weeks ago with teh R383mod. Thrustmaster shop had an additional 25% off the price, so I jumped the gun and purchased it without any decent review available.
http://shop.thrustmaster.com/de_de/rally-wheel-add-on-sparcor-r383-mod.html
As for the pedal set it would be a bit more difficult to achieve what I aspired to do. Basically I was thinking about replacing the existing springs to get a more realistic feel. Especially the throttle was too soft for my taste. Not sure on the brake pedal either albeit I already installed the simple brake mod that came with the set.
I dismantled the pedal set and checked the original springs to search similar but stronger ones online. I realized that I this would mean af trial-and-error phase and a lot of money spend. One spring of that size amounts for ~4-5€ each plus p&p. And if I would change the springs, then I would experiment on all three pedals of course.
Fortunately I came across a set of springs already available by chance. You know for the Logitech pedals you can easily find them, but not for the Thrustmaster T500 / T3PA Pro set. I also wanted to try out the helical cone mod, but the cheaper DIY variant. ;-)
Load cell sets to expensive for my budget.
https://www.mardomedia.com/verenset-voor-thrustmaster-t3pa-pro-pedalen.html
I already received both products, installed them and now am playing R3E and AC and started the experimenting. The helical cone still on order:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ø25-x-20mm-M8-Typ-PK-D-Parabelpuffer-Gummipuffer-parabolisch-Gummi-Metall-Puffer/262406447874?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
First impressions are really positive. The whole experience changed a lot. Really a transformed wheel and pedal set now!
The wheel is just what I expected it to be. Sturdy, meaty just feeling like the real thing. The shifter paddles are perfect, the buttons ok-ish with a slight cheap feel. But since I rarely use the wheel buttons thats only a minor drawback for me. If you're in for a round-shaped wheel, that might be just the thing for you.
The springs really stiffened the pedals a lot. The throttle is just perfect now. Not too easily pushed, but light enough to not get a cramped leg. Brake pedal (lighter spring of the two shipped) is really stiff now. I used to right-foot brake until now and always wanted to train left-foot braking. This spring feels to be perfect for that. You can rest the foot on the pedal without really pushing it. You really can step on the pedal without immediately locking up. The initial dead zone of the pedal is unfortunately not adjustable mechanically as far as I can see as I'd like to have an initial brake effect with less travel. I had to set the maximum travel to 70% ingame to really achieve 100% brake effect without pushing the wheel stand away. I already modified the stand with sticky rubber feet mind you. The clutch is stiffer than the throttle pedal now and just about right also for stick-shift driving although I have to still improve on the ingame clutch-in adjustment it seems.
Right now I'm thinking on reverting back to the original brake spring when I have the rubber cone and see how that feels instead.
What is your take on the T500RS and modifications? What have you done to improve the feel and for what reasons?
I will report back when I'm more into getting used to the new setup.
I can also post some pics of my setup and the mods if you like.
Cheers, Rob
[EDIT] Should proof-read more...
Hi all,
its been a while since I bought my Thrustmaster T500RS set along an Omega Wheel stand. Back then I was still mulling over buying a new PS4 when AC was announced for that platform. I still had my PS3 and played Grand Turismo 5 but not really happy with the experience. The Fanatec products were (and are) really expensive for a casual player like me and it was still not clear if they will be supported on PS4 IIRC.
A lot happened. PS4 didn't come to pass, instead I bought a dedicated gaming PC with R3E and AC installed playing mostly GT3 cars and never looked back. Meanwhile I tried some Fanatec products and was really hooked regarding the immersion. Especially regarding operating forces of the pedal set and feel of the steering wheel (BMW version).
So I looked into improving my existing T500 set to get closer to the experience I wanted to get out from it. Meaning new rim and improving the already sturdy built pedal set.
Over time I realized that even nice DIY rims are too expensive for my tastes. There are at least two chaps creating beautiful wheel creations with price tags I'm not willing to follow. Basically I wanted a Fanatec BMW-style rim on my T500 wheel base. Fortunately Thrustmaster released just that a few weeks ago with teh R383mod. Thrustmaster shop had an additional 25% off the price, so I jumped the gun and purchased it without any decent review available.
http://shop.thrustmaster.com/de_de/rally-wheel-add-on-sparcor-r383-mod.html
As for the pedal set it would be a bit more difficult to achieve what I aspired to do. Basically I was thinking about replacing the existing springs to get a more realistic feel. Especially the throttle was too soft for my taste. Not sure on the brake pedal either albeit I already installed the simple brake mod that came with the set.
I dismantled the pedal set and checked the original springs to search similar but stronger ones online. I realized that I this would mean af trial-and-error phase and a lot of money spend. One spring of that size amounts for ~4-5€ each plus p&p. And if I would change the springs, then I would experiment on all three pedals of course.
Fortunately I came across a set of springs already available by chance. You know for the Logitech pedals you can easily find them, but not for the Thrustmaster T500 / T3PA Pro set. I also wanted to try out the helical cone mod, but the cheaper DIY variant. ;-)
Load cell sets to expensive for my budget.
https://www.mardomedia.com/verenset-voor-thrustmaster-t3pa-pro-pedalen.html
I already received both products, installed them and now am playing R3E and AC and started the experimenting. The helical cone still on order:
http://www.ebay.de/itm/Ø25-x-20mm-M8-Typ-PK-D-Parabelpuffer-Gummipuffer-parabolisch-Gummi-Metall-Puffer/262406447874?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
First impressions are really positive. The whole experience changed a lot. Really a transformed wheel and pedal set now!
The wheel is just what I expected it to be. Sturdy, meaty just feeling like the real thing. The shifter paddles are perfect, the buttons ok-ish with a slight cheap feel. But since I rarely use the wheel buttons thats only a minor drawback for me. If you're in for a round-shaped wheel, that might be just the thing for you.
The springs really stiffened the pedals a lot. The throttle is just perfect now. Not too easily pushed, but light enough to not get a cramped leg. Brake pedal (lighter spring of the two shipped) is really stiff now. I used to right-foot brake until now and always wanted to train left-foot braking. This spring feels to be perfect for that. You can rest the foot on the pedal without really pushing it. You really can step on the pedal without immediately locking up. The initial dead zone of the pedal is unfortunately not adjustable mechanically as far as I can see as I'd like to have an initial brake effect with less travel. I had to set the maximum travel to 70% ingame to really achieve 100% brake effect without pushing the wheel stand away. I already modified the stand with sticky rubber feet mind you. The clutch is stiffer than the throttle pedal now and just about right also for stick-shift driving although I have to still improve on the ingame clutch-in adjustment it seems.
Right now I'm thinking on reverting back to the original brake spring when I have the rubber cone and see how that feels instead.
What is your take on the T500RS and modifications? What have you done to improve the feel and for what reasons?
I will report back when I'm more into getting used to the new setup.
I can also post some pics of my setup and the mods if you like.
Cheers, Rob
[EDIT] Should proof-read more...
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