G27 Misalignment After Hard Inputs

[flightsim98]

Hello guys, noob sim racer here,
I bought a used G27 last month and had alignment issues. Turns out the encoder wheel was busted, so I replaced it with the metal one and reassembled the wheel.
Now I have a new problem. When using the wheel gently (i.e. normal driving) the alignment works perfectly fine. However, after some hard steering inputs (i.e. throwing it to one side trying to save a slide at the top of Radillion) the wheel tends to go out of alignment, sometimes dramatically so. To fix it, I have to unplug and re-plug the wheel, or yanking it to the opposite side a few times. I have checked and rechecked to make sure everything is nice and tight. What exactly is the problem here then? I've been in and out of the wheel no less than ten times trying to figure it out.
Thanks!

 

[Quarkarino]

I have the same problem as a result of a cracked encoder wheel. The issue appears to be that the encoder gets slightly loose on the shaft, allowing it to spin more than expected - the rotational inertia of a small plastic wheel spinning really fast due to the gearing is shockingly high, and it is even more so for a metal wheel! I would expect your encoder wheel is not snug enough. I have heard a dab of glue to attach it to the axle should do the trick and am currently working on doing the same to mine.

 

[flightsim98]

Thank you for the information! I have done exactly that and used it for a full week. That appears to have solved the issue. It took a bit of krazy glue on both sides of the encoder wheel where it contacts the metal shaft to fix it.
The problem is the gearing between the wheel and the encoder wheel. Even a small turn on the physical wheel will send the encoder wheel whipping around. When replacing the wheel, it needs to be loose enough to slide on, which is too loose for hard steering inputs. Even if alignment is not an issue, I found the responsiveness of the wheel in precise movements to be better, meaning that the wheel does move slightly even in normal use.

 

[smasha]

My g27 has lasted me nigh on ten years,the secret to their longevity is keeping the ffb down to a safe level,I usually put mine down so I can’t hear the rattling it makes,they are great wheels but not exactly pro like dd wheels.

Treat those girls with care,one day I’ll get a big bogan dd wheel that likes to be slapped lol.

 

[Quarkarino]

For future reference: A few drops of glue spread evenly around where the plastic wheel meets the shaft should do the trick. I got mine working with this trick and can confirm it works. I recommend spreading the glue as evenly as possible around the shaft because uneven weighting can make it unstable and could open up the crack again or start a second crack. If you have another optical encoder wheel, be it plastic or metal, I recommend swapping it out since the injection molding points on the included one make cracks likely.

 

[flightsim98]

My g27 has lasted me nigh on ten years,the secret to their longevity is keeping the ffb down to a safe level,I usually put mine down so I can’t hear the rattling it makes,they are great wheels but not exactly pro like dd wheels.

Now, that is no doubt true for the OEM plastic encoder, but I don't think that's as much of a big deal with a metal replacement. I don't believe the motors deliver enough power to prematurely wear out any other pieces inside the wheel. Then again, I've only had it for a few months, I guess I'll be slowly finding out exactly what it likes.

For future reference: A few drops of glue spread evenly around where the plastic wheel meets the shaft should do the trick. I got mine working with this trick and can confirm it works. I recommend spreading the glue as evenly as possible around the shaft because uneven weighting can make it unstable and could open up the crack again or start a second crack. If you have another optical encoder wheel, be it plastic or metal, I recommend swapping it out since the injection molding points on the included one make cracks likely.

For me, once there is a crack, it's time for replacement. Fixing the crack is kind of like putting on ten band-aids over a wound that should be stitched once. The metal wheel is a permanent fix, and should reduce the number of times it needs to be taken apart; the less you take it apart, the less chance you have of messing something up/reducing the tolerances by fitting and re-fitting.