Question about steering wheel style/preferences...

[lovemesomespeed]

I’m curious why people own multiple steering wheels. Is it mostly to have a more authentic experience (matching the steering wheel to the type of car you’re driving)? Do you actually feel like there’s a difference in driving technique for specific cars that requires a different steering wheel (and is actually applicable in a sim)?

I’ve been using a Sparco P310 wheel for a couple years and use it to race everything from F1 to GT cars, etc. I’ve never felt like I was missing something by not having a specific F1 wheel when racing an F1 car.

Don’t get me wrong... I’m all about having more toys! I’ve got gear acquisition syndrome like I’m sure you all do... I’m just wondering if there’s something I’m missing with not having multiple wheels.

 

[BillyBobSenna]

The link below is a good Youtube video on the subject.

Steering Wheel Size for SimRacing

I have 2 Fanatec wheels. (Formula V2 & Podium R300)

In general I like the formula wheel for cars that use the paddle shifters and the R300 when I am using the ClubSport shifter. The two wheels feel very different when driving. The R300 would not work well with F1 2020 since there are several controls you need to quickly operate. The Formula V2 would not work well when using the ClubSport shifter. Sometimes I like to just change it up.

I would love to have a larger collection of wheels.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Sparco P310 works just great for GT and Formula cars.
One extra round wheel for rally and road cars is all that needed for complete experience.

 

[Elaphe]

A good round wheel, in leather, 32 or 30 cm, no buttons, no coiled cable, just fun.

 

[metalnwood]

I have only two and they are different enough to cover most cars and feel correct for the right cars.

I have an asher F64 I use for open wheelers and gt3 style cars and a momo 320mm one that I use for other cars where the wheel lock is more than the formula rim would give me. The formula rim is used most of the time but occasionally a league will run a season with a car that needs more steering lock than is comfortable with a formula rim.

Outside of that I am happy with just two. I do think only one gives too much of a compromise if this is your main hobby.

 

[BrightCandle]

I could really do with a circular wheel as I am just using the TS-PC Racer steering wheel which is a formula rim. The problem is with cars that require a bit more drifting and catching it's not easy to use and it is far too narrow for driving vintage F1 cars as tiny movements produce big effects. I can definitely see the need for at least 2 wheels with differing radius and button availability.

 

[Mcorp]

my own build wheel i love the most, but also the updated F1 ferarri wheel and stock thrustmaster wheel.

 

[5-Card-Major]

... a car that needs more steering lock than is comfortable with a formula rim.

Sorry, but what do you mean by that comment?

 

[Elaphe]

Sorry, but what do you mean by that comment?

What turning radius F1 or GT3 cars have? 360°? Now, how are you supposed to turn your steering wheel more degrees than that without releasing your hands from the fixed positions these rims have for the grip?

 

[HoiHman]

Reasons for having multiple rims

1. Wheel matches your favorite car
2. One to one button mapping in VR
3. Each wheel feels different, it depends on the style formula, DTM, round leather, round alcantara, open D-shaped ect ect, but also the diameter has a large impact how the FFB is delivered.
4. Other aspects like weight can give a wheel with the same diameter complete different characteristics. (even with a direct drive)
5. An F1 car with complex systems needs more buttons, rotaries than for example a road car
6. Or Just because you like having them


I had to look it up, but i still had this picture in my mind of the preview of the AFv1.
Driving a formula car with such a large wheel, would never work for me.



But then again, i have to admit i have too many rims already and i'm not the average simracer.
Still the collection keeps on growing and growing.

 

[Slapped]

I have four rims, but that's just how it turned out by accident

Ideally IMO one good open wheel (F1, GT) and one good closed wheel (Road, Rally, Club) is a good thing to aim for.

However if you are limited then just one closed wheel will cover pretty much all bases in sim racing - no real need to go further.

 

[5-Card-Major]

Reasons for having multiple rims

1. Wheel matches your favorite car
2. One to one button mapping in VR
3. Each wheel feels different, it depends on the style formula, DTM, round leather, round alcantara, open D-shaped ect ect, but also the diameter has a large impact how the FFB is delivered.
4. Other aspects like weight can give a wheel with the same diameter complete different characteristics. (even with a direct drive)
5. An F1 car with complex systems needs more buttons, rotaries than for example a road car
6. Or Just because you like having them


I had to look it up, but i still had this picture in my mind of the preview of the AFv1.
Driving a formula car with such a large wheel, would never work for me.



But then again, i have to admit i have too many rims already and i'm not the average simracer.
Still the collection keeps on growing and growing.

Wow, you must be single!!

 

[metalnwood]

Sorry, but what do you mean by that comment?

Exactly what Elaphe said, some cars you need to turn more than 180 degrees, at which point you typically take a hand off the rim and put it back on somewhere else to turn more. You can't do this with a formula rim.

 

[HoiHman]

Wow, you must be single!!

Happily married for more then 22 years.

90% of my collection is build and designed by myself. It's a second hobby. By selling custom build rims from time to time, i'm able to finance my hobby.

 

[Adrian Herrera]

This is a good topic as I’ve been thinking exactly this the past few days.. so here’s my story and would love to get some feedback from you guys...

My first wheel was a Logitech G25 and there was no option to swap out the rim, so i was OK with driving F1 cars with a round rim.

A few years passed and I got a Thrustmaster TSPC that came with the Formula style rim. I got into Dirt Rally 2.0 and got myself the Sparco Rally Wheel for obvious reasons... much better for rallying.

I thought that was all that I needed since I could cover most styles of cars with either the formula wheel or the rally wheel... however earlier this year I got the Sparco P310 (which is sort of a “squared” layout.. like a round wheel with a flat top and bottom), thinking that this was better suited for modern GT cars... There is quite a substantial difference in the weight and feel of the rally wheel and the new P310, and the formula wheel is 28 cm diameter while the other two are 33 cm. So now I am happy with 3 styles of wheels.. each one has its unique feeling.

Now here comes my internal debate... I recently re-discovered the McLaren MP4/8 in rFactor 2 and I am IN LOVE with this car, specially with the new updates on the graphics... BUT this car uses a smaller semi-round wheel! Its an F1 car so I drive it with the open wheel style rim, but then I think its not right and try the rounded rally wheel but it’s not right either.. so i try the P310 and thats better but it feels too big... argh! So I am now contemplating the leather 28 round wheel for the oldies F1 cars.. Am I nuts to spend more money on a fourth rim? Do you guys think it’s overkill? Help please! Lol

 

[alfye20]

Spend less in an used T300RS or Ferrari GTE wheel, its the same as the leather one.
Then if you want 30cm, you can buy a T500rs wheel.
FYI Sparco P310 is 31cm

 

[lovemesomespeed]

So I just ordered one of these bad boys tonight...

Do you think ordering an LMP-style wheel (like their LMP-Pro) would be too much of an overlap? (Meaning they will feel quite similar?)

I am getting a VR headset soon so I may be racing mostly in VR at that point. I'd imagine with VR you want to develop muscle memory and might not want to be switching wheels all the time.

 

[georgykay]

I just use an old Logitech DFGT and my trusted, slightly modded TS PC racer..
But I suppose you could always have more....

 

[RCHeliguy]

So I just ordered one of these bad boys tonight...

View attachment 394034

Do you think ordering an LMP-style wheel (like their LMP-Pro) would be too much of an overlap? (Meaning they will feel quite similar?)

I am getting a VR headset soon so I may be racing mostly in VR at that point. I'd imagine with VR you want to develop muscle memory and might not want to be switching wheels all the time.

I have that exact wheel and love it. To me it is the perfect size. I love the design and control layout and their paddle shifters are excellent.

I'll echo what many have said already. I use my PSE GT wheel for everything but Rally. I have a 330 mm Momo bare rim for rally. I row gears in rally and like to grab the wheel all over the place while drifting.

The only reason I could see getting the LMP-Pro or Formula wheels is that you are actually using all the additional features. To me at this stage it seems like an awful lot to juggle. I barely use the controls I've got on my PSE wheel.

This is not to take away from having a huge collection. If that is what excites you go for it. However from a pragmatic point of view, I think 2 wheels covers all the bases very well.

 

[St3fan]

I currently have a Penguin r/c AF button box paired with Accuforce formula rim for most of circuit racing, and a round rim with no buttons or cables for rally/drift. The great thing about having a formula style rim is that you can have a clean view of the screen. I find that even a relatively small 32 cm round steering wheel feel huge on my sim rig.

I thought about buying another button box for the round rim, but even with just one button box I feel it troublesome to switch steering wheels. The USB device order gets messed up so often and some games will sometimes simply give up I am curious how you guys manage this issue. I have huge troubles with AC right now that whenever I pull of my formula rim I will still have the USB cable connected...