Thinking of Upgrading My Hardware But Have A Few Questions

[newbert]

I'm considering upgrading to a Direct Drive Wheel. (Right now, I'm using a Logitech G29 wheel and pedals. But I also own an old, but perfectly workable (I think), TSW Sport wheel and peds from when I was heavily into racing GPL back in the late 90's, early 00's.) I know very little about Direct Drive wheels so please bear with me:

1. Do DD wheels usually come with pedals? If not, how do wheels and peds connect if not from the same manufacturer?

2. Is there any way to still use the peds from my TSW Sport? The TSW connected with the old gameport connection, so I assume that some kind of adaptor would be necessary. Do such adaptors exist and are they reliable?

3. I would continue to us the desk that supports my Logi wheel. It's fine for the Logi, but I'm concerned that a DD wheel might weigh too much and/or have too much torque. I don't want to stress the desk, so are there any good, reliable DD wheels that are on the light-weight side?

4. Are any DD wheels ever discounted, and what's the general return policy on them?

5. Are there any other concerns/things to consider when thinking of purchasing a DD wheel?

6. What specific DD wheel would you recommend based on my situation?

Oh - FWIW, the sims I use most are AC (in VR), KartKraft, Automobilista, RRE3 (in VR), RF2 (in VR). I also have PC2, Kart Racing Pro and Dirt Rally but don't run them nearly as often.

Thanks!

 

[metalnwood]

A DD wheel is just the wheel, you will need other pedals. Lots of options for pedals and I think you can get adapters to get both your logitech and TSW pedals working.

A DD wheel is taking you right out of the class of pedals you have.

Some people have mounted the wheels on a desk but without knowing your desk it's hard to say what forces will work. These wheels can be adjusted for anything so there is no doubt you can turn the wheel down to any level that would suit your desk and in the future you can turn it up for any other rig you might mount it to.

Warranties etc will vary but you hardly ever see anything go wrong, especially on the mechanical side where there is not a lot to go wrong.

If you want return policy etc then you probably need to wait for fanatecs wheel although I don't know what policy they have. None of the other DD's will be distributed through normal retail outlets, they are small, often one man shops if you dont build your own.

Depending where you are in the world there are some options. Simracingbay and the Augury wheel are ones I hear often with good service. Personally I would go for a simucube based wheel with a small mige. That will cater for now and in the future.

 

[Beef36]

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[newbert]

Beef36 - Lots of good info. Thanks!

 

[Gabbsi]

Hey Newbert,

1 - The Logitech G29 comes with integrated wheel and pedals in one, however many other wheel / pedals that you buy are separate, where each has their own USB connection to plug into your computer. This includes any Direct Drive system.

Direct Drive Systems are more industrial and complex than the G29, some coming with their own separate mini computer box and power supply, however the Direct Drive will plug into that mini computer box, which in turn will plug into your main computer via a USB connection. All those additional connections will be included in any DD you purchase.

As the DD connects to the computer via its own USB connection, that leaves you free to connect any other type of USB device into your computer (e.g. pedals, shifters, handbrakes, button boxes, flight sticks, Virtual Reality glasses). In theory, the number of different USB devices plugged into your computer is limited to the number of available USB ports and your imagination, although in practice some older games have issues with too many (say more than 6) concurrent USB game devices.

For example you can connect a Fanatec Podium Direct Drive and HPP Pedals, SimWorx handbrake and Oculus Rift simultaneously as each has its own USB connection.


2. I suppose you can buy an game port adapter for your TSW Sport pedals but I don't recommend it. Sim Racing hardware has come a long way and it will feel odd to drive with a DD in your hands and TSW Sports at your feet. I strongly recommend upgrading your pedals to something like Fanatec, HPP or Heusinkveld. The brand selected will be determined by your budget.


3. DD can be mounted on the desk, but not if you don't want to stress out your desk. DD uses an industrial servo to drive the wheel and they are very heavy. Combine that with the amount of torque generated and your desk can be in for a workout. There are lighter DD's, but some haven't come to fruition (e.g. Feel VR).

My personal view is if you don't have an adequate mounting mechanism, then don't buy a Direct Drive. Either a) you will have to turn it down sufficiently or the mounting mechanism will vibrate and perhaps break. In either scenario you are not getting the full benefit of DD. I would suggest upgrading to a Fanatec CSW instead.

4. Direct Drive is a generic term and there are a few main brands and suppliers today:
- Leo Bodnar's SimSteering
- SimXperience's Accuforce
- Fanatec Podium (to be released in 2019)
- OSW

* There are some other smaller DD operators out there and some cheap Chinese copycats that I haven’t listed;

The first 3 are sold by single corporations so you can contact them or their resellers for warranty policies and discounts. The Accuforce just had a fantastic Christmas discount. Perhaps it is still running.

OSW is a bit more open source which allows anyone to build this type of DD. In turn each small business will have their own warranty policies. If you go down this route, this forum can help identify those sellers will good reputations. Additionally the newest type of OSW is called SimuCube which I strongly suggest getting if you get a OSW. Older OSW systems will come with names like Argon. Avoid older OSWs as SimuCube will be easiest for you to setup.

One good thing about existing DDs appears to be reliability. The servos are serious hardware and don't seem to break often. The same cannot be said for other non-DD force feedback systems.


5. Your Logitech G29 comes with both the force feedback system and the physical wheel, however most DD systems sell these separately.

Some sellers sell both servo and wheel together, but many sell only the Force Feedback System (aka the servo and mini computer to drive the servo). If you buy a DD, make sure you include additional budget for a physical wheel plus the adapter to connect the wheel to the servo. If this is confusing (and it can be), then Accuforce is a great lower cost DD that can be sold as a total system (i.e. servo, wheel and adapter to connect them).

6. I have a locally sourced SimuCube OSW, but I'll let others chime in on good OSW and Bodnar sellers. You can source Fanatec and SimXperience gear directly from those companies.

Good luck!

great info thanks, i am kind of in the same boat,i have a g920 wheel but with DSD pedals with a simetik cockpit. so all im looking for is a DD wheel, what would you suggest?

sim-plicity sw12c is on top of the list atm. could you recommend anything else?

 

[anton_Chez]

I'll throw in a shout out for SimRacingBay. I got my small Mige from them and it's been magnificent. Service, postage, value for money and a quality product. Couldn't be happier.

 

[Ceolmor]

sim-plicity sw12c is on top of the list atm. could you recommend anything else?

Sim-plicity wheels are different from the OSW wheels sold by Simracingbay , Augury , SimTechRacing and others in that they are not based on Simucube. Instead Sim-plicity have their own proprietory firmware. Have a read of the whole of the RaceDepartment thread Anyone-here-got-the-recent-osw-sw7c-sw10c-sw12c? if you are thinking of going down this route.

Another very happy Small Mige from SimRacingBay owner here. Service was excellent. Had mine for over 2 years and it has worked flawlessly. And the free open source SimuCUBE firmware, which replaced the old Mmos firmware, just brings the wheel into another dimension.

 

[Turvey]

great info thanks, i am kind of in the same boat,i have a g920 wheel but with DSD pedals with a simetik cockpit. so all im looking for is a DD wheel, what would you suggest?

sim-plicity sw12c is on top of the list atm. could you recommend anything else?

Try these guys
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw38l2nDK3LH4lX2Hb70i9XR
Brett is a good bloke he actually talked me into holding off buying one from him last year and to wait a bit for good reasons, i had him on the phone for over an hour throwing everything question at him and he was all to happy to help.will place my order around feb/ march i know they have a very solid reputation

 

[RaceNut]

Regarding DD-wheel use and mounting to a desk; yes, it's certainly possible. My son clamped the AccuForce to a desk and used it that way without issue.

I have my OSW mounted to my desk but, the desk is secured to the wall and supported by cabinets so, very sturdy. Unless you are running a DD at very high torque levels, it doesn't require some sort of super-stout structure but, they are heavy motors so some reinforcement of the typical wood desk is likely needed.

With a load-cell brake system, you need a way to secure the seat so it can't move backward when applying heavy-pedal pressure but, most pedal systems are adaptable to lighter force settings too. I used an office chair with locking casters initially but, later added some structure to span between the seat and the pedals until I later upgraded to a full chassis frame.

 

[RaceNut]

Regarding DD-wheel use and mounting to a desk; yes, it's certainly possible. My son clamped the AccuForce to a desk and used it that way without issue.

I have my OSW mounted to my desk but, the desk is secured to the wall and supported by cabinets so, very sturdy. Unless you are running a DD at very high torque levels, it doesn't require some sort of super-stout structure but, they are heavy motors so some reinforcement of the typical wood desk is likely needed.

With a load-cell brake system, you need a way to secure the seat so it can't move backward when applying heavy-pedal pressure but, most pedal systems are adaptable to lighter force settings too. I used an office chair with locking casters initially but, later added some structure to span between the seat and the pedals until I later upgraded to a full chassis frame.

 

[Beef36]

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