Worth upgrading sim hardware to be more competitive online?

[bassun]

Motion Sickness ---- YES, very good point.

It sounds funny, but it is something that most people experience, at least a little, and after some time their brain gets used to it. I found for me personally, just having a fan running helped. I would get hot, and that exacerbated things. After a few weeks, I haven't had an issue since minus a few specific titles. Hot Dogs horse shoes and hand grenades (Yes, that is a title, and a good one for some) makes me sick. 100% of the time. I literally just cannot play it.

I kind of eased my way in, and stopped if I got sick. I guess I wasn't too bad, and a little determined lol. There were a few times when I tried to push through it ... didn't work lol. I never got bad sick, but a couple times I did need to just stop for the night and go watch TV or something. Taking a break goes a long ways. Even now, I generally take my headset off between races for the boring load in iRacing etc. But YES - 1000% motion sickness in VR is very real! Conversely, motion also makes for a lot of fun watching people stand up on any of the free roller coaster games. NOT that I recommend it, as it could turn someone off of VR...but, man is it fun to watch someone try to stand up never being in VR before lol. (To be candid...my first attempt, I stumbled around so bad I set down lol. Apparently the older you are, the more locked in on physics your brain is...)

 

[KBearGotGame]

Personally I would say that i have got faster with the equipment that I have bought along with becoming alot more consistent. the speed has come as the sim experience overall has become more immersive and real. I do trackdays in the real world aswell and would be lost without the upgrade in sim equipment

I currently have an Augury OSW, Heusinkveld Pro Pedals, Extrusion rig and triples. people that say equipment doesnt make you faster but does make you more consistent is kind of a play on words. ive found on iracing my consistency wins races not just outright speed, my laptimes have improved by around 2/3 seconds round imola and my consistency in times over a 25-30 min race in the cars i race to be really close.

A recent race that I can remember was in the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car where I achieved 5-6 consecutive laps at silverstone all within 0.001 to 0.010 of each other.

I ran VR for around 2 years and then it started to mess with my eyes, the immersion is great but i could only do 40 minutes at a time which isnt ideal if you want to play all evening.

This consistency is what gives you good race pace not just going full send haha. To put it in perspective I am a terrible qualifier (normally start about 10th-12th) and unless someone drives into me i regularly finish top 5. my laptimes arent the fastest but the consistency is what gives you speed.

Hope this helps, people have a different opinion on how theyve found there experiences but overall id say investing in good equipment goes a long way

 

[maelstrom]

ive found on iracing my consistency wins races not just outright speed, my laptimes have improved by around 2/3 seconds round imola and my consistency in times over a 25-30 min race in the cars i race to be really close.

But is it just a “cause and effect” thing? You could be getting faster because you enjoy using the better hardware so you practise/race more and become more consistent. There are plenty of people winning races with fairly basic hardware. In the end, performance is much more about technique, practise and experience than the hardware.

 

[KBearGotGame]

But is it just a “cause and effect” thing? You could be getting faster because you enjoy using the better hardware so you practise/race more and become more consistent. There are plenty of people winning races with fairly basic hardware. In the end, performance is much more about technique, practise and experience than the hardware.

It could potentially be that although I have found that I actually use my equipment less than I used to, i think that may be down to the fact that as the equipment has got better i need to adjust less to the sim and can simply jump right in, ultimately yes people are using alot cheaper hardware and are faster/winning. I would say on my cheaper equipment my fastest laptime was slightly quicker than my more expensive equipment however id need 50+ resets to get there rather than just jumping in turning a warmup lap and then being on it!

 

[blekenbleu]

Had mine for a few years now and they're rock solid

My ProtoSimTech PT2 brake has play in the pedal rod end bearing
and between plate and slots anchoring the load cell.

I can probably jam shims between the plate and slots;
would you know of a source for replacement rod ends?

 

[Shovas]

My ProtoSimTech PT-2 brake has play in the pedal rod end bearing
and between plate and slots anchoring the load cell.
I can probably jam shims between the plate and slots;
would you know of a source for replacement rod ends?

No, sorry, I'd ask Chris Smith himself on the website even if he doesn't have parts I'm sure he can tell you how to improve it with off the shelf parts.

Still enjoying the pedals. No need to replace them and don't foresee having to unless some electrical thing blows up. Not too much wear and tear although mine do have the slightest wear and looseness on some of the brake pedal components. Nothing that prevents me from racing or enjoying racing, though.

 

[BrightCandle]

Every upgrade I have made I found some time and improved. VR was better than a single screen, the progression of brake technology from spring to rubber to silicon to loadcell and then adjustable loadcell pedals all progressed things. The upgrade from a T300 to a TS-PC Racer was a big one as I could finally feel understeer and catch oversteer moments and then the CSL DD just made that so much easier. Kit absolutely does make you faster, there is clearly a point here the benefits are small but there is a reason why this more expensive stuff exists.

You don't need it technically, if you put the hours in you are can be world class at simracing on a G25, but it takes longer because you don't feel the state of the car and you need to train the positional muscles in your ankles.

 

[stigs2cousin]

My ProtoSimTech PT-2 brake has play in the pedal rod end bearing
and between plate and slots anchoring the load cell.

I can probably jam shims between the plate and slots;
would you know of a source for replacement rod ends?

So there is a reason that Heusinkveld uses this very tough stainless steel and does rigorous testing routines??

( Sorry just couldn´t resist to be "that guy" )

On topic:

for shimming the loadcell plate you could grind the shims from a (cheap) thickness gauge, should have exactly the right thickness to kill the play and should last a while because it´s made out of hardened steel.

https://monkeyshop.de/782-big_default/daytona-fuehlerblattlehre-25-teilig.jpg

If thin enough it could also be possible to cut the stripes with a sheet metal snip ( tin snip), but I think more people will have a Dremel tool than tin snips.

As for the rod end, I used cheap generic rodends ( probably from China) ordered from Amazon.
These were not good quality and would be only a temporary fix, they probably will develop slack quite fast again.

Better have a look at an industrial shop like

DIN 71752 Gabelkopf Form G > technisches Zubehör > Gabelköpfe und Winkelgelenke - bei Wegertseder online kaufen

DIN 71752 Gabelkopf Form G > technisches Zubehör > Gabelköpfe und Winkelgelenke - Große Auswahl ✔ Schnelle Lieferung ✔ TOP-Preise ✔ jetzt bei Wegertseder.com online bestellen

www.wegertseder.com

or

https://www.motedis.com/shop/Mechanik-Basiselemente/Basic-Basics/Gelenkkoepfe/Gelenkkoepfe-Innengewinde-rechts:::150_208_943_945.html+9

In my opinion the "Gabelkopf" would be the better solution as it has more loadbearing surface but that wouldm need a wellfitting bolt and good pressure resistant lubrication ( grease)

Probably easyer to just replace the rodends with high quality parts and replace them every 1-2 years.

The "forever fix" would be to manufacture ( or source) a rod end with a self lubricating bushing with big loadbearing surface and shimed at the sides to avoid play.
(Cough, Heusinkveld, cough )

I really liked the Proto sim tech for their clutch mechanism, but they were unavailable when I had the need ( money)
from what i read and saw since then I´m happy to have gone the ( originally) more expensive route.

Good luck with the repairs,

MFG Carsten

 

[blekenbleu]

Probably easier to just replace the rod ends with high quality parts and replace them every 1-2 years.

I found these Internally Threaded High-Load Ball Joint Rod Ends

for shimming the loadcell plate you could grind the shims from a (cheap) thickness gauge, should have exactly the right thickness to kill the play and should last a while because it´s made out of hardened steel.

I was concerned that steel might accelerate wear on those aluminum parts...
Meanwhile:

Clutch pedal feel is indeed nice;
I see that newer clutch versions double up on bearings riding their nonlinear ramps,
but they also appear to have replaced pedal bearings with bushings...

The ProtoSimTech baseplate better suits my application (berserk wheel stand).

 

[blekenbleu]

a noticeable increase in their speed after upgrading

Back to the original question:

• I certainly experienced an increase in average speed, because more oversteer recoveries
  after replacing G29 with an AccuForce.
  • I modified G29 pedals before attaining any appreciable speeds; cannot compare.
• I got better at carrying more speed thru corners with DIY G harness feedback.
• VR allowed me to get faster; would have probably quit if constrained to flat screens.

 

[cnhoff]

VR actually made me slower in the beginning, but not being able to look into a hairpin on a 34" flat screen sounds archaic to me now.

The most cash i have put into my rig beyond a decent belt-driven wheelbase and pedals has strictly impacted immersion, but it feels much more like driving a car now, not playing a game and i am very much enjoying that.

 

[stigs2cousin]

I found these Internally Threaded High-Load Ball Joint Rod Ends

Yes, these seem the high quality industrial types I meant.

I was concerned that steel might accelerate wear on those aluminum parts...
Meanwhile:

I´d rather be concerned that the high pressures that wore down the aluminium sideplates and "anker pieces" will go through the soft aluminium tape quite easyly.
As the steel shims would be pushed on a certain surface I hope they will distribute the pressure better than the soft aluminium that can " flow" away.

well, we ( you) will see soon what works best.

Clutch pedal feel is indeed nice;

Thanks.
Improve the clutch feel is quite low on the list of projects, a shift lockout will come first.
But first I have to stiffen my homebuilt triple monitor stand, it would have been way easyer ( and probably cheaper) just to order the Simlab part.

MFG Carsten

 

[blekenbleu]

what works best

Many PT2 load cells shown online are bolted to side plates,
rather than slotted. Sorting PT2 design evolution is not trivial;
some changes seem relatively rare and a few appear to
compromise robustness for cost savings.

 

[blekenbleu]

While the (shimmed) PT2 brake is nice,
it does not feel a lot better than the digital scales hack on my G29 pedal.
On the other hand,
the PT2 clutch feel is noticeably more credible than my G29 degressive pedal hack.
Other than lacking a dead pedal, the most striking lack was provision for heel-and-toe:

A number of useful-looking throttle pedal covers are available,
but 3mm Al plate left over from servo bracket fabrication seemed suitable.
Many recommend measuring twice, then cutting once, but I have better luck
measuring several times, cutting a cardboard pattern, cutting oversize, then trimming to fit:

Drilling a hole at that inner corner helps minimize waste:

One trick for minimizing Tap Magic spillage is to tip the aluminum
to about 45 degrees, so its dispensing nozzle can contact the aluminum
without tipping the bottle very far.

After cutting to the drilled hole with a circular saw, continue with a scroll saw:

.. then clean up that scroll saw cut with the circular saw:

 

[Bram Hengeveld]

Question: Anyone here seen a noticeable increase in their speed after upgrading their equipment?

Not at all Way more immersion of course but no increase in speed.

Overall a no brainer that better equipment leads to way more enjoyment.

 

[RCHeliguy]

Not at all Way more immersion of course but no increase in speed.

Overall a no brainer that better equipment leads to way more enjoyment.

I believe good ergonomics matter.

If you are uncomfortable, or your shoes are catching while you apply throttle, or don't have adequate lumbar support pushing a decent load cell, or something is so far off what your mind expects that it is distracting you, that sort of thing can have an impact.

 

[blekenbleu]

Carpet tape temporarily stuck the new pedal cover to the old for a trial fit:

... corners of the old over were traced on the new,
so that the old cover could be removed and used for a drilling pattern.

Presto chango:

 

[blekenbleu]

people setting records on stock G29s and single screens

IMO, key is how differently folks use stimuli while driving;
supposing that what helps me should also help others is basically foolish.
Niels Heusinkveld's videos make that clear to me.

For example, I had basically given up sim driving until Samsung Odyssey HMD,
because flat screen display cue differences from very minor viewing distance changes throw me off.
Oversteer recovery was rare until migrating from G29 to AccuForce.
Even though G29 brake rubber deteriorated over time,
upgrading to load cell was less helpful than adding a dead pedal.
Many games seem to not much penalize poor clutch technique.

Key to consistently faster laps (for me) is feedback that distracts least
when not positively contributing; harness tensioning is in that category,
as was tweaking TH8A shifter feel.

 

[vannib]

Hi there,

Question: Anyone here seen a noticeable increase in their speed after upgrading their equipment?

Particularly interested in those who have switched from a single-screen setup to VR/triples/ultra-wide and those who have upgraded to load-cell pedals. VR in particular would be useful to learn about as space is a bit of an issue, somewhat ruling out triples or ultra-wides.

I’m primarily an offline racer but getting a bit disillusioned with just racing against AI. I’ve been trying iRacing lately and whilst I enjoy driving in the sim, I am woefully off the pace. Main problems are consistency with trail braking and a narrow-FOV making it difficult to spot apexes (hence my points about VR and pedals). I’ve had a go playing around with settings and it’s yielded some small improvements, but not enough. Ditto with car setup.

My driving can certainly be improved and I’m aware there will still be people setting records on stock G29s and single screens, but I’d be interested in hearing other people’s experiences.

Thanks

I would say that pedals and wheel might give some help in being faster.

after that, imho spending money in the hopes to be faster is like spending money on a pair of new Jordans thinking that you’ll jump higher.

money will buy you fun and immersion though.

 

[OlaGB]

Most likely the fastest setup is a solid rig with good monitors/pc, proper pedalset, and a wheel with good FFB without being set to heavy, and nothing else. No motion, no vibrations.

Myself, i would choose to be mid pack with a constant smile through the entire race, over a win in a ‘dead rig’ any day of the week..
That is what i aim for when i upgrade my rig with immersive products, an experience that makes me smile and want more!

I’m never going to be famous or rich of this hobby anyway