It's easy to get into the spirit of meddling and fiddling until something is broken. I think being a parent is the ultimate expression of that in fact. But in the instance of my steering wheel I think I know where to stop and that's about now.
It all started with a GT Force Pro...
But what of the "Custom Sim Rig" that I've ended up with - lol!
First came a slipped disk, which meant that I had to raise the wheel, no biggie, it was like I'd been racing a dodgem car for a while anyway...
So I bought one, one that folded, one that never got folded. But if you're at all into basic engineering you'll know that the 'hinge' was always doomed to failure, more on that below.
Time flowed, and so did the money, as along with a PS4 purchase I had to get a new steering wheel.
So along came a G29, the haters hate, but it's really not a bad wheel at all, and the smell of dead cow stretched across the wheel is always welcome!
Final word - Race Vids on the way, left the drive at work!
It all started with a GT Force Pro...
But what of the "Custom Sim Rig" that I've ended up with - lol!
First came a slipped disk, which meant that I had to raise the wheel, no biggie, it was like I'd been racing a dodgem car for a while anyway...
So I bought one, one that folded, one that never got folded. But if you're at all into basic engineering you'll know that the 'hinge' was always doomed to failure, more on that below.
Time flowed, and so did the money, as along with a PS4 purchase I had to get a new steering wheel.
So along came a G29, the haters hate, but it's really not a bad wheel at all, and the smell of dead cow stretched across the wheel is always welcome!
It could have ended there, but there are a few issues with the basics of my setup of PS3/PS4 and a G29 on a less than stable wheel stand:
- Switching PS3 - PS4 meant USB unplugging, and they don't like being unplugged all the time (and I kept forgetting).
- The bit at the bottom of the wheel stand was getting worse, only I knew not to put any weight onto the wheel, anyone else just stuffed the half arsed clamp.
- Cables. So many cables.
- And for good measure, my headset didn't work on my PS4, and was mostly flat in any case...
Queue the A-Team music...
First up was the switching, see the post below, but the addition of a USB source switch meant that at the click of a button I could switch four USB ports between PS3 & PS4, which meant....
I could get a cabled USB headset (got one of these: https://shop.turtlebeach.com/us/recon-60p-2071).
Probably not to everyone's tastes (especially the over-ear thing) but these have a USB plug for audio that works with PS3 & PS4 so no need for charging. They also have inline volume and mute, which I've actually found very handy indeed occasionally. Ultimately they tick all the boxes!
Next was the wobbly wheel. I had visions of some heavy gauge steel affair, but the typical crushing defeat that is a visit to Bunnings actually became my salvation...
A much lighter, and frankly better solution to time with Mr Welder was a threaded rod that I could attach to a couple of bits of bent right angle brackets. At the top I just bolted it on with a capped nut (Tidy see!) and at the bottom I used some wing nuts and washers so I can adjust it if I want to..
Overall a total success actually. In doing this I've "built the triangle" so it's pretty rigid, but there's enough give that I'm not stressing the wheel if things do get a bit messy. It might fail at some point (hard to see how) but if it does another $10 at Bunnings and I'll be sorted.
And the eagle eyed amongst you will have noted that in doing this I've been able to route my cabling down the bracing rod, there's plenty of foot room and so few cables now in the way. Much tidier!
And that's where it ends?
Nope.
If you've got a G29 you'll know that the brake feel consists of a rubber wall that you have to push into at around 80%. What this transpires into is never actually getting full brakes.
So I removed it.
If you're racing bare foot then I recommend doing this, you lose end travel feel but you can at least get full brake travel without imprinting a Logitech logo backwards on the ball of your foot...
But there's more...
In my quest to get perfection, or indeed break something every expensive I did a bit of research and I found this:
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| http://www.gteye.com.au/ |
This is a progressive spring for the G29 (and friends). What it's done is made my racing exceptional.
The best example I can give is that in Assetto Corsa I used to have ABS turned on as it was next to impossible to get the feel of the lock up point. Now I don't.
I also spent up and bought the set of three, and whilst I can't say the clutch and accelerator have made a monumental difference I think both feel more weighty now, I can't believe that Logitech didn't make all three springs (especially the brake) like this in the first place!
And that pretty much is it. Though I'm tempted by this:
It can be found here: https://www.3drap.it
Not sure it's the best idea I'll have, and even they say it's a beta test, and in effect it would be installing an Italian gear box!
Still, got to be worth a couple of thou' on the track eh....
Final word - Race Vids on the way, left the drive at work!
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