135 replies to this topic

[JaqFan]

Ok, I need a new steering wheel, due to GP3 coming out.

I've had a thrustmaster for a few years, and now it's all worn; I can't be bothered to replace the individual parts, and it's really stuffed to the point where you can hardly use it. All the springs are broken, the direction of the wheel contradicts the direction that the car moves in (sometimes), and light throttle = brake.

So, which model / make of wheel would you recommend? I'm considering the Logitech Formula Force (GP3 is Force Feedback, right?), and I've also heard about a Ferrari wheel, which I'm told is slightly flimsy.

Suggestions please...[p][Edited by JaqFan on 06-13-2000]

[loppa]

http://www.gamespot....ls/ferrari.html

heres a link for the ferrari wheel..

[FerrariJoe]

JagFan,

I agree with Loppa in recommending the New Guillemot Ferrari wheel. Like you, I also had the TM GP wheel and wore it out. I now have the Guillemot Wheel and it is far superior to the TM. For the price, you just cannot beat it either. Below are three sites to check out reviews on the wheel.

http://www.guillemot...l/reviews.shtml


http://www.mgprs2.com/rev-gfff.htm


http://maximumhardwa...cefeedback.html

Good luck, FerrariJoe

[Linus27]

DO NOT TOUCH THE FERRARI WHEEL.

I have had two and they both broke. They are a nice looking wheels and they have good features but they are very cheaply made and the force feedback is fairly weak compared to other wheels on the market. It is also a goo

The Logitech FF is a good wheel but the pedals are **** and you can't upgrade them. It also has no shifter for gear changes, only paddles.

The Microsoft FF has good pedals but the wheel itself is cheap and plastic and is very processor hungry so expect a frame rate drop. It also only has paddles for gears, no shifter. It is also non upgradable.

The best wheel to get is the ActLabs Force RS. It has average pedals, the best and strongest force feedback over any other wheel and then wheel is very very good, equally the best. The beauty with it is it can be upgraded. No other wheel can do that. They have released a shifter which simulates a normal gear box. So you then have the choice of paddles to change gears like a modern F1 car or a shifter gearbox like a Rallycar, Touring car, Nascar or old F1 car.
They are also releasing a new set of peddals which will have a clutch. No other company can offer upgrades. I am also using my old Thrustmaster pedals with the Actlabs wheel and I will then get the new peadls when they come out. Make no mistake this is the best option. If you do not like something on the other wheels then tough, you are stuck with it but not with the ActLabs.

http://www.actlab.com/

[The Swerve]

Yep, the wheel is great! I have the Act Labs and it is top dollar. I didn't go a bundle on the pedals though and I use the Microsoft pedals with the wheel. That's the beauty of the Actlabs - you can upgrade and switch stuff about.

One of the things I like best about the company is that they run a BB like this where other users post questions and ideas and they actually read them and use them to improve their stuff. It isn't a big faceless company like MS etc.

[JaqFan]

Thanks everyone.

Linus, that's why I said I thought the Ferrari wheel was flimsy (above post). I started to get confused when Loppa and FJoe started praising it.;)

[Janzen]

Are you saying the guillemot is the worst wheel or just not as good as the actlabs one.
I see a difference in price and more perhaps i can not find a dealer for actlabs near me.
Would the guillemot wheel then be the next best choice?

Also getting ready for GP3.

[Linus27]

I would say the Logitech is the next best choice after the Actlabs but to be honest, there is not really much difference in price over all the wheels and it is worth paying that little bit extra.

You fan order the ActLabs direct from the web site. Depending on what country you live in also depends on if they have dealers in that country. For instance, in the UK, you can get it at a shop called special reserve.

[Simioni]

Heya,

I'm also desperately looking for a new wheel. Problem is, they are damn expensive and hard to find down here, so I'd need to buy it from some online shop. The shipping costs are considerable not to mention taxes so I'm being extra careful here.

The Guillemot ferrari was my favorite from the info I gathered on the net, but Linus comments turned me off a bit. I've heard that the shifting paddles are the weak points so I'd like to know if you had problems with that only or if it's a general problem.

I liked the logitech one too but lousy pedals are giving me second thoughts. And then there's the Act Labs one, which doesn't look as good to me but has received the best overall rating.

And then there's the FF Sidewinder, which is the only one I've found around here, so it is the cheapest and easiest one to get. However, I haven't found much praise towards this wheel and just the thought of getting anything from microsoft give me chills.

I'd greatly appreciate some opinions. Is the Sidewinder descent enough? Or is it getting any of the others worth that much more? If so, is the actlabs definetly better than the ferrari?

[JaqFan]

To be honest, I had never even heard about the ActLabs wheel until Linus told me about it. The MS FF Sidewinder thing looks...well, not too good. Plastic construction etc. (and knowing MS products) will break very easily.

Please tell me about the Logitech pedals (actually, tell me what is wrong with them:)).

Online shopping shipping costs are the biggest rip-off ever. I wanted to buy a game before (for about $US 40, which is about $A 70) and the P&H was $US 50! Needless to say, I haven't bought anything online so far...

[Linus27]

Ok, first off. All the wheels have crap pedals. Non are are good but some are better than others. The Ferrai wheel has the best pedals, followed by the Microsoft and then the ActLabs and then the Logitech. This may seem a problem but it is not really. Most games allow you to use duel controllers so if you have crap pedals then you can use another better set.

The Logitech ones are by far the worse because they are so small and the springs in them are so weak. You can replace the springs for stronger ones but that does not solve the size of them.

The ActLabs are not to bad and are usuable in all games. The problem with them is they have a short throw so for games where you really need to modulate the brake or throttle like GPL it is very difficult to do. If you do not play GPL then you will not have any problems with them. They are the best made out of the set and have a nice big base that will not slip around.

The Microsoft are the most basic of the set and probably most standard set you can get. They basically do the job good enough. Still not perfect but OK.

The Ferrari pedals are really good. They have a long throw and are very responsive. A bit on the cheap side and I can see them braking very quickly but in terms of use they are the best.

A bonus that the ActLabs have over all these is that ActLabs are making a new high quality set of pedals which will have a clutch and will be an upgrade for the existing wheel. You will not need to buy a new wheel to get these new pedals. With all the other makes of wheels mentioned you would not be able to do this. You would have to buy a whole new wheel and pedal set to get something new so it might be worth considering that the ActLabs is upgradable and so it may be the most expsensive but you will have it for much much longer and will only have the one of payment.

Thw Ferrari wheel is not bad. A little small but it comes with a hifter and paddles for gear changing. I found the paddles OK but I believe they have changed them a little now. The shifter was OK but a little weak and after lots of use I could see it braking. The overall wheel looks nice but is cheaply made and feels cheap. The problem I had with it it would hang to one side. It would not calibrate to the center so when driving the wheel would be pulling to the right. I know of some other people who had this problem. The fix is to take it apart and fiddle with one of the pots inside. Mine also did some other wierd things like lock to the full right or left. I had two and they both did similar things. Its a shame because it is nice looking, has great pedals and you can't beat the Ferrari logo on the wheel but it is just not made that well. The force feedback is also OK but a little weak.

The Microsoft wheel is a very cheap plastic and only comes with these awful paddle shifter type buttons for gears. It is also very CPU hungry so frame rate will drop. It works OK but is just a horrible design and is the worse of the bunch in looks and feel. Avoid it if you can.

The Logitech has a great wheel. Bright red and has the best shifter paddles for gear changes. It has a great feel but the force feedback is weak in some games. Also there is no shifter and you can't do anything about it.

The ActLabs wheel is big and chunky and has the best force feedback going. It uses the most powerful motor out of all wheels so the forces are very strong. It has paddles for gear changes which are not bad. It also has lots of buttons which can be set up to do other things like rear view, pause, handbrake etc. It is also very very well made and looks cool. It uses a cartridge system which means it can be upgraded and I have got the shifter add on. This is a standard gear box that you can put plates on to simulate different gear boxes like 4 speed, 6 speed, 7 speed etc. No other Wheel does this. Its great playing something like rally and going from 6th to 2nd in one go. You can use the shifter in all games but not all incorperate the manual gears. Also the bonus with the cartridge system is that you can use it with your playstation, nintendo, dreamcast etc.

So my money goes to the Actlabs because its a great product. I hope this helps and any other questions then just ask. Oh also shipping should not cost you that much. They are based in Canada so getting to the States is not a problem and they also have a dealer in Germany that they can ship from. You can also buy it from certain shops around the world depending on what country you live in.

[JaqFan]

Linus, shipping from Canada to the US is no problem. But shipping it to Australia is!

Thanks for all the info though.

[DJS]

Originally posted by JaqFan
Linus, shipping from Canada to the US is no problem. But shipping it to Australia is!

Thanks for all the info though.

Damn!!! How the hell am I going to get one ???

[Junior]

Well, I'll toss in my 2 cents. (although Linus has it covered)

I researched the hell out of all the wheels before I bought mine, as an investment of $100-50 for a piece of hardware was a HUGE step for me.

Avoid a Microsoft wheel at all cost. I don't care if it's sitting on the sidewalk with a "FREE" sign taped to it, IF something every went wrong with it, you'd be screwed.

The Ferrari wheel gets a lot of hype simply because it has the Ferrari name. It has it's good points, but it's an AVERAGE wheel.

So, as it did a year ago when I was shopping, that still leaves the LWFF and the ActLabs.

And pound for pound, the ActLabs is probably the best bet.

The LWFF (which I bought) is a GREAT wheel. I have zero complaints about it's force feedback. I've played a lot of different sims with it and have had no problems. If you sum up all the opinion about the LWFF and the ActLabs, you'll find the LWFF gets the best marks for the wheel.

But the ActLabs beats it in every other way, especially with it's pedals and it's diversity.

The LWFF's pedals CAN be very good. There are many mods you can make to them to bring them up to a higher level. But if you're paying $125-50 for a piece of hardware, you really shouldn't have to rip it apart and make your own mods to it in order to make them usable.

And you've got to love a company like ActLabs that seems to really try and satisfy it's customers. (If it was MS that came up with the shifter, they'd have released a whole new wheel for $250.) It's very cool that ActLabs releases all these upgrades seperately and had the foresight to make their original product flexible enough to handle these modifications.

It's almost like ActLabs is sitting around and thinking "What cool thing can we come up with next?"

As I mentioned before, for me it came down to price. I wanted a quality wheel, but needed it at the lowest price I could find. I was all set to buy the ActLabs, as it's the cheaper of the two, but wound up finding the LWFF for $80. (usually $160 for LWFF and $140 for the ActLabs.) I just couldn't pass that up! And I have no regrets about buying the LWFF, as it's a great wheel, and NOW my pedals are very good too.

The bottom line is, they all have their weak points, but the LWFF and the ActLabs are head and shoulders above teh others.

And unless you can find one on sale somewhere like I did, you should buy the ActLabs as it's usually not only lower in price, but overall it's the better set anyways.

[DJS]

Just a quick query, what games support the manual shifter?? ie in what sims can you go from 5th to 3rd for example?? This'd be really useful in GPL IMO. Hopefully GP3 may support it...

[JaqFan]

DJS, I notived that with GP2 too -- you can't shift up unless you're going a certain speed, when in real life, they can be in 6th and going about 50kmh.

What about these hyperstim simulators?

http://www.hyperstim.com

I guess they'll probably have really bad pedals and/or FF function?

[DJS]

Originally posted by JaqFan
DJS, I noticed that with GP2 too -- you can't shift up unless you're going a certain speed, when in real life, they can be in 6th and going about 50kmh.

OH yeah!!, slip that clutch!!! I forget, did GP2 actually support a proper clutch pedal, or could you only activate a button which would be the clutch???

[Simioni]

Thanks for the info people.

I guess I'll go for the act labs one then. Any suggestions for a good reliable online shop?

[PeaQ]

The strongest force in a forcefeedback wheel I ever felt was InterAct's V4ForceFeedback, it looks good to, stongly recomended....

[Linus27]

The Hyperstimulater is amazing but it should be for about £2500. Yes you did read that correctly and the wheel and pedals are amazing but it has no force feedback. I had a great picture of Johnny herbert and Eddie Irvine playing GPL head to head sitting in them and Alex Wirz has one and I think Jacques might even have one.

I will find out about shipping to Australia.

There is a whole list of games that have shifter support but the best game for this does not. GPL only works as a sequential so thats either up or down. this is fine though and it beats using paddles. I think GP3 will have shifter support but then why would you want to. Paddles is more accurate. There is a list and I will print it later in here.

Jeff

Actually, ActLabs do sit around and think what can we do next as an add on for the wheel. They even posted on there forum asking what we all wanted next. We all said pedals with a clutch so they said OK and that is what thery are doing now. They have also said there will be a few other things coming out but they are keeping it hush.

[Linus27]

I have found out some news from ActLabs about getting the wheel in Australia. here is the info.

Matt Price - Vendortech - matthew@vendortech.com.au


Level 10/105 St George's Tc - Perth - Western Australia
Ph: (08) 9226 0686 Fax: (08) 9226 1375 Mobile : 0419 949 007
Visit their web site - http://www.vendortech.com.au/

You can order it from this distributor. I went to the web page and it says the wheel is,

$369.00 AUD

and the shifter is,

$99.00 AUD

Shipping within Australia is $10.00 per unit. It also says it is available now.

Good Luck.

[JaqFan]

Thanks Linus!

Perth...good for DJS, but it's on the wrong side of the country for me.

[Linus27]

Jaqfan

I was under the impression the company would distribute the wheel anywhere in Australia and it would only cost $10 AUD.
Thats what is says on the webpage.

[DJS]

Thanks Linus!!

Jaq Fan, Now you know how I feel 90% of the time when something is only available in the Eastern States!!;) I might head in someday this week and see if a can arrange a demo, I'll report back about my thoughts on it.

[JaqFan]

Hehe, thanks DJS.

Linus, does the Act Labs have flaps, or a 'gear-stick'?

[Linus27]

The ActLabs have paddles for gear changes or as you call them flaps so I will call them ears

They also have an add on which is a shifter. It can be used as either a sequential gear stick so thats up gear or down gear or you can put plates on it and it then becomes a proper gear box so you can go up throught he gears. You can also get different plates so for example, if you play Nascar you would only need the 4 speed shifter plate but if you play Rally then you will use the 6 speed shifter plate.

I have the Force RS and the shifter and it is amazing especially in GPL and Rally.

[AlesiGOD]

Madcatz for the PSX.

[OssieFan]

Last year I bought a logitech Formula wheel (not the Force Feedback version) and I must say that it is great, my previous one was a wingman which was crap. My only problem with the logitech is that the calibration sometimes doesn't work properly and the steering is of center slightly. Other than that it's a good sturdy wheel.

[DJS]

Well, just posting to say I have'nt gotten off my arse yet to check out the Actlab wheel, maybe this week(end)...

[MrAerodynamicist]

Whats the situation in regards to traditional gameport vs USB on the recommended steering wheels. [Whats available, and what diff does it make?]

[The Swerve]

USB tends to make less demands on the processor and can subsequently improve the FPS of the game.

[speedy38]

Linus said it all, I did tons of research before buying a wheel and I got the Act Labs Force RS. Forcefeedback is unreal and love every minute of using it. I also agree that the customer service is great.

[Mobile_Chicane]

Hi,

Followed th discussion so far. Interesting info.

I'm veering on buying the LWFF.

I don't know where I can get the best deal though. Locally here in Australia its beetween $260-295 for the Force feedback.

I also found another wheel locally from someone called Saitek R4 racing wheel. It has gear stick as well and the pedals look ok.
cost is 290 $$

Can anyone give info on the saitek wheel ?

[Linus27]

I can, The Saitek is ****. If you want a cheap, plastic wheel that will break quikly then go and buy it. It will not last you a year.

[Mobile_Chicane]

ok thanks linus. I'll avoid it like the plague.

The LWFF it is.

The act labs is just a little out of reach for me.

[Linus27]

The logitech is good. 2nd best choice in my opinion. If you can, at some point try and get another set of pedals like the Thrustmaster T2 so then you have a great wheel and great pedals. Most games allow you to use 2 controlers and you will be faster with better pedals. A wheel only points you in the direction but the pedals actually control it so the more precision you can get the better.

[DJS]

So, really for the best set-up, all I need is the Actlabs wheel and shifter, as I have a T2 now.
Cool!!

BTW, is it still possible to get the spare parts for T2 wheels anywhere?? I bought a kit when I got the wheel luckily I did as they don't seem to be available for Thrustmaster anymore. Has anyone else had problems with the pedals for the T2? I've replaced the Accelerator sppring twice already and now this spring is starting to lose its tension as well.

[JaqFan]

DJS, go to the thrustmaster website, and according to them, you can still mail order "repair kits" (as they call them).

Linus, you say that the T2 pedals are among the best? Mine are currently stuffed (all springs are busted), although I do agree that they were pretty good when they werer 'intact'. Just wondering, though, if you can somehow attach the T2 pedals to the Logitech wheel using some sort of adapter?

[Linus27]

I would not say the T2 pedals are the best you can get but they are good. If you want the best then you will have to spend a few 100 pounds. The T2 pedals are the perfect shape and are very responsive. I use mine with my ActLabs and they are great.

You can get replacement springs fairly easily. I am in the UK and what I did was email Guillemot who now owns Thrustmaster and said that my springs have snapped and Thrustmaster sent me some new ones so can you do me the same. I included my address and they arrived a few days later.

I am not sure about connecting the pedals with an adaptor but as most games now use two controllers, I have my ActLabs connected via the serial port and the T2 through the soundcard. I think the Swerve has done the same now but he may be using the ActLabs through the USB port. Eithe way, this method work perfectly.

[The Swerve]

Yeah I've pretty much done the same thing - used two different ports for the 2 controllers.

[JaqFan]

Linus, about the T2 pedals: do yours have 3 'slots' for pedals, with the brake and gas placed close together on the right (the one of the far left is unused)? If so, is there any way that you can move the brake to the very left of the console? Also, did you get the springs for free from Guillemot?

[Linus27]

No, I only have 2 slots and yes I got the springs for free.

[Franco]

My two cents:

I have a Thrustmaster Nascar Pro, which i believe is the same as a T2. My pedal springs have broken many times, but Guillemot will send you free springs in Europe at least, although i believe that in the US you have to pay for them.
Other than the weak springs its a great wheel, the pedals are probably the best thing. Oh and am i the only one that has the wheel buttons that dont work or what.?

Anyway, Im using this one until it breaks, but the next wheel i do get might be one of those semi-pro ones, custom built. They cost from 100 to 500 dollars i believe, but theyre real momo wheels and metal pedals, they weigh a ton, and theyll last for life. And therye fully upgradeable with all sorts of accessories. The only down side is the cost, but hey you get what you pay for. link:
http://www.thomas-su...4x768/index.htm
EVERY single reviewer raves about these wheels.
[p][Edited by Franco on 07-11-2000]

[Louis Mr. F1]

ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET A ACTLAB WHEEL IN TORONTO?
I'VE CHECKED OUT SEVERAL COMPUTER STORES, BUT THEY ONLY HAVE THE MICROSOFT, FERRARI AND THE OTHER ONE, BUT NO ACTLAB.
WHAT'S A "INTERACT WHEEL", IS IT THE SAME AS THE ACTLAB?

THANKS!

[JaqFan]

SORRY LOUIS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU CAN GET AN ACTLABS WHEEL IN TORONTO.

[Linus27]

Louis

Why don't you order it direct from ActLabs. They are in Canada ( Land of Neve Campbell...YUMMY ) also so it won't take long to arrive and Interact is not ActLabs.

[JaqFan]

Dear all,

How come all the wheels that I have seen so far on sale have full-circle steering wheels, unlike F1 'wheels' which are rectangular or triangular (MH's is like 2 triangles stuck together with a circle at the join)? Just wondering if anyone knows where you can get a rectangular 'wheel' that is closer to a real F1 one, short of buying a replica (I think I saw a 1999 RZ wheel for sale).

[Louis Mr. F1]

JaqFan,

i've thought of the same thing, it'd be really cool.
what about a Ferrari style wheel? with all those switches, colourful bottoms and most importantly, a map of the circuit, so that you know where you're heading.

but regarding the special shape wheel, i think it's possible it will happen (as it's not difficult to make), maybe in a few yrs time. why don't you send this comment to ActLab, i've heard that they value customers ideas.

thanks for reading and for the info above.
and JaqFan, it's ok if you can't help, you can barely help yourself in your case.

[JaqFan]

They should put out a racing sim combined with a controller -- with an F1-style wheel with knobs / buttons on the wheel. They'd have to include special software so that everything could be recognised, so that you could change your brake balance and whatever else they can do on those high-tech cars while you race. I'm not too fussed about the map of the circuit -- why do F1 drivers have them? Shouldn't they be able to learn the track pretty quickly (I know I can learn the limits of a new track on a sim within about 25 laps, and the positions and safe speeds of them in bout 10).

Hmm, anyway, I hope some company makes a rectangular wheel which turns a decent amount -- my TM2 turns about 240 degrees only, and about 60 or those are in the 'dead zone' due to wear.

[Linus27]

You can get those Triangle wheels and the D-shaped wheels and the normal round wheels but you will get no force feedback. Its a company called Thomas Wheels and they are bloody exsensive but they will last you a life time. They use mono gear also so that is wht it is so expensive.