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Folks, this is not a hand holding How-To mod thread, it's mostly about how sim wheels can affect car control. I have no products to sell nor any interest in that at all. Hence the title. I've made many mods to my wheel in order for it to have negligible drag and high linearity down to low FFB levels. I've suggested that eK look into some of what I have noted and see that he has done some initial "low friction" work. That's where I was over a year ago.
As I modded my wheel I found the low drag / high linearity direction to be particularly enjoyable to drive once I had some above stock torque (the latter is quite easy to achieve by comparison). This nature is something the pricey servo wheels can inherently do even better, they should prove quick and immersive from what I am experiencing having gone as far in that direction as I could on a Fanatec as far as behavior goes. That is why I've been playing with some DIY direct drive servo and drop-in brushless (even lower drag with fewer esoteric tweaks) concepts this year since multiple belt ratio drives have drawbacks.
I just ran some Wheelchecks for linearity. The wheel first responds with motion at about a 15 FFB signal (out of 10,000). Possibly a few less but it seems to be more than 10 as I used a 5 step (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, etc) test. My guess is 12-13. The device is now linear past about 35 with the most recent tweaks and some adjustment / lubing (was about 45-50). This is way, way, way better than stock or commonly modded Fanatec wheels. The latter are basically high drag devices. On step tests the wheel keeps going way after the test stops sending FFB signals to it. At first the plots look like the wheel is still being fed pulses! The drag to slow it down as rapidly as some of you have noticed has been removed. And the special end stops I just added pay dividends as less energy is lost when they engage.
Doesn't matter about the exact details, the idea I'm sharing is more about "what does a wheel like this drive like" which is my point and the purpose of this thread. My statement is that it is FASTER to have linearity and low drag and I believe that this puts the capable driver more in control of their car. Earlier sensing of issues along with an easier ability to make fast wheel inputs so that the car stays on line and in control better. The hockey stick plot wants a much shorter blade for those of you familiar with wheelchecking.
I've set many PBs, splits, and several outright track records recently. I can do the same tracks / cars with a stock behaving setup and I simply cannot match those times no matter how hard I try. Maybe some of you could beat me on a stock wheel, that is fine and I'd expect that. You'd cream me running a wheel behaving like mine though. When I go back to modded I can do within about 0.2 of my best on any given day. It's what I called "magic" a few times. Suddenly the car can make it through tough zones with fewer and less frequent "moments". The driver's intent is making it through the steering wheel and onto the race track more faithfully. The goal is clear to me if you are modding and want more on -track speed.
I can see that this can be frustrating for some of you, I'm not planning to show everything I did to accomplish the results I've achieved. I am not doing easy or common forum mods you can google. If you are not a creative DIY type that is fine, if I were you I'd simply save up for a servo wheel which should prove even better. Even eK seems to note that in the end servo has better potential when it comes to modding a Fanatec wheel with more and more time and dollars. I've simply gotten my Fanatec wheel to work much more like a servo wheel, in that performance direction. It has been a fun hobby project for me.
Again, the main thing I am trying to share is that you really, really want linearity and you really, really, really want a wheel that does not hold back your intended inputs with drag and delays. If you feel that poor linearity, dead zones, and drag are okay well that is fine with me. I would not want to race like that though. I pretty much hate driving the wheel in the stock configuration, it's just dull and slow in feel and against the stop watch.
As I modded my wheel I found the low drag / high linearity direction to be particularly enjoyable to drive once I had some above stock torque (the latter is quite easy to achieve by comparison). This nature is something the pricey servo wheels can inherently do even better, they should prove quick and immersive from what I am experiencing having gone as far in that direction as I could on a Fanatec as far as behavior goes. That is why I've been playing with some DIY direct drive servo and drop-in brushless (even lower drag with fewer esoteric tweaks) concepts this year since multiple belt ratio drives have drawbacks.
I just ran some Wheelchecks for linearity. The wheel first responds with motion at about a 15 FFB signal (out of 10,000). Possibly a few less but it seems to be more than 10 as I used a 5 step (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, etc) test. My guess is 12-13. The device is now linear past about 35 with the most recent tweaks and some adjustment / lubing (was about 45-50). This is way, way, way better than stock or commonly modded Fanatec wheels. The latter are basically high drag devices. On step tests the wheel keeps going way after the test stops sending FFB signals to it. At first the plots look like the wheel is still being fed pulses! The drag to slow it down as rapidly as some of you have noticed has been removed. And the special end stops I just added pay dividends as less energy is lost when they engage.
Doesn't matter about the exact details, the idea I'm sharing is more about "what does a wheel like this drive like" which is my point and the purpose of this thread. My statement is that it is FASTER to have linearity and low drag and I believe that this puts the capable driver more in control of their car. Earlier sensing of issues along with an easier ability to make fast wheel inputs so that the car stays on line and in control better. The hockey stick plot wants a much shorter blade for those of you familiar with wheelchecking.
I've set many PBs, splits, and several outright track records recently. I can do the same tracks / cars with a stock behaving setup and I simply cannot match those times no matter how hard I try. Maybe some of you could beat me on a stock wheel, that is fine and I'd expect that. You'd cream me running a wheel behaving like mine though. When I go back to modded I can do within about 0.2 of my best on any given day. It's what I called "magic" a few times. Suddenly the car can make it through tough zones with fewer and less frequent "moments". The driver's intent is making it through the steering wheel and onto the race track more faithfully. The goal is clear to me if you are modding and want more on -track speed.
I can see that this can be frustrating for some of you, I'm not planning to show everything I did to accomplish the results I've achieved. I am not doing easy or common forum mods you can google. If you are not a creative DIY type that is fine, if I were you I'd simply save up for a servo wheel which should prove even better. Even eK seems to note that in the end servo has better potential when it comes to modding a Fanatec wheel with more and more time and dollars. I've simply gotten my Fanatec wheel to work much more like a servo wheel, in that performance direction. It has been a fun hobby project for me.
Again, the main thing I am trying to share is that you really, really want linearity and you really, really, really want a wheel that does not hold back your intended inputs with drag and delays. If you feel that poor linearity, dead zones, and drag are okay well that is fine with me. I would not want to race like that though. I pretty much hate driving the wheel in the stock configuration, it's just dull and slow in feel and against the stop watch.
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