Driving Force GT Handbrake?

[Katiegan]

I apologise if there is already a thread out there discussing this, but after using the search button, I couldn't find anything that would answer my question. If I've just been oblivious and looked in the wrong threads, please point me there, and just lock this thread and pretend nothing happened.

I've had my Driving Force GT for just under 2 years now. Unfortunately, I don't have a decent set-up for it, nor can I afford one, so it has been sat collecting dust over the 2 years. I have used it sometimes, but lately I haven't been able to use it because the coffee table I usually connect it to is far too low for my legs now. Back when I was 13 and I first got it, my legs could fit under there fine. Now I'm nearing 15, if I put my knees under there I end up lifting the table up. But that's really not the point of this thread and I'm getting off track here.

My mum has found a camping table that I may be able to use as a temporary set-up, and perhaps I can persuade my dad to help me make a proper one. I really want to get using my DFGT, I hate to see it sitting there not being used. I'm quite a keen drifter on the DS3, so I want to learn to drift on my DFGT. Thing is, I... drifters, look away now... use automatic. I want to get out of the habit of using automatic and learn to use manual, especially in drifting, as many teams have turned me away because of this, but with my DS3 set-up I can't change gear and drift at the same time, as my shifter on the DS3 is the R analog stick. This is perfect for drag racing, but harder when drifting. I don't want to use the paddle shifters on my DFGT because quite frankly, I don't like paddles. I want to use the gear stick, but I need a handbrake. Pressing the circle button everytime I want to slide is going to get tedious.

So, does anybody know where I can get a handbrake for my wheel? I've seen various YouTube videos of DFGTs with handbrakes, but I can't find anywhere that sells them. I'm not going to use the handbrake until I've learnt how to use manual properly, but I'd like to know for when I do get on to drifting.

 

[Joven]

For what games?
If its on the PC it would be pretty easy, could pretty much just get a joystick and use that, and games like RBR, Live for Speed and Dirt 2 and 3 can use Analog handbrakes, and other ones you can just use something like JoyToKey or xpadder to map the movement to a button.

If you want to use it on the PS3, then theres a couple options.
1. You can create a handbrake (many ways to do that, its just a switch on a lever*) and wire it into your DFGT on the O button. That would require taking the wheel apart, and soldering.
or 2. Get something like a LizardLick Cthulhu board, and wire a DIY handbrake into that. Since it has a Home button, you can wire that into it as well, and set both controllers to the same controller number, allowing you to use them at the same time.
or 3. Use a DS3 controller in some kind of DIY kinda kludge to press the O button (or something like rubber bands on the right analog stick connected to a lever, or something) and configure that in game as the handbrake if you can.

*for creating a handbrake, you can go as jank or creative as you want. Many people will use car handbrakes from scrapyards, and make it so it triggers a switch (or use a reverse kinda switch, so lifting it up stops holding it in, which triggers it). At one point before I broke it I had a clamp from a car dash fan with a handle from a flashlight bolted onto it with a rubber band connected to a switch wired into a cthulhu board. Now I'm just using a sequential shifter from a Fanatec wheel wired into the cthluhu. Just google DIY sim handbrake and you'll get a lot of inspiration.

 

[FugitiveYOY]

On PC, you can use a Thrustmaster TH8rs shifter as a handbrake (analogue or digital) together with your DFGT.