Had my first drive with a wheel........wow

[NevilleNobody]

Not QUITE what i was expecting. I am ALL OVER the road, not the fanciest wheel (T150) but man, I am absolutely lost. Tried 10 laps and not able to finish even one. I have seen threads where folks struggle with this transition but maaaaaaaan.

So to the point, here is what I am experiencing;

- No fine control at all, when i first turn the wheel it's like it has a huge deadzone, so I have to turn quite aggressively
- Even on a properly executed corner entry, on exit, as i release the wheel slowly it hooofs me in the opposite direction

I tried reducing the angle to 540 degrees but still no luck. The input feels super loose and indirect, then suddenly it's very strong.

Any tips?

 

[NoonenF1]

There is a significant learning curve but don’t get frustrated. I suggest slowing down (lol) but it will really help you understand how the inputs work. Also I recommend only using 180 degrees of steering input (90 degrees left or right). Good luck, you will figure it out and once you do it will transform the game for you.

P.S. - I used a G29 so the dead zone is probably different, check for some other threads in a different section for more advice.

 

[NevilleNobody]

180? Damn, it comes standard with 900. I'll give it a lash! I am driving bog slow and still bin it every lap.

 

[kilesa4568]

I'd keep it on the default DoR till you build a bit of muscle memory first. Rome wasn't built it a day.

 

[p78]

It's like learning to drive all over again.

Good luck with the transition.

There is quite a few threads with wheel settings tho.

i have a g29 so i cannot help you with settings

 

[DomB_Fanatec]

- No fine control at all, when i first turn the wheel it's like it has a huge deadzone

There shouldn't really be any input dead zone on a wheel, even entry-level ones. You should see the steering indicator (the red dot) on the in-game HUD move as soon as you make even the smallest steering input. If it doesn't move and there really is a dead zone, something is wrong with the hardware.

 

[super_gt]

- No fine control at all, when i first turn the wheel it's like it has a huge deadzone, so I have to turn quite aggressively

There shouldn't really be any input dead zone on a wheel, even entry-level ones. You should see the steering indicator (the red dot) on the in-game HUD move as soon as you make even the smallest steering input. If it doesn't move and there really is a dead zone, something is wrong with the hardware.

Dominic is right, T150 does not have a dead zone in the center.

 

[watto79]

I can't comment on the T150 but I did find the transition from controller to wheel (G29) to be surprisingly difficult at first. I clearly remember at the time that I was relatively competent on the pad with doing a reasonable time at Suzuka in the Gr.4 Huracan. My first laps on the wheel I couldn't keep it on the track and was finding all new ways to spin out. It was like driving on ice. At one point I went back to the pad and found I couldn't make the car spin out in the same way even when trying to. It was odd.

What really helped me though was a daily race at Tsukuba in the Mazda MX5. A relatively slow car on a relatively easy circuit meant I could find my feet with the inputs and re-learn the muscle memory.

Assuming your T150 isn't broken then stick at it. Once you get going its a whole load more fun and it's easier to be consistent.

Good luck, and I hope your wheel isn't broken!

 

[Trone_Colby]

So you got a wheel, congrats.

I have a T150 as well (had to upgrade to t3pa regular pedal set. Stock pedals are crap).

Yes when I first transitioned, I was horrible. It will take a lot of time and practice. With the stock pedals, I couldn’t drive the Corvette, Viper or Mustang. It got easier with t3pa pedals. I essentially got better within a month. One you get used to the wheel and play with it for a long time, go back to the controller to see if you still got it, lmao.

For the degrees, don’t bother. The game will reset it to default every time you pause, restart, enter a race , etc. You would have to change it on the fly. Just don’t bother.

I don’t have any dead zone. You can try the FFB settings to your liking. I have mine at 10 for torque and 1 for sensitivity. Its all personal preference.

Dragon Trail Seaside and Big Willow was the best for me to learn.

 

[NevilleNobody]

I'd keep it on the default DoR till you build a bit of muscle memory first. Rome wasn't built it a day.

There is just so much turning though at default, like I need to cross my arms to take a tight turn, i cannot describe it but man to turn it BACK takes soooo long.

There shouldn't really be any input dead zone on a wheel, even entry-level ones. You should see the steering indicator (the red dot) on the in-game HUD move as soon as you make even the smallest steering input. If it doesn't move and there really is a dead zone, something is wrong with the hardware.

Yeah i see the red dot move but as much as the car moves it doesn't seem to move fast enough. Now I use the D-pad so flickity flick flick to turn and it's damn near full lock every time i guess but it feels so loose, not the car, the steering, like i am driving on a TV where they are clearly faking their driving with their arms faffing about.

So you got a wheel, congrats.

I have a T150 as well (had to upgrade to t3pa regular pedal set. Stock pedals are crap).

I have had it for ages but finally got a stand, battling the whole wife thing who doesn't want me alone in the basement with a proper rig (we have a ton of space) so i play in the living room and she vanishes upstairs to watch TV anyway .... like .. why don't i just do a rig in the basement ffs?

 

[O604]

I remember my old Thrustmaster (T80) had a trick to it.

Like you had to press a button for 3 sec to change the mode. Once pushed, the normally solid light showed flashing. Or something like that. Can't remember the details. But it made a huge difference.

https://support.thrustmaster.com/en/kb/3132-en/

 

[NevilleNobody]

Yeah the T150 does too, changes the angle, default is over 1,000 degrees which is a LOT.

 

[Trone_Colby]

Yeah the T150 does too, changes the angle, default is over 1,000 degrees which is a LOT.

Mine is at 900. Not sure why yours would be 1080. When I hit right after holding mode it would switch to 1080

 

[Dairyworker]

When i got my g29 it was a massive change from a ds4. It took about two weeks of daily use to get used to it, and i mean a few hours almost every day. It then took another two weeks or more to get back to my prime ds4 speed, and it's been a steady improvement since i think. As it is a different wheel i can't really give specific advice but one of the first things to click that helped me improve was, allowing the wheel to bring itself back for the most part, especially on really tight turns. I guess stuff like that depends on your ffb setting and such though. Like real driving, you dont always bring the wheel back, you loosen your grip and allow it to return itself only modulating the speed at which it does so with more or less grip. Seriously when that clicked in my mind it was a big difference for me.

I hope that makes sense...

 

[opelgt1969]

You haven't said what car you are using, drive with a slower road car as it sounds like your car is going from one side of road to other side and you can not keep it steady. Another thing you might want to try is drive with auto trans and steer with only one hand that way I believe you will get better feel of what the wheel feels like, this is only to get feel of wheel. I like the rest that's responding to this thread I'm also using a G29.

 

[sundaydriving]

I'm the opposite. I tried playing with a controller in the early days but found it absolutely impossible and had to buy a wheel for my own sanity. I had already been driving "real" (******) cars for a while before GT. Perhaps give it time? I've yet to find a car that can be driven by controller.

 

[opelgt1969]

I'm the opposite. I tried playing with a controller in the early days but found it absolutely impossible and had to buy a wheel for my own sanity. I had already been driving "real" (******) cars for a while before GT. Perhaps give it time? I've yet to find a car that can be driven by controller.

I'm like you the only vehicle I've been able to drive with a controller was the "moon vehicle" in I think gt5.

 

[golfer07840]

I got a G29 last year. I figured "Hey I've been driving for 28 years, this should be easy!"

Umm..No it wasn't. However, once I got a feel for it and I was able to find the settings that were comfortable for me (and I admit, I find that with certain cars, a tweak here and there with the settings is necessary), then it was game on. I can barely drive with a controller now. But with the wheel and pedals, I was able to take all the helpers off and actually countersteer, drift and not have to use TCS as much and I started to become faster.

 

[vvise]

It's harder than it looks, welcome to the club

I know a couple guys that even with a wheel for the last year or so continue to use the pad because they can't make the transition. My only suggestion is to go cold turkey, abandon the pad and accept that you're slower. Work your way back up.

 

[Ashthebash]

Not QUITE what i was expecting. I am ALL OVER the road, not the fanciest wheel (T150) but man, I am absolutely lost. Tried 10 laps and not able to finish even one. I have seen threads where folks struggle with this transition but maaaaaaaan.

So to the point, here is what I am experiencing;

- No fine control at all, when i first turn the wheel it's like it has a huge deadzone, so I have to turn quite aggressively
- Even on a properly executed corner entry, on exit, as i release the wheel slowly it hooofs me in the opposite direction

I tried reducing the angle to 540 degrees but still no luck. The input feels super loose and indirect, then suddenly it's very strong.

Any tips?

Had a very similar thing. I bought a TGT (figured it's the only wheel I'll probably ever own so decided to go quite big!), the TGT is automatically set up though - as far as I'm aware - which makes things easier, well, simpler.

Anyway, first few runs and I was indeed all over the place. Spinning in ways I never did before, less control, car veering, everything was off and even what I felt was a decent lap was over 1s off my DS4 time. My conclusion was that while I was driving on a DS4 with aids off (except ABS on weak), the game compensated for me using a pad with 'hidden' aids. Put a wheel in and it seems to take all those little assists away to make it more realistic as you genuinely have more control than with a pad (this of course could be a total fallacy!). However, I'm now WAY faster than when I had a pad, and more consistent.

My tip, stick with it and practice practice practice. Accept you'll be slower initially, once you get used to it you should start to see the times come down 👍

Edit: I should also add that since getting the wheel I'm completely addicted to the game in a way I've never been!!

 

[GearShifter]

Had the same feeling when I first got my G29. Been using the dualshock all these years and thought how it would be so easy to transition and would improve my lap times...boy was I wrong.

 

[NevilleNobody]

You guys are right in that the DS4 is assisted or hobbled, kinda both IMHO. From day one i was stunned how the cars understeer in this game compared to PCARS, just push, push, push, push. I could not rotate the damn car.

I definitely feel it rotates better with the wheel but I feel like i am driving in remote control not connected to my device ... it's hard to explain.

 

[Ron Williams]

I just got a G29 and it makes a massive difference in my joy and experience.

 

[Kudos00]

Sit further away from your wheel

 

[bil coz]

180? Damn, it comes standard with 900. I'll give it a lash! I am driving bog slow and still bin it every lap.

lol what a terrible idea. The default setting for each car is the right one. (And if you wanted smoother input, you'd want to max out the range. Which is 1080 on the T150.)
Just dont play with the setting anyway until you are super comfortable driving with the wheel, and even then it's not worth it.

There is a significant learning curve but don’t get frustrated. I suggest slowing down (lol) but it will really help you understand how the inputs work. Also I recommend only using 180 degrees of steering input (90 degrees left or right). Good luck, you will figure it out and once you do it will transform the game for you.

P.S. - I used a G29 so the dead zone is probably different, check for some other threads in a different section for more advice.

When you have not the slightest clue what you're talking about and think you're in a position to give advice and 4 or 5 people like your post.

 

[bil coz]

There is a significant learning curve but don’t get frustrated. I suggest slowing down (lol) but it will really help you understand how the inputs work. Also I recommend only using 180 degrees of steering input (90 degrees left or right). Good luck, you will figure it out and once you do it will transform the game for you.

P.S. - I used a G29 so the dead zone is probably different, check for some other threads in a different section for more advice.

There is just so much turning though at default, like I need to cross my arms to take a tight turn, i cannot describe it but man to turn it BACK takes soooo long.



Yeah i see the red dot move but as much as the car moves it doesn't seem to move fast enough. Now I use the D-pad so flickity flick flick to turn and it's damn near full lock every time i guess but it feels so loose, not the car, the steering, like i am driving on a TV where they are clearly faking their driving with their arms faffing about.



I have had it for ages but finally got a stand, battling the whole wife thing who doesn't want me alone in the basement with a proper rig (we have a ton of space) so i play in the living room and she vanishes upstairs to watch TV anyway .... like .. why don't i just do a rig in the basement ffs?

the reason you need to cross your arms is the car is understeering but you don't feel it. You're most certainly flooring the throttle at a time when you should be off it, also most likely you're using traction control and it worsens the situation because you can't feel as much what it is you're doing wrong.

disable all assists but abs, use the driving line and the cone markers and you will have a much better time. Also like someone said earlier, you wanna start with a MX5 or a GT86 at the track you know the best.

The FFB settings Id recommend for a beginner would be something like Torque 5/Sensitivity 1.
Personnally I use T1/S1 when drifting or just enjoying the ride, and T2 or T3/S1 when racing seriously, the reason being that some cars break the ffb at Torque 1, like Gr2 cars around fast turns apexes.

 

[Chevy Heavy]

I've yet to find a car that can be driven by controller.

Driving A Nissan GT-R With A DS4 controller. You might say he was using the chase cam.





To the OP, stick with the wheel you will get the hang of it and have a lot more fun. I might suggest going back through some of the license tests and circuit experience. These will give you small sections of the track to practice on. Just keep hitting restart until you feel comfortable and move on to the next one. And yes your arms will get crossed sometimes, it's inevitable. It all just becomes second nature after awhile and you don't even think about it.

 

[gtpierre]

lol what a terrible idea. The default setting for each car is the right one. (And if you wanted smoother input, you'd want to max out the range. Which is 1080 on the T150.)
Just dont play with the setting anyway until you are super comfortable driving with the wheel, and even then it's not worth it.


When you have not the slightest clue what you're talking about and think you're in a position to give advice and 4 or 5 people like your post.

To be honest real cars are very far from 1080° range on the wheel (probably half ?)
The 180° thing is probably because he is used to go kart ? I tried the G29 for 3 days and I hated the fact it felt nothing like a real wheel. The thing is you can't adjust the range of G29 so like you said, he has little to no clue what he is talking about.

 

[Highlandor]

I think when someone is transitioning from pad to wheel it's good to start with a car that's fairly neutral with a spec that's hard, but not too difficult.

Something like a stock M3 on completely stock settings (including tyres), with all driving aids off, on a track you know well or like.

This will give you a baseline feel for how the wheel (and subsequently the car) reacts / feels to your inputs and will help you understand what differences (i.e. improvements to lap times or car control) are due to either the driver (getting better) or other factors like changing the wheel sensitivity.

This will help you 'problem solve' if/when you start using different cars / tyres to what you're normally used to i.e. someone who normally drives GT3 cars (sticky tyres and aero) who then tries a road car with sport hard tyres.

Jumping in with a car that has good stability (sticky tyres / aero) and grip (4wd/awd) can lead to a false sense of speed / competence, and can end up giving you a one-dimensional view. Starting with something like a neutral road car on low grip tyres will teach you a broader perspective, and skills you can transfer across a greater variety of situations.

It'll also help you understand the impact of other factors like changing the steering sensitivity, brakes (abs on / off - brakes bias fr to rear) car control (heel / toe, feathering throttle / brakes) etc etc..

As the cliche goes "...sometimes you have to take one step back to go 2 steps forward..."..

EDIT:

Forgot to mention - try to keep as many variables the same i.e. car, brake settings, tyres, steering sensitivity. If you're used to time trialing offline, stick to it, likewise, if you're practising online lobby, stick to that - don't change from online to offline as grip levels can vary.

If anything, just change the track, try to keep the tracks grouped i.e. Monza and Le Mans = high top speed, big braking zones, whereas Brands and Autopolis are alot more about corner speed.

It's easy to get frustrated or bored, but the longer you can keep the variables the same, the more it'll help in the long run.

 

[kilesa4568]

Drive a little slower in practice (the best FFB feel is at Nordschleife) and really move the car around to get used to the weight and how it affects your wheel/pedal inputs. Half the battle is getting your feet and arms working in tandem instead of against each other.

Give it a couple of weeks and things will really start to click into place.