Load cell brake, worth the outlay?

  • Thread starter Zolon32
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In my opinion, a load cell (or a NIXIM GTEYE mod) is definitely worth the outlay. I felt much more control over my braking the moment I put my NIXIM V2 in, & it feels more intuitive.
 
The immersion factor of a good loadcell brake is not be under estimated. You never really know what you're missing untill you have tried it.

I was perfectly satisfied with my G25 pedals, but because they didn't work on my Porsche 911 Turbo S wheel, i upgraded to Fanatec CSPv1 pedals. Looking back, the upgrade from G25 pedals to CSPv1 was bigger than from the G25 wheel to the PWTS.

The big difference was: The load cell brake.

I thought my CSPv1 pedals were the best ever, untill i upgraded to the CSPv2 pedals. My idea was that they should last a life time. The CSPv2 are a very decent pedal set with a good load cell brake with hydraulic damper.

Last year i upgraded to a set of Heusinkveld Pros: This is the best pedal set i have ever tried. Braking with the HE-pros is such a difference.

I still kept my CSPv2's for console compatibility. Whenever i put them in my rig instead of the HE-pros, i'm reminded of the fact that the HE-pros are in an entire different league.

The biggest difference between the two : The load cell brake.

Since then i'm trying to find a way to get the HE-pros working on the CSWv2 for console compatibility so i don't have to use the CSPv2 anymore. If anybody can help me with that, please let me know.
 
Gunstar
Hahahahahahaahahahaha!!! I was typing this EXACT SAME THING out days ago but decided it wasn't worth the heartburn. Johnny, you're my hero of the day.
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You have to give both a fair try to know for sure. Whichever gives you best times is your answer. Having said that I believe the pressure side is correct. I am a career pilot and every plane and jet I have flown has hydraulic brakes which work pretty much the same as cars with a little less travel. Bodins explanation earlier about using legs and feet to determine fine inputs seems accurate to me. Hoping thread is still alive.
 
I am sure i found this forum too late. I am one of those who is not sure to upgrade to load cell or not, because my sim racing is very very good with pot brakes. Although i came from real kart racing i got used to the (travel base) brakes, but just find it sometime i lock a tyre here and there. The search that lead me here was "is the load cell upgrade worth it", (i do only open wheels non-ABS cars, that trail braking is essential) So after reading all this, the decision i should take looks CLEAR "load cell all the way". thank you for all the replays. Hope i will be back after the upgrade and post here again.
 
pensionist
I am sure i found this forum too late. I am one of those who is not sure to upgrade to load cell or not, because my sim racing is very very good with pot brakes. Although i came from real kart racing i got used to the (travel base) brakes, but just find it sometime i lock a tyre here and there. The search that lead me here was "is the load cell upgrade worth it", (i do only open wheels non-ABS cars, that trail braking is essential) So after reading all this, the decision i should take looks CLEAR "load cell all the way". thank you for all the replays. Hope i will be back after the upgrade and post here again.
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I have personally found it much easier to have fine control of the brakes with an adjustable pedal set containing a load cell brake. You just have to pull the trigger and try it for yourself. If you have done any kind of hard braking in real, high speed vehicles, (yes carts) I’m pretty sure you will never look back. I personally look for more control and more realism in this hobby. If, however, you find you were faster with pots, or game controllers or a keyboard then maybe a load cell is not for you.
 
OK Guys, i went ahead and did the change and made the mod, and it was "WOW WHY i DIDN'T IT BEFORE" (well the money) but it was really worth the upgrade and highly recommend to everyone. i got used to it almost immediately everything was flowing as it should. I can know and feel how hard i am braking and just after 30 laps i don't lock the tyres anymore. And i know how hard i tried to learn the trail braking with potentiometer brakes, and it never wasn't very accurate as it was all wrong. yes the potentiometer looks like i was getting used to something unnatural, like getting used to do something through the mirror where you have to move the hand right to move it left. I definitively recommend to anyone, it will make a lot difference and the simracing would't look to you so unnutural anymore. Yeah guys this is my opinion after getting used and making a lot races with potentiometer, and trying the load cell for 3-4 days now. hope it helps others decide.
 
The OP gave so misleading notions. I am sure he believes that his insight are right. I don't even bother to change his mind. But for whoever is unsure between loadcell vs potentiometer in simracing, the leap between loadcell and potentiometer pedals, it is huge.

It is universally accepted (not only my opinion, but also by the best simdrivers) that loadcell brake is the first and only real upgrade that make you better. Not necessarily faster on hotlap, but more constant in the braking, by achieve better repeatability in braking over times. This just because by data muscle memory against positional is easier a more repeatable over time.

That is why you see a lot of Pro drivers in simracers that still use old G25 (weaker FFB), but all of them spend thousand of dollars in loadcell pedals.
 
KimiRaikkonen
“That is why you see a lot of Pro drivers in simracers that still use old G25 (weaker FFB), but all of them spend thousand of dollars in loadcell pedals.”
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I’m in good company if this is true, which I believe it is, bc I have thought for a while, that having a load cell is huge, and huge ffb is overrated.
 
I was seriously resisting the urge to jump into this thread because, I don't have a dog (I want) in this fight, but temptation seems to be kicking my butt. For the past 7 years or so, I have been using a set of Fanatec CSR pedals. The basic Non load cell versions. They are highly adjustable and I've grown very accustomed to using them. But I am not going to even imagine that they are equal or anywhere as good as a load cell pedal.

Everything about braking with this pedal set feels like I am giving it my best guess. I have to listen for audio queues to know when I am at the tire's limits, or when I am beyond those limits. I've gotten use to my favorite cars in some sims, but in the simulations and cars where I don't spend a lot of time, I am quick to lock the brakes up or under-brake and fly off the track. I know if I had a load cell pedal (properly dialed in) reaching the braking threshold would be second nature. So that would eliminate my guessing when braking. Cause even after 7 years and the good part of a year with my PC, I still feel the brakes out.

Then comes advanced techniques like, heel and toe shifting and, left foot braking. I am inconsistent as heck with these pedals. When the telemetry or pedal input is on display, I can see the brake pedal value rising and falling dramatically. Now everyone should experience this to some degree, but not to the point where they are dipping into 5-10% application. At that point you're not really braking anymore, and that shows when I am under-braking for turns when H&T downshifting.
When left foot braking, I am back to guessing how far I need to push the pedal, and that usually causes me to scrub way too much speed.

So I see the need for a loadcell brake. I just don't want to lose any of the adjustability that this pedal set has. So I am saving for a set of pedals. They will at the least be the CSP V3. And that will also be my first upgrade for my setup. After that, come the shifter and then much after that comes the wheel.
 
Dopplegagger
I was seriously resisting the urge to jump into this thread because, I don't have a dog (I want) in this fight, but temptation seems to be kicking my butt. For the past 7 years or so, I have been using a set of Fanatec CSR pedals. The basic Non load cell versions. They are highly adjustable and I've grown very accustomed to using them. But I am not going to even imagine that they are equal or anywhere as good as a load cell pedal.

Everything about braking with this pedal set feels like I am giving it my best guess. I have to listen for audio queues to know when I am at the tire's limits, or when I am beyond those limits. I've gotten use to my favorite cars in some sims, but in the simulations and cars where I don't spend a lot of time, I am quick to lock the brakes up or under-brake and fly off the track. I know if I had a load cell pedal (properly dialed in) reaching the braking threshold would be second nature. So that would eliminate my guessing when braking. Cause even after 7 years and the good part of a year with my PC, I still feel the brakes out.

Then comes advanced techniques like, heel and toe shifting and, left foot braking. I am inconsistent as heck with these pedals. When the telemetry or pedal input is on display, I can see the brake pedal value rising and falling dramatically. Now everyone should experience this to some degree, but not to the point where they are dipping into 5-10% application. At that point you're not really braking anymore, and that shows when I am under-braking for turns when H&T downshifting.
When left foot braking, I am back to guessing how far I need to push the pedal, and that usually causes me to scrub way too much speed.

So I see the need for a loadcell brake. I just don't want to lose any of the adjustability that this pedal set has. So I am saving for a set of pedals. They will at the least be the CSP V3. And that will also be my first upgrade for my setup. After that, come the shifter and then much after that comes the wheel.
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One of the best features of the clubsport pedals is the adjustability. Once you get exactly the feel thats right for you its like driving a real car. If fanatec runs the black friday like last yr I would def recommend the v3 inv. They are worth even the full price imo.
 
Twstcrv
One of the best features of the clubsport pedals is the adjustability. Once you get exactly the feel thats right for you its like driving a real car. If fanatec runs the black friday like last yr I would def recommend the v3 inv. They are worth even the full price imo.
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Not worth, now, the full price when you can get the Heuskenvield Pro, almost at the same price. He play on PC. Console Fanatec is the only option
 
KimiRaikkonen
Not worth, now, the full price when you can get the Heuskenvield Pro, almost at the same price. He play on PC. Console Fanatec is the only option
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Those are better pedals but they are 50 dollars more with no mounting framework or curved pedals “upgrade” which csp comes with. The baseplate and curved pedals are an extra 115 usd. God only knows how much more shipping would be since he lives in US. The only way the Heuskenvields are a better value than the csp v3 inv is if you have 1) a rig that has enough framework to support each pedal inverted without the (not included) baseplate, 2) you don’t need curved pedals, and 3) you live in Europe. Otherwise it could easily be north of 700 usd to get same options. They are a better pedals, but they are only a better value for someone with a very nice rig.
 
pensionist
OK Guys, i went ahead and did the change and made the mod, and it was "WOW WHY i DIDN'T IT BEFORE" (well the money) but it was really worth the upgrade and highly recommend to everyone. i got used to it almost immediately everything was flowing as it should. I can know and feel how hard i am braking and just after 30 laps i don't lock the tyres anymore. And i know how hard i tried to learn the trail braking with potentiometer brakes, and it never wasn't very accurate as it was all wrong. yes the potentiometer looks like i was getting used to something unnatural, like getting used to do something through the mirror where you have to move the hand right to move it left. I definitively recommend to anyone, it will make a lot difference and the simracing would't look to you so unnutural anymore. Yeah guys this is my opinion after getting used and making a lot races with potentiometer, and trying the load cell for 3-4 days now. hope it helps others decide.
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So what mod did you get?

Dopplegagger
I was seriously resisting the urge to jump into this thread because, I don't have a dog (I want) in this fight, but temptation seems to be kicking my butt. For the past 7 years or so, I have been using a set of Fanatec CSR pedals. The basic Non load cell versions. They are highly adjustable and I've grown very accustomed to using them. But I am not going to even imagine that they are equal or anywhere as good as a load cell pedal.

Everything about braking with this pedal set feels like I am giving it my best guess. I have to listen for audio queues to know when I am at the tire's limits, or when I am beyond those limits. I've gotten use to my favorite cars in some sims, but in the simulations and cars where I don't spend a lot of time, I am quick to lock the brakes up or under-brake and fly off the track. I know if I had a load cell pedal (properly dialed in) reaching the braking threshold would be second nature. So that would eliminate my guessing when braking. Cause even after 7 years and the good part of a year with my PC, I still feel the brakes out.

Then comes advanced techniques like, heel and toe shifting and, left foot braking. I am inconsistent as heck with these pedals. When the telemetry or pedal input is on display, I can see the brake pedal value rising and falling dramatically. Now everyone should experience this to some degree, but not to the point where they are dipping into 5-10% application. At that point you're not really braking anymore, and that shows when I am under-braking for turns when H&T downshifting.
When left foot braking, I am back to guessing how far I need to push the pedal, and that usually causes me to scrub way too much speed.

So I see the need for a loadcell brake. I just don't want to lose any of the adjustability that this pedal set has. So I am saving for a set of pedals. They will at the least be the CSP V3. And that will also be my first upgrade for my setup. After that, come the shifter and then much after that comes the wheel.
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Fanatec podium pedals are in development, so perhaps wait a little longer?
 
Twstcrv
Those are better pedals but they are 50 dollars more with no mounting framework or curved pedals “upgrade” which csp comes with. The baseplate and curved pedals are an extra 115 usd. God only knows how much more shipping would be since he lives in US. The only way the Heuskenvields are a better value than the csp v3 inv is if you have 1) a rig that has enough framework to support each pedal inverted without the (not included) baseplate, 2) you don’t need curved pedals, and 3) you live in Europe. Otherwise it could easily be north of 700 usd to get same options. They are a better pedals, but they are only a better value for someone with a very nice rig.
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You are putting other variables that are outside the value of the pedals. People may already have already a 80/20 and don't care to have them inverted (thing that you can do with an 80/20). You can buy them from an American reseller.

For 50 more dollars you get the Pro, instead of the V3. And the difference are pretty big. No offense for the Fanatec V3 (I owned them, and did a good job), but they are not comparable to the Pro.
 
In terms of cost and replacing Potentiometers vs. Load-Cells, I'd say it's a lot cheaper to replace a Potentiometer than a Load-Cell though! I mean goddamn, $25 in comparison to $5 (last I've checked). Yet, I've only owned a V1 Clubsport pedal so am not entirely sure as to how much exactly load-cells are with other Load-cell-based pedals.
 
KimiRaikkonen
You are putting other variables that are outside the value of the pedals. People may already have already a 80/20 and don't care to have them inverted (thing that you can do with an 80/20). You can buy them from an American reseller.

For 50 more dollars you get the Pro, instead of the V3. And the difference are pretty big. No offense for the Fanatec V3 (I owned them, and did a good job), but they are not comparable to the Pro.
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You completely misunderstood what I said. Please re read my post. I was never offended bc I said in the first sentence they were better. I also said they are clearly better pedals for someone with a rig that could support inverted mounting. However, to get the same mounting framework that the v3 inverted comes with, it would cost a lot more. Thats all I was saying. I think you may be confusing quality with value, and they are very different things.
 
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