MOMO Force Wheel

  • Thread starter VdrSain
  • 13 comments
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Well this isn’t a race but I thought I would do a write-up of my new MOMO Force wheel. If some object well hit the back button.

First of all I had one of the “driving force PS2” wheels. I actually generally liked the wheel. I had some of the common known issues with it that are mostly livable. I under calibrated it, which solved the shift problem that so many have pulled their hair out over. But I did have a problem with the force feedback that sometimes the wheel would start oscillating, steering itself, which made control go to crap, and thus decided to return it and upgrade.

I noticed that the MOMO Force has come down quite a bit and actually found them at compugeeks for $87 plus $8 shipping which was about what I had into the “driving force” wheel I returned so I ordered one up.

It got here yesterday and so far I am pretty impressed. Most of you are probably aware of the features and quality differences i.e. leather, ball bearing shaft mounts, metal parts and such. On first inspection the wheel is much heaver and the quality seems great. The overall feel while driving and the force feed back are nice and tight and seem more realistic as well. Shifting is quick and precise with the metal paddles, a big improvement over the other wheel. One of the first things I checked is the 75% braking issue and I can assure you, you get 100% with the MOMO. In fact I had to turn down brake controller rates a little because I was over braking being used to the old glitch. Most PS2 functions can be performed on the wheel itself, including the “start”, “X”, and “triangle” buttons. But with the lack of a D-pad the only way to move selections horizontally is with the steering wheel itself, which is somewhat awkward. You can move up and down with the paddle shifter just fine. I have been keeping a DS2 handy and doing most navigation with that as it is just easier, and I have had no ill effects at having both hooked up.

The only problem I have is that the wheel is not quite centered. I have calibrated numerous times and the wheel functions flawlessly with the exception that it centers just slightly to the left. It does the same thing on my PC so I am thinking it’s in the wheel mechanism itself, but I am researching possible solutions today. If anyone has any ideas or work a rounds please post.

I will post updates if or as changes or new info manifests itself, but all in all this wheel seems like the way to go. Now that its available for under $100 bucks I don’t think you can go wrong, I guess we’ll see after some longer term testing.
 
:D Hi VdrSain,
Great write up, answers all my questions save for one. Sent you a PM earlier, but never sure if they go through (had a couple NOT make it to Der Alta & Neon Duke.)

So will repeat my question here: Are you able to DOWNSHIFT while the wheel is turned??? Many Thanx...UB57
:D
 
I have had no problem with it not shifting at any point, but like I said I never did with the driving force either. I undercalibrated it a little so you dont have to move the wheel to full lock to get full lock. I do this to make steering quicker anyway, not just for the shift problem. And with the MOMO it has a 270 degree turn radius so I cant imagine having the wheel at the stops at any point unless you are already way "behind in your work" as they say. Also the paddles themselves are much more precise and require less movement to initiate a shift, just a much nicer design and quality.

Anyway hope this helps.
 
Well I got the scoop on the centering issue. Logitech has a centering utility for the PC and it worked great, appearantly they realize there can be a problem with it. Unfortunatly this doesn't help for the PS2 so it looks like I just live with it in GT3. I could exchange it and try to get a centered one, but who's to know if it would be better or worse, and it would be a hastle to ship it back and forth. It works great in GTR 2002!
 
Vdr,... the centering dilema is normal. Your with all of us :lol:

This is how I do it,.. and it works great. For this,.. were going to assume that the wheel is 10 degrees off center to the left.

-Goto calibrate but don't start it
-Hold wheel half way back to center (5 degrees)
-start cablibrate proceedure
-turn wheel exactly 90 degrees left, then 180 back to the right
-I use the 90 degree each way because thats the way GT3 sees steering (if you ever notice in replays)
-before going to the center procceedure, after turn to right, put the wheel back to the 5 degree poition
-once holding still at 5, goto center and enter through it quickly
-do your petals and save the game
-if you save, you never have to calibrate again,... only turn the wheel all the way left then right after each time GT3 loads itself :)

Lemme know how it worked 👍
 
Thanks R_E I'll give it a shot, I would love to have it straight. You get used to it but Ive been playing GTR2002 on the PC and when its striaght there and not in GT3 it kinda throws you off.
 
Just curious Vdr, How much did the shipping run you?

Compgeeks is sold out, but I've found a few others that have it.

Thanks,

AO
 
I noticed that the MOMO Force has come down quite a bit and actually found them at compugeeks for $87 plus $8 shipping

The best way I have found to buy hardware is to search on PriceWatch.com. I usually try and find something on the west coast because ground shipping gets here (UT) in 2 days. I have done it enough that I now have a couple of vendors I really like that seem to have the best overall package of price, availability and service.
 
Man...I missed that line...

Well, compgeeks is "Out of stock" so I'll have to look elsewhere.

Thanks for pointing htat out.

*Smacks forehead*

AO
 
Mine finally came in last night. Justdeals.com had it for $82 for a refurbished one. Took the chance, as they have a 30day return policy.

Anyways....

My reactions to the MOMO.

Out of the box, plugged it in, and started racing. Simple easy and ready to roll. I am suffering the misalingment issue that seems prevalent with these wheels. When I take my hands off it, the car pulls to the left. (was it designed for Nascar?) After a quick configuration the car no longer pulls to the left, but the steering wheel is not vertical.

The alignement is my biggest issue with this wheel. The shift levers are fantastic. The wheel grip is great. The Pad with the foot pedals is heafty and solid, as well as comfortable. I may have to resort to using shoes as the pedals are quite grippy. From wearing cowboy boots for most of my life, I have nearly impenetrable soles. The unfortunate part of that is I can't really feel how much pressure I am applying. This created big issues with locking the brakes up.

The Force feedback is pretty realistic. It caused me to fight the wheel on a number of occasions, and I finally turned it off. Some may say it "adds realism" to the game. I haven't used the rumble feature in over a year, as it dosen't allow me to control the sticks as well as I can. The Force feedback wasn't why I bought it, so away it goes.

AS I was just switching over to this wheel, I ran an Arcade Lancer around Midfield. I ran this for qualifying at the GTP Weekly series. After 35 laps, I managed to shave a few tenths off.

To compare this to the Blue Logitech wheel is not fair. Rumor has it that they use the same internals, with the exception of the ball bearings. The stainless steel shifters are much more accurate than the plastic shifters. The MOMO wheel is more comfortable, and has a longer travel path. Very easy to make smooth sweeping turns. The full lock turn will give me a bit of an issue for a while. Also the mounting mechanism is superior to the Blue wheel. This wheel uses metal adjusters on very solid plastic clamps. They open up to nearly two inches for clamping. The pedal base is metal and has rubber stoppers on the bottom to keep it in place. The nicest piece of the floor system is it has a resting spot for your left foot. This helps keep it in place.

All things considered, I'm happier with this than the Blue Logitech wheel. My times aren't faster, but with 40 laps at a track, I can compare to previous times with the DS2. So with time, I'll be able to improve beyond my ability with the DS2. I don't epect to be on par with my current times for another 2 months. Was once told that it takes 70-80 hours to get back up to speed.

My result? A worthy investment of $82. Even if it was a refurbished wheel.

One final note, if you do get one, purchase a USB extension. The one is comes with is about 4 feet long.

Now to build my collapsible chair...

AO
 
I just got my MOMO Force today, bought from Tech Depot via Amazon. Bought Sunday night, had this afternoon :D I love it, best wheel I have ever used. Only problem is the slightly off-center position. I tried following RedEye's guide, but it still likes to sit a bit to the left. Any other tips?
 
Sorry to sound like a nOOb here, but I am to the steering wheels. . .

This is the Wheel that was designed for the PC and it works with the PS2 right???
 
I'm actually saving up to get me one of this baby. I guess the investment is good, seeing as a lot of good racing titles are coming out. And of course, Gran Turismo 4, which probably won't be release till next year.

But I have one question though, will it, MOMO Force, work on Xbox? By using a special USB adapter.
 
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