Do you use a wheel? If so, which one??

Hi,

To go with my other thread on what view people are using....

Was wondering if you all are using a wheel (if so, which one), or are a mixture of wheel/controller racers??

I'm personally using a MS wireless steering wheel which I love. After using a wheel, I don't think I could ever go back to a controller. Not sure if I'm faster with the wheel or the controller though.

Might be worth chucking up a poll....

FrankTank wrote:Might be worth chucking up a poll....

Done

Used to have the MS Wireless wheel until it disintegrated under the heavy load of F1. Now own the Fanatec GT2 with Club Sport Pedals.

HEAVEN! Can never go back to a controller.

MS wireless wheel here, it's a bit loose but still goes ok - sometimes randomly pauses the game or something like that.

Just picked up Dazz's wheel from the post office, I'll be on failing tonight

Nice one Waffelz! Will be joining you shortly on the MS wheel as well.

Had a couple goes with it resting on my lap but that sucked so i'm drawing up some plans to make a stand for it now then i'll get stuck into it!

stikman wrote:Nice one Waffelz! Will be joining you shortly on the MS wheel as well.

Had a couple goes with it resting on my lap but that sucked so i'm drawing up some plans to make a stand for it now then i'll get stuck into it!

Yeah that's what I did mate. Wish I had the $$ to buy a proper racing set, but oh well.

I use both......MS wheel and controller

It all depends on if I can be arsed setting up the racing seat/stand I made

looking for decent FF wheel for forza and do you thik i can find one . GT2 and the CSR are the only ones i know of but cant find any availible anywhere !! Has anyone got any idea where to get a dent wheel .

I tried the 458 thustmaster wheel .....Total toilet !

has anyone imported a wheel from the fanatec website ? If so how did you go about getting it here and any issues with power sockets ?

I'm stuck using a dam control for the meantime, mixture of no funding and lack of range in my area......Madcatz steering wheels being about the only xbox compatible option.....needless to say I'd rather stab my own eyes out lol. I could hit up Ebay, bu then the funding issue comes into effect. So for now, I'm stuck with the stress of failing control triggers, oh look a corner, application of left trigger, oh look a wall................

I was just checking out Pagnian Imports and they seem out of stock totally on Fanatec, and not even listed. There were rumours of Fanatec directly shipping to Aus, but it's never seemed to have happened. Shoot Pagnian an email see what they say. There are other options if they aren't getting any soon. Fanatec won't ship here. Already tried that myself ages ago =)

I think there's quite a few ppl here with wheels but majority using controllers. You won't get quicker coz ur using a wheel tho. It just comes down to practice..

I agree with stik... I use a wheel, and there is no magic happening here. Well not with my driving.

To echo what others are saying, a wheel doesn't make you Senna overnight. I personally found my time with the Turbo S to be supremely beneficial with certain areas of racing i have trouble with, and had I the money i'd love to pick up a CSR.

edit: Should also note that the very top leaderboard times are done by wheel users, but there are at least a dozen controller users right behind, so its evenly matched, with raw skill with either method making the difference.

Agreed, but would add I've never been able to get a handle on dual analogue sticks so FPS's are PC with keyboard and mouse, I'm still rubbish but at least I'm not constantly looking at the sky =) similar with driving, I just like having a full steering wheel and pedal set and gives additional immersion and I know how to drive a car and this feels a lot more familiar than a controller. That and cockpit just makes it so much fun to drive, not the fastest driver either but it's thoroughly enjoyable and that's what counts.

If you get a half decent wheel you have to put in the time to get the most out of it.

And it is not just a wheel but a decent setup so you can have the wheel if firmly mounted and the pedals in the right position. A table or desk, $50+ worth of timber or PVC pipes for that custom kit or one of the rigs Pagnian can supply.

I have a M$ wheel that I rarely use on Forza as I find the controller faster but with other games like F1 2010 the wheel was the only way to go. As a painter the controller was also the easy way out so I can go from paint to race without dragging out the rig.

I've got a CSR Elite full Package with Obutto Cockpit purchased through SIMPARTS in New Zealand who deliver to Aus free. Check them out @ http://simparts.co.nz/ ...at the time I payed around $1700 for the Cockpit & Wheel but it would be cheaper now, at least cheaper then most stuff from Pagnian!

Anyway I race as realistic as possible, with full 900° for road cars, 720° and above for drifting and 540° with race cars. I also drive with not one bit of the HUD on, all assists off and Sim Steering/Damage ON!

I created a group on Facebook as it's easier to keep in contact with each other but I haven't had many people willing to rise to this level of difficulty with a wheel. Check it out anyway - https://ozfm.darkbb.com/t3538-wheel-racers-forza-4

For a while I used Normal steering on Forza 4 but it wasn't until I jumped over to iRacing on PC that I realised how forgiving and easy Normal steering was. The game is helping you in ways you can't imagine. Simulation Steering might be a tad twitchy and sensitive but it's realistic!

Some of the Top Leaderboard times (if they are using wheels as Envy stated) would have to be using Normal Steering and 270º lock because it's quite difficult to keep up with 900º and Sim Steering. I just wish I knew what they were all using, maybe I'm wrong!

For the guys who use wheels, what lock do you race with and what assists? Do you use Sim Steering?

D3FCTV Thats sounds like a great set up

I wanna get a CSR with elite pedals as i wanna have the on wheel adjustable lock and use on all platforms . i realise i can get one from sim parts but im gonna try and import one from the website using indirect shipping and save a crap load of money .

The pricing difference is ridiculous.

e.g. CSR wheel = $200 in USA, $400 through Simparts
CSR Wheel package = $370 in USA, $700 through Simparts.

Some distributor is skimming a lot of money there!

I wonder how much postage is from the states though - I'm guessing the kit (wheels, pedals, shifters) would be a pretty large, heavy and awkward box. I was looking around for them when I was in Europe and US, but never saw them in any shops. Mail Order only perhaps.

Chris

Wonder if Fanatec will set up a webshop for Australia. Wouldn't that be something? Local suppliers would probably drop the price by a lot. But I must say, the service is worth the extra money as far as I am concerned Pagnian Imports has been excellent.

Yeah, I know what you mean about getting the local service. It's such a pain that in Australia we pay so much more for a lot of things.
As a cyclist I'm always torn between paying local price for bike bits, or ordering them off the net from UK for under half price. I buy a bit from my local bike shop, but when a set of tyres cost $220 here and $90 from online, then it's hard... Then there's books - have you seen the price of books on Amazon compared to local? Crazy. Books are so cheap in the US.
So yeah, I would prefer to shop local for a steering wheel if the price difference wasn't sooo dramatic.

Chris (OD)

OctarineDream wrote:The pricing difference is ridiculous.

e.g. CSR wheel = $200 in USA, $400 through Simparts
CSR Wheel package = $370 in USA, $700 through Simparts.

Some distributor is skimming a lot of money there!

I wonder how much postage is from the states though - I'm guessing the kit (wheels, pedals, shifters) would be a pretty large, heavy and awkward box. I was looking around for them when I was in Europe and US, but never saw them in any shops. Mail Order only perhaps.

Chris

Getting it from States will be about $300, I looked at this option as well, you would be surprised at how small the boxes are actually. CSR and Clubsport pedals are relatively small. If I recall correctly Pagnian had the CSR Elite for $800? Given this is $540 in the States, once you get this through another group the price difference won't be that significant, about $100, for something that expensive it's not that big an issue especially once you look at warranty issues. Last year when I was looking at the CSR, Club pedals and rennsport stand $580, I used a third party group in Melbourne, I got it all for $820. So still cost $240 to get it here... Now I want the Elite wheel, not getting it any time soon, and I've just ordered the GTultimate cockpit from Pagnian, as it's the perfect solution for me. FYI Pagnian do give OZFM members discounts, they knocked $50 off the GTUltimate for me. I have a Rennsport stand for sale now if anyone's interested =)

Is that $300 postage, or $300 postage + fee to a third party company? Only asking because I have a couple of friends in USA who may do it for me for free (as long as I cough up the postage). I just sent a package home from the East coast of USA and it was around $50 for a pretty small box. USA doesn't offer surface mail anymore (shame as it was very cheap).
Canada does do surface mail, but it's still pretty expensive.
But if you're right and it's $300 postage, then yeah, I'd definitely pay the small amount extra and enjoy the warranty protection.
Now if only Pagnian had any in stock!

Chris (OD)

These were $300 from mail forwarders, but UPS is expensive, you have to be aware of state duty and other stuff like that as well. From memory mine was about $150 or so of freight, from Oregon, no tax. You can figure it all out at UPS's site as they can do a quote online. Worth the exercise. I don't know why Pagnian have so little stock in Fanatec, I wonder if it's difficult to get?