Hello

Probably a stupid question, but what is the point of an expensive DirectDrive steering wheel and the load cell technology for the brakes?

I drive decent times with my old-fashioned G27. Does it make sense to switch to another product (apart from the fact that the available drivers are ancient). I am currently not using 100% of the available force feedback steering wheel strength (which should be around 3nm at most). So what do I get out of it if the future steering wheel is 2-3x as strong (nm)? I am not the youngest anymore and I don't want to put unnecessary strain on my wrists.

And yes, so far the best I can get is a G27! I haven't had the chance to try out another steering wheel yet. The price of the "better" steering wheels also puts me off. Because I don't see any added value (apart from the driver issue) in such an investment.

So far I have looked at the technical data of the following steering wheels:
- Logitech G Pro Wheel & Pedals
- Turtle Beach Veolocity One Race
- Moza R5 Set

To be honest, I am a bit overwhelmed by the selection of other products!

Now I'll probably be inundated with information and feedback...

Or not? No reaction/opinion/feedback at all?

Since no one jumps on the wagon, I'll give you my two cents.I have been using a DD wheel for almost a year (R5 set) and I have never driven or owned a wheel before, mouse rules

The whole point of direct drive wheels is, in the great part, to reduce any slack between the gears and belts of a gear driven wheel. Secondly, to provide a greater range of forces and also greater granularity (more points of 'contact'(feedback) across the 360 deg of rotation)

If you have the coin and the space for a rig with a good seat, it does not make much sense to cheap out on the wheel, on the contrary, if you are driving in a desk, the opposite applies. Although the R5 comes with a desk adapter and there are people out there using it on this form, I believe that is similar to investing in great socks when your shoes have holes. Although it makes sense if you are planning to buy the rig but decide to spend first on the wheel...

The feedback I have had on this setup, is the amount of detail transferred to the wheel on rally sims, dirt2 and rbr, the details of the road surfaces is awesome. On LFS tarmac, it is so smooth that I think it would not make much difference in the upgrade (except for removing any slack, if your setup have any). I believe the slack is most noticeable when you are driving straight, and you feel the shift from left to right with the small changes to the car balance.

I have no experience with load cell pedals, I am currently using the R5 pedals set with the hardest spring and bushing, I am satisfied with them, although the consensus is that load cell pedals, after the adaptation period of around a month, improve your braking considerably.

All in all, if you are having fun with your current setup then dont waste time worrying about equipment, go out and drive !

It really depends on what you're looking for in a wheel to be fair. If you feel like you have an enjoyable and a fast experience with your G27 then it wouldn't probably atleast hurt to wait until the base level direct drives get around to the same price range. You can go fast with this wheel, but it lacks a lot of information in comparison to these direct drive sets which might even have load cell brake pedal bundled.

Logitech's stock brake pedal in 25/27 is basically linear which can be fixed by various assortment of mods such as stiffer springs or maybe even a foam bit to make it feel more like you are adjusting your braking with pressure instead of pedal travel. I personally have a separate USB adapter and a GT/rally brake pedal mod by 3Drap (https://www.3drap.it/product/brake-pedal-mod-formula-logitech-g25-g27/). It took about a month or two to get used to properly but it's a clear difference over the stock setup. The USB adapter for pedals make the axis more clear(better "resolution") over the original connection through the wheel.

Though if you can afford anything better and want to spend time simracing then it's definitely better to get a direct drive and a load cell brake over logitech. There is always a ~3-5° deadzone in the force feedback with this wheel at the dead center because Logitech argued the motors would be fighting each other if it's any less. And since load cells are pressure sensitive this seems the best choice for brakes in simulation environment.

I've been personally looking at Moza DD R9 wheel base, been hearing it's the most "budget/longevity" solution in terms of wheel base but i'm uncertain which pedals i would like to pair with them, and in the start i might be pairing my logitech pedals with it because i have too many other things i need to throw money at.

EDIT: i forgot to also add that the more force your wheel can produce, the less clipping it would have. at the forces i have with my G27 they would be clipping way before the peak forces, in every racing sim, so you might have more information just because the forces given by the sim aren't enough to cause said clipping.

Thanks for making me spend another 50 euros on the elastomer mod for the r5 brake pedal.

Guys, thanks for your feedback and experience reports

A colleague has ordered a Moza R5 set. I'll probably be able to test it out.

I'm probably going to get a Moza R9. Will see...

Quote from cuni :

Thanks for making me spend another 50 euros on the elastomer mod for the r5 brake pedal.

i spent 70 euro total for the usb adapter and sponge, which is just 30 euro shy of the price i paid for this current 27

In the meantime, I was able to try out the Moza R5. Compared to the G27, it's in a different league (at least for my taste). The driving experience is much more intense than with the old G27! The many setting options compared to the G27 are challenging, but it's also fun to find out what effects they have.

The turtle Beach is $399 in USA

Quote from Gabkicks :

The turtle Beach is $399 in USA

In Switzerland it costs around 530 CHF!

For me, the Moza R12 is the better but also more expensive choice. The steering wheel should now last as long as the G27! (10+ years)