e-brake question: buy new or rig my own?

Sk3ptik0n · Feb 21, 2016

Since Automobilista is coming out and I am spending more and more time on Dirt Rally, I have decided to buy or build an e-brake. Right now, since I drive mostly vintage cars in DR, I am using my left paddle as on/off switch for my e-brake.
I also have a Thrustmaster RS500 H-patern/sequential & e-brake, but switching all the time is a pain and it would prevent me from using the H-pattern shifter. Plus, while adequate is a fr cry from having a real dedicated e-brake.

Question 1: I thought I saw a stand alone e-brake for around $100 but now I can't find it anymore. Anyone has any info on this? Otherwise, what's the best, affordable e-brake currently available?

Question 2: I have a DSD button box that seems to have at least 4 analog i/o built in. At least I can see them in the x-padder screens. It shows the name of the box being GP-Wiz40 and it has X,Y,Z,RX analog inputs that are not used. I saw on eBay some e-brakes for around $40 to $100 (if I recall correctly). I wonder how difficult it would be to re-purpose one of them and connect it to the button box. I remember asking Spear a long time ago about these analog inputs but he never replied. Yet, they must be there.

If anyone has any plans or even informed opinions (as opposed to "I use a button on my G27 and that's good enough for me") I'd appreciate it.
I am getting back into the hobby after a fairly long hiatus due to my wife's health, so I have been out of touch for a bit.
Thank you.

Edit: I forgot to add that I have an Obutto rig. I could use some tips on mounting an e-brake on the Obutto. Right now I have a plywood shelf that rotates on one of the side support, so when I need to use my H-pattern shifter, I loosen up this board, rotate it and clamp it down. When I want to use my DSD sequential (as opposed to taking apart my RS500 shifter) I rotate it back and clamp it. Works well, but adding an e-brake, especially considering I'd like to have it in both configurations, may be tricky. I'd like to see how others have tackled this problem.

asteroulis · Feb 21, 2016

It could be a dim sim handbrake you saw at this cost. If you see the unused axis they are there.If you have technical skills you can easily transform the eBay handbrake and make it a load cell or hydraulic or pot one.

GeniFx · Feb 21, 2016

I was thinking about the same a while ago. Also have a Obutto revolution.

I ended up building a Hydraulic handbrake. Works verry good but price is high. But i live in Norway so got alot of shipping cost aswell on the parts.

When i orderd my Obutto i did take the flightstick mounts aswell so i used one of those for mounting.

Seems like i cant upload pic

Moxley6969 · Feb 21, 2016

0$ hand brake for me, The 100$ handbrake your thinkin of is Fanatec, which for the $$ is a quality little unit, I got to check out buddy's the other day(popped the cover) and was pleasantly surprised at the construction. quality little piece of kit for sure.

here's what i cooked up in my workshop a couple weeks/month ago.

For mounting i used a Piece of 5mm Flat aluminum bar but that flexed a bit more than i had liked so went for a 1 1/4 Angle steel (From a Old bed frame) which took out the flex.

Old Alum mount, but same position basically. I only bolt it down with 1 bolt so it can be Spun out of the way if needed, or removed all together.

Sk3ptik0n · Feb 22, 2016

Moxley6969 said:
0$ hand brake for me, The 100$ handbrake your thinkin of is Fanatec, which for the $$ is a quality little unit, I got to check out buddy's the other day(popped the cover) and was pleasantly surprised at the construction. quality little piece of kit for sure.

Nice job there. Yes, it's the fanatec that I was thinking about. $100 is reasonable and it can be mounted either horizontal or rally/drift style vertically.
But I like your solution too. I recognize those parts from eBay, but not the box. The quality of the workmanship is really good. The only thing I don't see is the sensor. Is it a load cell? At first I wasn't convinced about a load cell. but then it occurred to me that you'd have less travel in the shaft and may actually be a superior solution. Already by Obutto feels pretty cramped, having something else stick out of it would be a pain.

I wish that Thrustmaster had designed their RS500 a bit better. There is no reason why one would need to change plates to switch from one configuration to the other. All they needed to do was create some sort of "overplate", one with a spring for the sequential and one for the e-brake with a different spring.
I have actually designed it and while mine would not work commercially, theirs could have simply been more finished and work well.
\Anyway, I may end up with the Fanatec. Now that it is available it seems silly to invest almost as much money into a DIY, unless it can be superior in performance. I'd like to hear from someone that has it and have been using it before buying though. Thanks for the pics.

RaceWasGood · Feb 22, 2016

I don't mean to hi-jack your thread Sk3ptik0n, but since i've considered the Fanatec handbrake too and i sense a bit of knowledge here

i thought i might ask as well. Do any of you know if the Fanatec handbrake has some sort of resistance and is it a load cell type of construction? They're not saying much at their website... Atm i'm using a TH8A shifter in analog mode and would like to step up a bit, without going for the hydraulic stuff and the price tag that comes with those. I mean there's hardly any resistance to speak about in the shifter.