Is Brake Perfomance Kit worth to fanatec V3 pedal brake

[skiper271]

Hello

I have a problem with my brake. After long time I decided to buy BPK because my braking in Iracing and feel of the pedal was terrible experience. Is that kit improve a lot the braking and feel? I hope my lap times would be much better on qualify and race distance.

 

[G-Slev]

I have one on order, so I will let you know when it arrives.

 

[anton_Chez]

YES

 

[Fat-Alfie]

NO

Mine is still in the box that it arrived in, unused

 

[anton_Chez]

If it's unused, how would you know? As far as I'm concerned, it's a better investment that the damper kits. It's cheaper and it fixes the issue I had with the pedal having a notchy feeling to it. Modulation was better for me with the performance kit and I think that now that it's been so long and the pedals have been on the market for quite a while, it's time for Fanatec to start including it as stock with the purchase of the pedals.

 

[Fat-Alfie]

'Unused' as in; I bought it, I fitted it, wasn't impressed with the feeling, so went back to the stock elastomers. So it is now 'unused'.

 

[anton_Chez]

Very strange. Unless you were selling it, I have no idea how it could actually be bad enough that the stock ones are better.

 

[RedBull48]

Personally I felt it improved the pedals. I ended up actually using 3 elastomers and ditching the white foam pu all together. I felt this reduced the overall sponginess I perceived in the pedal set. Ultimately I ended up upgrading to Heusinkveld sprints but personally I believe the various possible combinations of elastomers makes it worth trying.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I used one sponge, one red and one green. It made a worthwhile difference.

 

[RedBull48]

I should also note, when I used 3 elastomers in my brake I had to cut one to about the size of the white pu foam. This was to allow enough space for the cylinder back into the load cell housing.

 

[anton_Chez]

I'm pretty sure you're supposed to use some combination of 2 performance kit parts. I can't remember if I used the original one in the final setting. I know I had at least one in a bag.

Ah yeah I just checked. They give you a new foam one so definitely get rid of the stock one that comes with the pedals.

 

[RedBull48]

Yes, technically you are supposed to use 2 of the performance rubbers and the supplied pu foam however you are free to do whatever you want with your pedals for testing

 

[gecco]

Imho, the BPK makes a difference, depending on the total brake pressure you use.
If the maximum brake pressure is set rather low in the driver, the default PU foam may work well.

When the maximum brake pressure in the driver is set rather high though, the original foam, being too soft, is fully depressed too soon, leaving you with a feeling of having no progression in the travel, and a brake pedal that has reached its mechanical end of travel, when you're still not braking too hard, and can apply more pressure still.

With the BPK elastomers, you can not fully depress the brake pedal anymore. With increasing pressure the travel gets progressively less and less, just like a real brake does. To what degree depends on how the 4 different elastomers of the BPK are combined.

I also have the impression, that the original PU foam gets softer over time, because I remember having been happy with the brake at first, but really becoming annoyed with the mushy feel after some months...

Not all is good though. It is quite messy and time consuming to disassamble the brake cylinder for exchanging the elastomers, until the right combo has been found.
I've fiddled around with it a whole evening, but not touched again ever since.

 

[miker]

Yes, but as above...it's a proper ball ache fitting them, then unfitting them and trying a different combo etc

 

[St3fan]

I find Fanatec's shipping costs the same as the BPK itself which is the reason I am reluctantly buying the BPK. Currently I am using V3 inverted with damper on the brake in its stock form. Do you guys recommend getting BPK and keeping the V3 as long as one can, or wait and save for things like Protosimtech, Heusinkveld sprints or Mecca cup 1?

 

[RedBull48]

I suppose it really depends on how long it would take you to save up for an upgrade. I used my V3's for about 6 months before I decided to upgrade to HE sprints. Personally I just found the V3's too spongy for my liking even with the BPK. I have been extremely happy with my HE sprint purchase and I finally have a pedal that I am happy with the feel. But as Barry always says on SRG we are entering the land of subjectivity. I felt very assured in my hefty pedal investment based on community feedback regarding Heusinkveld. I have also experienced their exemplary tech support first hand. If it's something you are genuinely considering I would suggest saving for an upgrade.

 

[gecco]

The way my V3s are today, with the BPKs elastomers dialed in and the damper installed, and the distance between gas and brake changed (total disassambly required), and the extra pedal faces installed,...they work great.
Honestly considering the hassle and tinkering required to get them to be as I want though, I'd probably not buy again.
On the other hand, I bought mine back in 2016, and they have not developed one single flaw since then, so...I do not regret buying them either.

 

[blekenbleu]

Do you guys recommend getting BPK and keeping the V3 as long as one can, or wait and save for things like Protosimtech, Heusinkveld sprints or Mecca cup 1?

FWIW, swapping Heusinkveld Elastomer Kit – Sprint bits into Protosimtech brake
improved feel for me; no idea whether they also fit V3s..