researching wheel and accessories upgrade

[jeefAD]

I've been working through upgrades piece by piece. Last year I upgraded my GPU and was able to purchase triples. This year I put together a DIY rig after a home office relocate to the basement.

Logitech G27: I think it's time to finally move on...

To that end, I've spent quite a bit of time watching videos, reading reviews and scouring forum posts. One challenge has been sorting out the old from the new -- technology moves fast, opinions change and there have been some dramatic pricing shifts over the years along with several new players/products. Add to that the impact of COVID on supply chain/product availability.

From all of that my plan was Fanatec: CSW 2.5 base, P1 rim, CSL pedals with load cell, shifter and handbrake.

Then, I came across AccuForce.

I consider myself a casual sim racer at this point, but my goal is to change that and get more seat time. I don't intend to run a "heavy" wheel, but feel I would appreciate responsiveness and subtleties in FFB.

From those with experience or have ventured this path, would swapping out the CSW/P1 for the AF v2 Pro be a sensible move?

I believe it works it out to a +$300 difference, which I admit is stretching the budget.

I did look at the DD1 but that would make for a +$650 difference and I'd probably want to opt for a higher cost rim as well to not be locked in low torque mode with the P1 rim.

For those that may ask/suggest, I did do some reading re: options from SIMAGIC and SIM-PLICITY as well as the OSW route (costly).

Thanks!

 

[Ruttman98]

I like the passion AccuForce has put into their product, their pricing is attractive, and their hardware and software is excellent quality. However, I would suggest saving a little more for the SimuCube 2 for a servo motor as opposed to the stepper motor. I almost went the SC2 Pro route but I found an excellent deal on a used Fanatec CSW v2.5 and a McLaren GT3 wheel.

There is an excellent discussion of the pros and cons of most DD wheel offerings in the thread below:

Podium DD's VS Simucube 2's

Hi guys, the past while I was trying to find good comparisons between these two models of dd's. Has anyone tested both ? I understand that the software for these aren't complete yet but is there any clear winner here ? thanks.

www.racedepartment.com

 

[Kek700]

From my point of view it is simple, if you want the best then arguably SC2.
If you want reasonable force feed back the SC2 sport.
If you want as much immersion as they possible can give, then SC2 wheels or similar wheel to go with it.
if you are only interested in racing, then a fanatec csw 2.5 is as good as any wheel motor combination.
After that it is a round and round in circles discussion on what’s best. One were loads of cash does not always get you what you think you need.

 

[blekenbleu]

The AF v2 Pro wheel button box is pretty ordinary. For modern GT or F1 sim racing, an appropriate wheel with dials and display for AF will be expensive, and cords to wheels are wear items.
FWIW, I use no wheel controls; my AF v2 wheel is cordless..

 

[xVatch1x]

FWIW, I use no wheel controls; my AF v2 wheel is cordless..

I am curious to see this. Do you just have a rim, no shift paddles or button box? Please share a photo if you can. Thanks.

 

[blekenbleu]

Do you just have a rim, no shift paddles or button box?

Correct, just a $25 pleather 32cm rim and $18 quick release.

Please share a photo if you can.

 

[jeefAD]

I like the passion AccuForce has put into their product, their pricing is attractive, and their hardware and software is excellent quality. However, I would suggest saving a little more for the SimuCube 2 for a servo motor as opposed to the stepper motor. I almost went the SC2 Pro route but I found an excellent deal on a used Fanatec CSW v2.5 and a McLaren GT3 wheel.

Agreed. The "tunability" of the AccuForce is definitely a plus along with inclusion of the wheel/button box at its price point. Have you tried a DD wheel and what are your thoughts on the CSW 2.5?

 

[Ruttman98]

Agreed. The "tunability" of the AccuForce is definitely a plus along with inclusion of the wheel/button box at its price point. Have you tried a DD wheel and what are your thoughts on the CSW 2.5?

Regretably, I have not tried a DD wheel AND my CSW 2.5 experience has been limited to an initial fire up to verify function after receiving it from a fellow sim racer.

My dilemma now is whether I should sell my McLaren wheel at the crazy prices they are fetching and replace with a Podium Hub/MOMO Prototipo wheel combo and have a little extra left to apply to the Podium Advanced Shifter Module.

 

[jeefAD]

From my point of view it is simple, if you want the best then arguably SC2.
If you want reasonable force feed back the SC2 sport.
If you want as much immersion as they possible can give, then SC2 wheels or similar wheel to go with it.
if you are only interested in racing, then a fanatec csw 2.5 is as good as any wheel motor combination.
After that it is a round and round in circles discussion on what’s best. One were loads of cash does not always get you what you think you need.

Indeed! Such a subjective discussion/decision -- I appreciate your concise reply/advice, so thank you.

I've never really been one to need the best. If it's anything similar to guitars, I learned a long time ago that while I can tell the difference between something entry level up to the $700 price point, a $2000+ Martin is just lost on me.

Back to wheels... I'm not likely to venture in SC2 territory so if the AccuForce v2 "Complete" didn't exist at $1000 USD, I would have already went with the CSW 2.5. Being what the market is today, the CSW 2.5 + any rim above the P1 nudges into a very comparable and challenging $800-$950 price point.

I suppose the nod to buying into the Fanatec ecosystem is a possibly future upgrade to a DDx base as prices/offerrings shift and re-use of the rim(s).

 

[CC]

Indeed! Such a subjective discussion/decision -- I appreciate your concise reply/advice, so thank you.

I've never really been one to need the best. If it's anything similar to guitars, I learned a long time ago that while I can tell the difference between something entry level up to the $700 price point, a $2000+ Martin is just lost on me.

Back to wheels... I'm not likely to venture in SC2 territory so if the AccuForce v2 "Complete" didn't exist at $1000 USD, I would have already went with the CSW 2.5. Being what the market is today, the CSW 2.5 + any rim above the P1 nudges into a very comparable and challenging $800-$950 price point.

I suppose the nod to buying into the Fanatec ecosystem is a possibly future upgrade to a DDx base as prices/offerrings shift and re-use of the rim(s).

I don’t think I ever heard 1 complaint with the AccuForce wheels apart from there customer service which seems to be hit or miss from reading over the years the support, tbh I just sold my 2.5 and now have a DD2 best off holding out for a second hand DD1 if you have patience, 1 just sold on eBay for £900.

 

[jeefAD]

Amidst the priorities of life I found time for a little more consideration over the weekend and came away with the acknowledgment that I've been putting more focus on the wheel, which was largely prompted by the $ value proposition of the CSW 2.5 + hub/rim vs AccuForce v2.

I'm considering a bit of a shift that puts more focus on pedals, which I generally see recommended as the more impactful upgrade.

So... amended approach: CSW 2.5 + hub/rim and Heusinkveld Sprint pedals.

Having never tried a wheel beyond my Logitech G27, I see the value of the CSW over CSL base. I prefer and would appreciate the build quality advantages, reported smoothness, flexibility with additional negative drift mode (damper) settings and the extra strength could/should afford a little extra headroom/fidelity.

I was going to go with CSL Elite pedals as good enough, but my reading lead me to plenty of conversation around the clutch/throttle pots and consistency of the load cell in the brake. I could opt for the CSP v3, which do have great reviews especially when used with the Brake Performance Kit. But at ~$400 USD (incl. BPK) I could factor in the savings of not going DD at this point and consider stretching $300 to the Heusinkveld's at ~$690 USD.

This leaves the door open for future DDx upgrade and reuse of the hub/rim(s) come that point...

Doing some reading on the Sprints now because rabbit holes are fun.

 

[CC]

Amidst the priorities of life I found time for a little more consideration over the weekend and came away with the acknowledgment that I've been putting more focus on the wheel, which was largely prompted by the $ value proposition of the CSW 2.5 + hub/rim vs AccuForce v2.

I'm considering a bit of a shift that puts more focus on pedals, which I generally see recommended as the more impactful upgrade.

So... amended approach: CSW 2.5 + hub/rim and Heusinkveld Sprint pedals.

Having never tried a wheel beyond my Logitech G27, I see the value of the CSW over CSL base. I prefer and would appreciate the build quality advantages, reported smoothness, flexibility with additional negative drift mode (damper) settings and the extra strength could/should afford a little extra headroom/fidelity.

I was going to go with CSL Elite pedals as good enough, but my reading lead me to plenty of conversation around the clutch/throttle pots and consistency of the load cell in the brake. I could opt for the CSP v3, which do have great reviews especially when used with the Brake Performance Kit. But at ~$400 USD (incl. BPK) I could factor in the savings of not going DD at this point and consider stretching $300 to the Heusinkveld's at ~$690 USD.

This leaves the door open for future DDx upgrade and reuse of the hub/rim(s) come that point...

Doing some reading on the Sprints now because rabbit holes are fun.

I owned a CSL PS4 + 2 different CSW2.5
The 2.5 is twice the base of the CSL
With the latest firmware it’s even better now the 2.5 great base for the money.

 

[jeefAD]

Well... after all the reading/research and back-and-forth, I inadvertently was able to benefit from Fanatec's Black Friday pricing. Woo!

Everything arrived over the holiday break and I finished initial setup tonight. I did stick to the amended plan, which included the CSW 2.5 and Heusinkveld Sprint pedals as the core components.

I wanted to make an attempt at quantifying the upgrade, so I did 10 laps with a car/track I'm comfortable with before removing the Logitech G27. After setting up the new gear I repeated another 10 laps with the same car/track (incl. setup/conditions). I wanted to do more, but time was a factor.

The result? For this initial outting with the new gear, my best lap time between the two sessions decreased by 2.261 seconds (approx. 1.89%). That's with next to no tuning of the FFB settings beyond initial calibraiton, which I definitely need to spend more time with. I also need some time to adapt to the load cell brake/brake force required by the Sprints as well as develop new muscle memory with the new HE pedals/Fanatec shifter.

I'm looking forward to trying the Fanatec Handbrake and Dirt Rally 2.0 for the first time tomorrow! Santa brought me a gift card for iRacing so I'll start that venture soon...

Thanks for all of the input and suggestions!

 

[Kek700]

You bought, in my opinion, the perfect sweet spot in Simracing gear.