Column: Adapting To My New Direct Drive Wheelbase

Paddles And Seat.jpeg
Upgrading from a T300RS to a CSL DD was a much more significant jump than I was expecting.
After seven long years with my Thrustmaster T300RS wheelbase, the upgrade to a direct drive base was finally on the cards. With just over a month of experience with the base, here is everything I have learnt while upgrading my entire setup.

To begin with, I took advantage of Fanatec's Black Friday deals and picked up their CSL DD 5Nm base with the sturdy WRC wheel rim, QR2 quick releases, and the simply brilliant V3 pedals. With shipping included, the overall price was £603.50. Fanatec has cleaned up its reputation for poor shipping times and communication, especially in the UK. I received all my parcels just eight days after ordering. I would say that is impressive for international postage.

Fanatec Wheel.jpeg

My new Fanatec setup after over a decade of using a DIY cockpit and a belt-driven T300RS Wheelbase.

About three weeks before I decided to make the jump to Fanatec and direct drive, my brother-in-law had mentioned he was very interested in giving sim racing a try, so my Thrustmaster was donated to him so that he could give the hobby a proper go without having to buy something like a Logitech wheel.

With this, my trusty DIY cockpit was also donated. I had built this with my father ten years ago when I was thirteen, so for this to stay in the family was a great relief to me. It certainly was not anything too spectacular, but for a wooden rig, it never gave me a single issue in the decade of use it saw. The seat was from my old BMW E36 drift car, so the seating position was fantastic, and the inverted T3PA Pro pedals gave me the perfect starting simulator.

Old Cockpit.jpg

My old DIY cockpit before I donated it to my younger brother-in-law

Since I now lacked a cockpit, I had to invest in something relatively compact and lightweight. Immediately, I wrote off complete aluminium profile cockpits from brands like SimLab and Trak Racer, so after some searching around, the new Fanatec CSL Cockpit became my new base for my sim racing antics.

With its lightweight tubular design, it was the perfect fit for my needs. It was light and small enough to fit into my office space. Having an entirely new setup was a rather strange feeling, but after a decade of sim racing, it was about time I upgraded my setup.

Adapting to a new setup​

After so long with a belt-driven wheelbase, upgrading to a direct-drive wheelbase was a dramatic change. The wheelbase slides perfectly into the CSL Cockpit, so mounting and setting up the wheel was straightforward. The software was also straightforward, with everything available directly from the Fanatec website. Unfortunately, the wheelbase is still in its 5Nm guise, but the 8Nm upgrade pack is due very soon.

CSL DD 8Nm.jpg

Fanatec CSL DD 8Nm. Image: Fanatec

After about an hour of testing, I was thrilled with the wheelbase. It was not all good news, though; a metallic grinding sound was coming from the wheelbase, but after some extensive research and investigating a few screws were replaced and torqued, it was sorted, and the wheelbase was back to working order.

So far, I am slower than I was with my Thrustmaster setup, but I'm sure my lap times will improve with time. I have noticed that my consistency with my trail braking has massively improved. With the 90kg loadcell pedal on the Fanatec V3 pedals, it's much easier to brake in the same manner each time I approach a corner. Check out Angus' column on how he adapted to loadcell pedals if you want to learn more.

Is Direct Drive a worthwhile upgrade?​

I think it goes without saying that all direct-drive wheelbases will outperform something like a T300RS or a Logitech G29, but there are plenty of other options outside of the Fanatec ecosystem if that is not a route you want to go down.

Pedals.jpeg

My brilliant Fanatec V3 pedals mounted on the CSL Cockpit.

If you are happy with your wheelbase, but maybe your wheelstand or desk is holding you back, check out our guide on a few of the best cockpits €500 can get you. This upgrade can make all the difference regarding comfort and stability whilst racing, especially for those longer sessions.

Overall, the upgrade was worth it. It took me some time to adjust to the new seating position, and a new monitor is undoubtedly required, but for now, this setup is more than enough for me.

What aspect of your setup do you want to upgrade next? Let us know in the comments down below!
  • Like
Reactions: terruf, guidofoc, Elmar3rd and 5 others
About author
Connor Minniss
Connor Minniss
Website Content Editor & Motorsport Photographer aiming to bring you the best of the best within the world of sim racing.

More in Hardware

Comments

Cote Dazur
You wrote: “So far, I am slower than I was with my Thrustmaster setup” but then conclude, “I think it goes without saying that all direct-drive wheelbases will outperform something like a T300RS or a Logitech G29” “Overall, the upgrade was worth it”
I have the same wheel, 5nm as well, switched from a CSR Elite. I would not go back but at the same time, I remember, that, at the beginning, the DD both felt so very right and odd at the same time. What did you find challenging to adapt to?
On the 8nm vs 5nm, your MMV, but in my case, I reverted to 5nm fairly quickly, as it feels more natural to me. As usual anything related to FFB is highly subjective.
 
DeicideB5S4
Premium
I have an R12 on the way, i've been using a G29 w/ ricotech loadcell brake mod & leo cable for 3 years roughly. I'm excited and nervous. I know I'll be slow for a bit before I'm use it but I'm excited about it finally being mine.
 
replicaz1427
I'd turn down your settings a bit. I remember when I switched over from TM to Fana I had things turned WAY too high up and I was sailing past an ocean of surface, road and suspension information. Basically I was in clip city and didn't really even know it, once I scaled things back quite some way my laptimes tumbled. I will say - I do think the information that the TM software translates and how it does is superior to Fana. I love my fanatec but it's still to this day not as intuitive to drive as my T300.
 
Kevin Troschinski
I also finally switched early last year from a t300rs to a CSL DD 8Nm.

First week i was kind of disappointed. The mistake was to drive the same per car ffbb settings or even crank them further up, because i was no more worried to become clipping. That was a mistake, the pure more power of the new wheel made me just miss all the common details even the basics like catching oversteer seemed to be harder.

Well after ressetting all the car ffb´s within all my sims (all way down)* and getting just used to the new wheel, the difference is really significant. Would never go back. I also think for the most of us a 8-12 Nm DD wheel is more than enough. And because of the fallen prices i would recommend everyone who can spend the money to get a DD wheel.

* the goal with a belt driven wheel was always to crank up the ffb as high as you can, just before the clipping starts. With a DD wheel this procedure is obsolete. If you go that high with a ffb like before, you just loose all feeling and hurt yourself.
 
Durge Driven
replicaz1427 said:
I love my fanatec but it's still to this day not as intuitive to drive as my T300.
Click to expand...

See this is where 2 peeps need to be in the same room because I am total opposite.

More likely, test someone's full setup you would have different experience then previously.
 
Last edited:
Nitro McClean
Premium
I went from a Logitech G27 to a Fanatec CSL DD. That was quite a jump. The gears of the G27 give it a characteristic feeling, like you feel the small road bumps. But in reality, what you feel is not small roadbumps, it is the gears. With the CSL DD it is like a big rumble / noise is gone in the ffb, and now I can actual feel what is in the FFB. So I can feel the real details in the track. But, this also means, when there are no such details in the track, you don't feel anything at all when driving in a straight line, or a liveless ffb when going into a corner and not going over the limit. At the end, it made me (and my son) faster and more consistent.

That was only the ffb in the wheel. The step from the G27 pedals to the Fanatec pedals was also big. Breaking feels way much better, Much easier to control the breaking.

Not everything went well. I still have the old rFactor. Unfortunately, setting up the ffb is not easy but complicated in the old rFactor. Thru the years I had found very good settings for the G27. But now with the Fanatac CSL DD it is terrible. I can't get decent working ffb for it in the old rFactor. So for driving in the old rFactor, I still prefer the 10 years old Logitech G27.
 
Last edited:
Kevin Troschinski
Nitro McClean said:
But, this also means, when there are no such details in the track, you don't feel anything at all when driving in a straight line, or a liveless ffb when going to a corner and not going over the limit.
Click to expand...
Thats actually strange to read. I mean one of the main advantages of my DD wheel over a T300 is that i finally feel the car also on the straight line, where the T300 was numb, and i feel earlier and more cornering details.
 
Nitro McClean
Premium
Kevin Troschinski said:
I know that "problem" with few bad Assetto or rF2 mods. Well finally thank to the wheel i found out the mods are just bad. :D
Click to expand...
No no, it is not the mods. I have a lot of mods for rF, rF2 and AC and I know the ffb in some mods can be terrible. But the problem with the Fanatec CSL DD ffb in the old rFactor is with every mod or original ISI car.
 
Z
Went from t300 to fana v2.5 was nice, but felt need more Nm after some time, got SC2 pro it was like transformation and coyld catch car way more easy, still my fav purchase, do not regret i spent more than i wanted and glad did not got fanatec DD1 as it felt not so good some how artificial when tested by my friends sim.
 
M D Gourley
Premium
Nitro McClean said:
Thru the years I had found very good settings for the G27. But now with the Fanatac CSL DD it is terrible. I can't get decent working ffb for it in the old rFactor. So for driving in the old rFactor, I still prefer the 10 years old Logitech G27.
Click to expand...

Yes, like you I still fire up some old Sims on occasion, 'Simbin' and although still on my Thrustmaster TSXW, the upgrade to DD had me concerned as you have suggested.
 
Cote Dazur
Reading those answers illustrate to me that when discussing FFB there is not a clear picture, there is what we like more and what we like less. Our expectation of what it should feel like is very personal, to the point that it does not matter what someone else says.
Some like it light, some like it heavy, It is a perpetual quest to some perceived state, one step forward, two steps back.
Until we get a sim with a revolutionary feedback we have to make with some sort of reactive coded information feedback signal supposed to tell us what the physic of the game is doing. If we favour immersive feeling over specific physic feedback, our expectations will be at the antipode.
 
jonelsorel
The hardest thing to adapt to my new Moza R21, jumping from a T300 RS, is it dying after 1 month of use, the first time a simracing product ever did this on me in 20 odd years. Their customer service was absolutely top notch in offering a fix (new mainboard), but shipping to Europe this time of year takes a bit.
 
Elmar3rd
Premium
Once I switched from the Thrustmaster T150 to the CSL DD 8 Nm. The goal was always to achieve settings just before clipping. Missing no detail at all!

For health reasons, I had to switch to very light settings and never want to go back.
It’s all about physically relaxed driving. Back and shoulders comfortably supported by the seat, arms hanging loosely, and using only the minimal strength needed for steering.

Not every type of detail is even helpful. For the rest, it's enough for me to feel the feedback in my fingers rather than all the way into my shoulders.
Feeling the car’s "momentum" and the connection to the road is important to me.
And then... getting to know the track.

My settings for FFB Strength:
- Wheelbase 100%
- Sim about 50%
- Car-specific adjustments around 50-70%
- As little FX as possible.

Just give it a try!
 
Kevin Troschinski
Elmar3rd said:
Once I switched from the Thrustmaster T150 to the CSL DD 8 Nm. The goal was always to achieve settings just before clipping. Missing no detail at all!

For health reasons, I had to switch to very light settings and never want to go back.
It’s all about physically relaxed driving. Back and shoulders comfortably supported by the seat, arms hanging loosely, and using only the minimal strength needed for steering.

Not every type of detail is even helpful. For the rest, it's enough for me to feel the feedback in my fingers rather than all the way into my shoulders.
Feeling the car’s "momentum" and the connection to the road is important to me.
And then... getting to know the track.

My settings for FFB Strength:
- Wheelbase 100%
- Sim about 50%
- Car-specific adjustments around 50-70%
- As little FX as possible.

Just give it a try!
Click to expand...
So your feelings with the CSL DD are not far away from mine. :thumbsup:

I think i will post all my sims settings here later, just in case someone is not 100% satisfied with his wheel feedback/performance. (Yes it´s always subjective, bad maybe worth trying.)
 
Nitro McClean
Premium
Cote Dazur said:
Reading those answers illustrate to me that when discussing FFB there is not a clear picture, there is what we like more and what we like less. Our expectation of what it should feel like is very personal, to the point that it does not matter what someone else says.
Some like it light, some like it heavy, It is a perpetual quest to some perceived state, one step forward, two steps back.
Until we get a sim with a revolutionary feedback we have to make with some sort of reactive coded information feedback signal supposed to tell us what the physic of the game is doing. If we favour immersive feeling over specific physic feedback, our expectations will be at the antipode.
Click to expand...

I am afraid there will never be sim a with a revolutionary feedback which will be good for all of us. The problem with our sims is, when driving a car in real life, we feel much more with our body and our organ of balance than we ever will feel in a racing sim. The very expensive moving sims from F1 teams generate the changes in gforces, but not the big continues gforces. When missing all this extra information it is very difficult to drive in a racing sim. Therefore race sim builders have added some extra ffb into the steering wheel, which is some kind of translation and replacement of the missing forces. In real live you don't feel these forces on the steering wheel, so this extra ffb is not as in real life, so you can say unrealistic. But a lot of sim racers use this "unrealsitic ffb" to feel what is going on.
How this extra ffb should be generated and which feels best, can be a matter of personal taste. Some sim racers even don't want this extra ffb, it is unnatural for them.

To make things even more complex is the combination of different components used to generate the ffb. It is not only the wheel or the racing sim. It depents also on how the track you are driving on is build and how the car you are driving in is build. The difference between a car with bad ffb and a car with good ffb in the same sim and the same steering wheel can be much bigger than the difference between two sims or two wheels.
And then we have the way everything is setup. The wheel itself has it own settings, the sim has as a whole has it own settings and the car itself can have its own settings. In an old sim like rFactor it is possible to use different plug ins for ffb at the same time, all with their own settings. For AC you can use extra things in csp for ffb, also with its own settings.
So even if we all would have the same preference for ffb, it is very hard to get it equeal with all the different components and settings we are using.
 
Last edited:
replicaz1427
Durge Driven said:
See this is where 2 peeps need to be in the same room because I am total opposite.

More likely, test someone's full setup you would have different experience then previously.
Click to expand...
Also, we are all looking for something different. So what works for me, preference wise (T300), isn't what other others might look for. I mean, if there was a 8.5nm T300 that had been released I would never have upgraded to my CSW 2.5.
 
replicaz1427
Nitro McClean said:
I went from a Logitech G27 to a Fanatec CSL DD. That was quite a jump. The gears of the G27 give it a characteristic feeling, like you feel the small road bumps. But in reality, what you feel is not small roadbumps, it is the gears. With the CSL DD it is like a big rumble / noise is gone in the ffb, and now I can actual feel what is in the FFB. So I can feel the real details in the track. But, this also means, when there are no such details in the track, you don't feel anything at all when driving in a straight line, or a liveless ffb when going into a corner and not going over the limit. At the end, it made me (and my son) faster and more consistent.

That was only the ffb in the wheel. The step from the G27 pedals to the Fanatec pedals was also big. Breaking feels way much better, Much easier to control the breaking.

Not everything went well. I still have the old rFactor. Unfortunately, setting up the ffb is not easy but complicated in the old rFactor. Thru the years I had found very good settings for the G27. But now with the Fanatac CSL DD it is terrible. I can't get decent working ffb for it in the old rFactor. So for driving in the old rFactor, I still prefer the 10 years old Logitech G27.
Click to expand...
I do know what you mean about the surface details. Quite a lot, well a huge amount in fact, of ported tracks from other games to AC have little to none surface details. In order to spice things up I usually edit the surfaces.ini file and add some canned effects so that it doesn't feel like I'm driving on a pool table and utterly lifeless. That's the one thing AMS1 and 2 do nail - track surface detail.
 

Latest News

Article information

Author
Connor Minniss
Article read time
3 min read
Views
3,982
Comments
26
Last update

Share this article

Back
Top