In a perfect world, all of us would enjoy our favorite driving games in the comfort of a purpose-built virtual cockpit. Unfortunately, practical limitations like space, cost, and wives prevent most virtual racers from achieving this ideal. Although such circumstances may inspire creative solutions, nothing is more frustrating than spending $250 on a Logitech G25 or Fanatec 911 without a proper place to enjoy it. This is the problem the Wheel Stand Pro aims to solve – read our full review to see how it stacks up!
First Impressions
The Wheel Stand Pro manufacturer is based out of Poland, but it did not have an impact on delivery time. Tracking information was provided after the unit was shipped, making it easy to monitor its progress. The box arrived in good condition, and all of the contents appeared safe inside. Here’s what it contained:
- Instruction sheet
- G25 shifter plate
- Wheel Stand Pro unit
- Package of tools and small parts, containing:
- Zip-ties (2) for managing wires
- Wrench
- Allen keys (2)
- Wing bolt
- Screws (4)
- Metal bar
Customs had taken a peek at the contents, but nothing was out of place. The instruction sheet was professionally laminated – a minor touch, but the attention to detail did not go unnoticed. The wheel stand itself was very heavy and appears to be made of smoothly finished, high quality materials.
Assembly
The simplicity of the Wheel Stand Pro means that there is virtually nothing to assemble, and the actual setup time simply involves attaching your steering wheel to the unit. You begin by releasing one of the heavy-duty latches which controls the movement of the wheel stand on the base. At first, the latch was a bit stubborn. However, a quick adjustment of the bolt opposite the latch solved the problem and provides you, the user, with the option to control the strength of the latch as you see fit.
Next, the Logitech G25 pedals are attached to the base of the unit. As indicated by the instruction sheet, the included metal bar and wing bolt do an excellent good job of holding them in place. The only downside to this mechanism is the awkward method of installation. As you may know, the G25 pedals are quite heavy, and you must find some way to hold them and the bar in place while turning the bolt. I later discovered the bar is not entirely necessary, as four adjustable rubber sheaths on the base of the wheel stand are more than capable of holding the pedals in place. However, if you are going to move your wheel stand around for storage, it’s worth the additional effort to lock everything down.
The Logitech G25 version of the Wheel Stand Pro comes with an additional metal plate used to mount the gear shift module. Unfortunately, because this plate is not attached to the wheel stand itself, it introduces a layer of difficulty to attaching the steering wheel, and you must find some way to hold the wheel and bar in place while feeling for the necessary holes with the screw. Of course, once the wheel is on, mounting the shifter is quick and easy. As with the pedals, it’s best to do all of this while the unit is laying on its side. The holes in the wheel stand and G25 attachment plate do line up perfectly with those on the steering wheel, and the provided screws are the correct length and easily adjustable by hand.
Adjustment
The Wheel Stand Pro can be adjusted in three different ways: the tilt of the steering wheel, the height of the steering wheel column, and the position of the column itself. The tilt is controlled by using the wrench and Allen key to tighten the wheel plate. Be careful here – if you loosen up this bolt too quickly, the wheel quickly swings down. The same warning applies to the latches that control the height and position, so always keep one hand on the wheel itself to prevent any surprises. Once you’ve got everything set, though, the adjustment controls can be securely locked, and you probably won’t have to touch them again.
The Fun Part
At first, I was a bit skeptical of the wheel stand. Would it be tall enough? Would the support column get in the way of breaking and heel-toe downshifting? Will it actually be sturdy enough? After the first lap, all of these questions were long gone – the height was perfect for my couch, I was heel-toeing without thinking, and only the most deliberately aggressive counter-steering could shake the support column. Previously, I had used my G25 attached to a sturdy large table with a contemporary seat made of wood and metal, and I was not expecting the Wheel Stand Pro to provide the level of stability that I was used to. I was quite happy to be wrong, and the driving position on my couch was much more comfortable than the wooden chair. After just a few laps, I was setting top 30 times around Eiger in the tuned 350Z. Thick, rubber coating at the edges of the base prevented the stand from sliding around on the carpet. Here’s a quick video I put together which shows it in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipbYycrSJww
Storage
As good as the driving experience was with the Wheel Stand Pro, I did not fully appreciate its convenience until I was finished playing. Once folded and unplugged, the unit can be picked up and moved around without a fuss. You can lean it up against the wall, slide it into a closet, and forget about it – aside from the dangling USB and power cords, the wheel is completely self-contained on the stand. This enables it to be put up and taken down quickly. If you have the space in your own vehicle, it can easily be transported to a friend’s house.
Conclusion
Coming in at $179 (for the G25 version, $149 without the shift plate) you are going to be hard-pressed to find a better way to get the most out of your $250 steering wheel investment. You don’t need me to tell you that the Wheel Stand Pro is not going to provide the same experience as a large, purpose-built racing seat – that isn’t the point. Instead, it offers a practical, affordable solution to a problem that has plauged living room racers for over a decade. Despite a slightly awkward setup, the stand’s usability and convenience make it a no-brainer for anyone on a budget. Highly recommended.
Where to Buy
Visit WheelStandPro.com to purchase the stand directly from the manufacturer. They offer free shipping to anywhere in the world and provide a “no questions asked” full refund (minus return shipping costs) for up to one week after the date of purchase.
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This guys are amazing. I’ve been in touch with their Customer Support and they were really useful. I asked what table would fit for my requirement. I have the Drive Force GT and planning to upgrade when the G27 will be full supported by GT5. I got an answer within an hour.
I am waiting for the stand now. Happy that they are close to my country so I don’t expect to wait that much :)
VARP
That actually looks solid,will probably pick one up.
There is a US distributor for Wheelstandpro now. http://www.wheelstandpro.us You can get the stands for less and get them quicker! Enjoy your racing
Last Thursday evening, after reading Jordan’s review, I ordered a Wheel Stand Pro online. Yesterday (Monday) morning I received it from Poland here in the UK after tracking it online across Europe with the provided tracking number (the manufacturers sent out the Wheel Stand Pro very quickly, and kept me informed by email,; the few days inbetween were down to the parcel delivery company). The box had been opened somewhere in transit – as the end was open – but fortunately nothing was missing. Assembly was pretty straightforward – yes, there were a couple of fiddly bits to align things but nothing too difficult. I sat on my couch and adjusted the Wheel Stand Pro for the most comfortable position and then was off with GT5P. I was quickly very impressed. From Jordan’s video I was a bit concerned with the stability of the stand. The wheel (but not the base of the stand) does wobble around a bit but it doesn’t cause a problem at all whilst driving – I don’t think any of the ‘feel’ is lost – and the base of the stand stays rock solid in place. Whilst driving you can concentrate on just the driving, not keeping the stand in place. I run GT5P at FFB 10 and it was fine. I even tried the Ferrari F1 car and again no problem. Ditto using Ferrari Challenge and GT4. When you’re finished it quickly folds up into a more compact form for storage. My only disappointment was that with the G25 pedals fixed to the base the stand doesn’t fold completely as the steering column hits the brake pedal – so it doesn’t become quite as compact as it could be. Anyway, I’m so pleased that from now on I can get to use my G25 a lot more than before when it was so much hassle to get the G25 out and set up. Now it is literally a 1 minute job to get it out, unfold the stand, plug it in and away I go. I thoroughly recommend the Wheel Stand Pro to anyone who can’t afford the space and inconvenience of a fixed cockpit set up.
Nice job at hiding your face, Jordan. You’re like some sort of internet super hero.
I have one as well, also with the G25. It works very well, I have no regret of getting it at all. Also, delivery was very fast. It was delivered from Poland to The Netherlands in a day or two.
Rigidity is not an issue, the main reason it’s so stable is because it absorbs any motion, something that would not work if it were completely static. It also adapts perfectly to people of any size or any seat you happen to be using.
I have shown this stand to several people with wheels looking for a portable situation. All of them decided to order one right away after trying it.
Note: the clamps do loosen up a bit after you have it for a while. Just tighten the bolts again and it’s solid as a rock again.
This stand dosent look very stable to me. In the video there was tons of movement. Not sure If I could handle that.
Yes, the wheel and shifter are on a steel plate. Just unscrew them and switch around.
can u switch the shifter to the other side (so it sits on the left of the wheel and stand?)
that wheel look amazing it works with ps2 ps3 and pc it is the real driving simulator i see it only $330 in australia dollars i should of bougth it when it was cheap nice videos you guys keep up the good work
VEXD, do you really think people who buy this peripheral are going to be so bothered about a few 10ths lost here or there due to a bit of movement? You try and balance your post at the end, but for what? Let’s add some extensions. Let’s add an extension that can make use of the players own body weight. Even better, why not add a seat and fasten the whole thing to that? Oh wait, this is for people who don’t have the room for a full cockpit setup…
I think the price seems fair, for what you’re getting.
My immediate thought was “not enough lateral stability” and it loox like I may be right.
This is just my opinion, but I’ve found from using a few cockpits over the years that if you’re even slightly having to compensate for the lack of rigidity during some fast wheel work, then your times/drifts/fun will suffer.
Some extensions to the base’s lateral supports should help, or even better; an extension that allows the players own body weight to restrict movement in any direction, would be beneficial.
Like the big man says though: It’s not all that for everyone, but for anyone who needs convenience when they want to game, and a happy marriage, this loox pretty spot on.
Nice. Seems like a good solution. I am concerned about it being comfortable though as it seems your back might not have anywhere to rest. I find the price to be high for what it is too.
Price seems a little steep for just a steel stand. But i’ll ignore this. It looks worth it.
This is exactly what I’ve been waiting for! At the moment my G25 gets clamped to the coffee table, via bits of badly put together wood, and I sit on a bean bag. It’s a big hassle and gets in the way which means most of the time I use a sixaxis instead. So thanks for this review Jordan. I’ve just gone and ordered one!
@PJ: Yes, that’s me driving, but I was being unreasonably aggressive to push the wheel stand to its limit. I’m not actually that bad… :P
I have this and I totally recommend it…you have to ensure that your seat is not too tall but you don´t have to worry about anything else. By the way, their delivery service is excellent.
I’m buying this. Looks good and tough. Now i can put away my old fold out wobbly table. Jordan, is that you driving? Cause you crashed at 1:27 and at 1:55 and 2:20. You need to brush up on your skills lol.
Thanks for the great review. I’ve been using a henious table I built myself out of 2×4’s that, while it works very well, is a complete pain in the ass. This sounds pretty good!
Anyone know how this compares to the Fanatec stand. Both appear to be getting good reviews. Is one better than the other.
Hi,
I’m from Belgium.
Because our tv and playstation is in our living room,
I can’t get a real cockpit in there.
I thought of building my own stand, but I never came to it.
Last week I came on the wheelstandpro site, and I ordered one on Thursday.
This tuesday it was already here.
I had the chance to give it a try and I must say it does the job very well!
I just have to become used to the fact my shifter is more before me than next to me,
which it was in the past. And you need a low chair or coach to use it because it’s not thatttt high.
But it’s real steady! I enjoy it,
and it’s easy to take away
Tim
I think some people should be warned about those pieces rubber tubes that give you grip agains the floor. If you have plastic floors (like I) they will “ooze” some sort of oil that will ruin the floor. It leaves these ugly brown marks after sitting a while on the same place.
I bought mine last summer and it didn’t have those holes on the plates so I have to driff them by my self (for the shifter at least).
Stabilitywise I found drifting with this impossible. So I you are drifting fan, I wouldn’t recommend this. While racing stability has been never an issue.
PS. Those brown marks can’t be wiped or rubbed off, they are inside the carpet. You know, oil and plastic have something in common. Someone even suggested that it’s pretty complex chemical reaction.
I’m glad you found the review useful, 80Y. Just to let you know, I’ve updated the post to included a short video of the wheel in action from two different perspectives which you may find interesting.
This is great. I’ve been saving up for this very table for a bit and it’s great to finally find a decent review.
Another this that should’ve been noted is that the good people at wheelstandpro.com are really passionate about their product which means if you have any questions about it, they can be very helpful.
I asked about wether the G25 table would still support other logitec wheels and I got a very friendly answer (it was yes by the way), which is good if you thing you will upgrade.
thanks for the review
80Y