Fanatec Podium Direct Drive Wheel Bases Thread

  • Thread starter super_gt
  • 3,719 comments
  • 543,121 views
Lots of people have criticised Fanatec's reliability, so its good to know that there are happy Fanatec users here.

You were the only person criticizing their reliability lol.

The ignore button is such a great feature. :)
 
Last edited:
Lots of people have criticised Fanatec's reliability, so its good to know that there are happy Fanatec users here.
It’s been a while since they had genuine hardware issues across an entire range like they had with the CSW V1 motor, V1 pedals (arguably the V2’s too) needed a lot of upkeep and the V1 shifter had gear selection issues.

The only other thing I ever saw reports of issues with was the original CSL P1 rim QR cracking but not sure if that’s because some people were overly aggressive as it’s plastic so I’m not surprised it needed a soft touch but they thickened it so perhaps it was a problem on early models.

Personally I didn’t use any of that gear and can’t comment, my only issues with their kit was the cheap soft aluminium bolts and inserts which I’ve had issues with on every bit of gear and the locking screw on the QR of my CSW V2 somehow completely jamming and not being able to get the wheel off was the final straw.

Actual performance/reliability was absolutely fine.
 
I was a bit worried because on Fanatec's Facebook page for Australia (which I think is a narrowed more "Aussi" version of their Facebook page and I don't know about Facebook architecture) the first thing one sees - or I see on their page - is an "Don't Buy Fanatec" warning, and someone complaining about how their V3 pedals had a load cell issue, and that Fanatec treated the buyer badly and the end result the buyer claimed was that he bought a replacement load cell for a few dollars off eBay. I looked at the page only last week and the CEO's video on the DD setup was there with its auction explanation; and the "Don't Buy Fanatec" guy was still the first thing I saw.

Edit: However I was going to list the Facebook listing here, and I opened the Facebook page and plugged in Fanatec - and now, the "Don't Buy Fanatec" at last has gone!

Lots of listings there of companies who of course don't sell Fanatec there now ... I don't know why companies like Fanatec rely on Facebook, when they have the Web and can control the environment much better IMO.

Still glad that the criticisms aren't too much of a worry. They couldn't have been that much because I have just paid for the Elite PS4 setup plus the V3 pedals while being aware of some unhappy and complaining user(s).

I figured I'd sell the Elite PS4 wheelbase with the unused Elite pedals. The V3s don't cost much more than the Elite pedals after you upgrade the LC pedals to having a load cell brake. If you upgrade the LC pedals to the load cell setup, you loose the bundle discount. So the V3's cost around $100 more than the LC load celled pedals. Buying a bundle, the LC pedals cost $49, so I bought them as well as the V3's.

Curiously though the LC pedals are 16 bit ... not sure many games support 16 bit though.
 
Don’t worry I have seen a lot of negativity towards Fanatec stuff as well where they tell you to avoid them like the plague, because Fanatec used to have very bad customer service and their products would break like cheap Chinese crap,
 
Don’t worry I have seen a lot of negativity towards Fanatec stuff as well where they tell you to avoid them like the plague, because Fanatec used to have very bad customer service and their products would break like cheap Chinese crap,
It is typical consumer behavior. Where the voices of people who have had bad luck and receive lemons are so loud you dont even here the rest of the crowd (who are perfectly happy). Some people are just impatient and have a temper.
 
Lots of people have criticised Fanatec's reliability, so its good to know that there are happy Fanatec users here.
I'll voice my opinion on Fanatec: Love em to bits. Compared to my 2 x T300s that died within 48 hours of their purchase, my Fanatec gear feels solid AF. No creaking, no play, just pure joy to use. Been using for a year, not a problem in sight.
 
Shake hands. I switched from a T300 when the fan was broken to 'just' a CSL Elite with LC pedals with loadcell brake. Later added the McLaren GT3 once it became available. two words: LOVE IT!

Now I will upgrade to a DD1. Waiting eagerly for the auction or I will pre order within a couple of weeks. Would be a nice Christmas present.

Agree with @PocketZeven and others. Sometimes you almost have to apologize for being enthusiastic and/or positive about a product, solution or whatever. Peoples even think you're being paid or got the product for free....wishfull thinking/wish it was true. Often it is mentalily, character, half empty vs half full. You can easily guess what I prefer.


Haha most challenging (for me) is to 'sell' my new investment first to my lovely wife. I know that only goes for me so no one else would recognize that :D
Now with the DD1 coming my convincing story was that our holiday was €1000 cheaper then expected. So we had some spare money. Bank interest is 0,005%. Sold :bowdown: Love her!

Happy racing!
 
It is typical consumer behavior. Where the voices of people who have had bad luck and receive lemons are so loud you dont even here the rest of the crowd (who are perfectly happy). Some people are just impatient and have a temper.

The simracing community is full of some truly awful negative people. Anything and everything that happens is always someone else's fault. The game dev, the hardware maker, and so on and so on. They yell and scream and spew irrational nonsense while the rest of us enjoy the amazing stuff people are making for everyone.
 
..


Haha most challenging (for me) is to 'sell' my new investment first to my lovely wife. I know that only goes for me so no one else would recognize that :D
Now with the DD1 coming my convincing story was that our holiday was €1000 cheaper then expected. So we had some spare money. Bank interest is 0,005%. Sold :bowdown: Love her!

Happy racing!

I have that issue too but I can afford what I like. However if I spend heaps on new stuff she'd think I am playing too much ... so I am in the same boat but for different reasons! Good news is that she is unlikely to realise the gear has changed ... and its in a Gym room and she's not likely to go there I am banking on.

She's always telling me I need a hobby but if I spent huge time on it she'd think I am obsessed.

If my darling wife uses the gym then ... maybe I need a nice cover for the wheel ... its also a reason why I wanted the V3 wheels to go in straight away! I reckon the peddles are more easy to recognise as being somehow different!! :nervous: :cheers:
 
Dilemma: what should I get, a wife or a complete new racing cockpit with a DD1?

dilemma smiley apart 1.jpg
 
Get the Cockpit...

I've done it the other way around, and lets just say. the wife will thwart all plans to get a cockpit. I went through hell just to build a Gaming PC. Trying to get the green light on a DD Wheel. Well lets just say I'd have an easier time convincing her to let me have an extra marital affair.
 
The simracing community is full of some truly awful negative people. Anything and everything that happens is always someone else's fault. The game dev, the hardware maker, and so on and so on. They yell and scream and spew irrational nonsense while the rest of us enjoy the amazing stuff people are making for everyone.
Luckily my experience isnt that negative. Most in simracing are very helpfull. But I think it has more to do with people in gaming overall. People in multiplayer games can be agressive, impatient and toxic. One of the main reasons I personally dont like online gaming. I used to play PES online to quite a good level, but cheats, disconnecters and especially whining harassers just ruined the experience for me. I dont take the insults personally anyways, it is probably an outlet for many for a bad day or depressing reality.
 
Shake hands. I switched from a T300 when the fan was broken to 'just' a CSL Elite with LC pedals with loadcell brake. Later added the McLaren GT3 once it became available. two words: LOVE IT!

Now I will upgrade to a DD1. Waiting eagerly for the auction or I will pre order within a couple of weeks. Would be a nice Christmas present.

Agree with @PocketZeven and others. Sometimes you almost have to apologize for being enthusiastic and/or positive about a product, solution or whatever. Peoples even think you're being paid or got the product for free....wishfull thinking/wish it was true. Often it is mentalily, character, half empty vs half full. You can easily guess what I prefer.


Haha most challenging (for me) is to 'sell' my new investment first to my lovely wife. I know that only goes for me so no one else would recognize that :D
Now with the DD1 coming my convincing story was that our holiday was €1000 cheaper then expected. So we had some spare money. Bank interest is 0,005%. Sold :bowdown: Love her!

Happy racing!

I also experienced the wrath of fanboys of a certain brand. I posted some reasons why I chose a TM product and criticized fanatec for the problems they had with compatibity that TM dont have. And 1 fanboy was spreading incorrect information, which I tried to correct. I got criticized and accused of working for TM. I was quite disappointed with the community, but realised it was only 2-3 people from all the others. I am still happy with my TM setup and curious how the simracing market is going to evolve. I might buy the DD1, but I am also curious if logitech, TM or another manufacturer is going to go directdrive.

My wife has her own budget, so generally doesnt mind me spending money on toys. It is better then spending money on gambling, alcohol or drugs.
 
I can't critize Thrusty's products for much except for what they're lacking in the Loadcell department. Truth be told, they have a shifter in a price bracket that Fanatec isn't concerned with, which makes it very tempting to cheapskates like myself. LOL.

But still, I will never critize a TM user. Because I don't care about the gear somebody else has. I'm more worried about what gear I need to improve my immersion. And I show interest in the things I think I would like.

There was a time when I would go full Fanboy, and jump on someone about what they played on. But I've been out of grade school for 28 years now. LOL.
 
:lol:

Maybe you should sell some of that stuff?

I guess with "GAS" one always wants the next best thing. I had thought the Elite with its 6nm and less feel wasn't a long term solution but I guess I should just get it and see how things go, at least its got no issues on the PS4 and I can fiddle with 3rd party via gimX and my Logitech gear shift. And then likely join your and the rest of the sim "club" in getting new gear all the time ... I guess like smart phones its the way the bigger companies want things to be and we just have to go along with it. I guess if the V3 pedals fail I can't complain because at the moment they don't look that costly compared to other metal pedals out there with load cells like the costly ones you are about to buy ... my small size 8 feet might not even have been able to use those Heusinkveld Ultimate driving in socks as I have done so far!

You wont be able. I came from a year with socks with the V3. I bought the HE Pro and I need it shoes (you may barely play with socks with the Pro) . The Ultimate is even more extreme. You will need shoes. You will love it.
 
Which game? For me 1 hour races are unecessarry and in the long run painfull. Good for you.
Forza 7 and some rF2 only paddle shifting too so all on the left foot, initially it was a bit painful when I first got them but then for whatever reason now it’s completely fine.

Are these your feet? :lol:

The thing is they are quite sensitive on abrasive tarmac or uneven surfaces but high pressure across a large surface area, no problem.

EDIT: Just watched the video wtf, I can believe someone would just cut through their foot like that with a knife :eek: and then letting the dog eat it after :yuck:.
 
Just dawned on me... I always worried about lateral force with a DD servo but after seeing the acuforce 2 review it made me check the weight of the Fanatec DD and my jaw dropped, its a wopping 28.6lbs!!! My Humanracing GT chassis will snap like a twig!

If DD takes off as a new standard, we’re all going to need to buy those ugly 80/20 chassis... and many other chassis manufactures are going to need to seriously rethink their design... personaly I think most should anyway but that’s another topic.

But in all seriousness, nearly 30 pounds + anything over 15nm and the passive weight in strangth we are going to need to compensate for and we’re all going to need to rethink chassis... that kind of weight will make almost anything flex...
 
Just dawned on me... I always worried about lateral force with a DD servo but after seeing the acuforce 2 review it made me check the weight of the Fanatec DD and my jaw dropped, its a wopping 28.6lbs!!! My Humanracing GT chassis will snap like a twig!

If DD takes off as a new standard, we’re all going to need to buy those ugly 80/20 chassis... and many other chassis manufactures are going to need to seriously rethink their design... personaly I think most should anyway but that’s another topic.

But in all seriousness, nearly 30 pounds + anything over 15nm and the passive weight in strangth we are going to need to compensate for and we’re all going to need to rethink chassis... that kind of weight will make almost anything flex...

I've just bought a Track Racer RS6 Mk2, which is quite stiff. The owner reckons it'll take direct drive. However while flex is not good, being in a real car, your whole body is being pushed around, and your head is moving all the time. So there's movement in a real car - I don't think the flex issue as important as some carry on about. When you change gears, your moving too (and I'm talking paddle shifters). I simmed on a portable wheel stand, and was not slow on international times on GT6. And that thing moved all over the place.
 
I can't critize Thrusty's products for much except for what they're lacking in the Loadcell department. Truth be told, they have a shifter in a price bracket that Fanatec isn't concerned with, which makes it very tempting to cheapskates like myself. LOL.

But still, I will never critize a TM user. Because I don't care about the gear somebody else has. I'm more worried about what gear I need to improve my immersion. And I show interest in the things I think I would like.

There was a time when I would go full Fanboy, and jump on someone about what they played on. But I've been out of grade school for 28 years now. LOL.

Thrustmaster is seriously going to have to rethink their pricing and their product line really. Really is great to see how much competition there is these days in the multi-platform wheelbase world.

Just dawned on me... I always worried about lateral force with a DD servo but after seeing the acuforce 2 review it made me check the weight of the Fanatec DD and my jaw dropped, its a wopping 28.6lbs!!! My Humanracing GT chassis will snap like a twig!

If DD takes off as a new standard, we’re all going to need to buy those ugly 80/20 chassis... and many other chassis manufactures are going to need to seriously rethink their design... personaly I think most should anyway but that’s another topic.

But in all seriousness, nearly 30 pounds + anything over 15nm and the passive weight in strangth we are going to need to compensate for and we’re all going to need to rethink chassis... that kind of weight will make almost anything flex...

Yeah this is the first DD to have all the controller electronics and everything all in one housing though. But yeah just like any DD setup a very strong chassis will be needed.

I am really liking the Simlab TR1 they have coming out soon.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So the TR1 is a GT2 with Fanatec Compatibility baked in? Not bad. I like the GT1 EVO better. It looks more sturdy.

Caan I get the TR1's wheel deck with the GT1 Evo?
 
So the TR1 is a GT2 with Fanatec Compatibility baked in? Not bad. I like the GT1 EVO better. It looks more sturdy.

Caan I get the TR1's wheel deck with the GT1 Evo?

Yeah the TR1 also has a different crossbar near the top as well which looks like it provides some more room. GT1 Evo definitely looks nice as well. And yeah I imagine they are probably willing to work with customers to built up a setup that works best for them.

My favorite thing about all the simlab setups is how ridiculously thick their base mounting plates are.
 
Last edited:
Back