Stop the DFP whirring noises?

GuileVsGuile · Mar 2, 2006

Is it possible to stop that aggravating whirring noise this thing makes when you turn it? I don't own it yet but I've seen videos and it is really loud and annoying. If you unplug the power cord perhaps? Please give me some feedback because this is actually a concern of mine...I really want this wheel, but I really hate that whirrr...

Dimitrov · Mar 2, 2006

After 3 minutes of playing, you will totally forget that noise. After 5 minutes without it, you will be asking for it again.

Jedi2016 · Mar 2, 2006

You can't have one without the other. No noise = no force-feedback = teh suck.

If you want a quiet wheel, I'd suggest something lesser than the near-perfection that is the DFP.

GuileVsGuile · Mar 2, 2006

Jedi2016
You can't have one without the other. No noise = no force-feedback = teh suck.

If you want a quiet wheel, I'd suggest something lesser than the near-perfection that is the DFP.

Well, I will usually be using the force feedback, however if I unplugged the power cord (hence turning off FF), would it be a little quieter?

Dimitrov · Mar 3, 2006

GuileVsGuile
Well, I will usually be using the force feedback, however if I unplugged the power cord (hence turning off FF), would it be a little quieter?

No.

g1teg · Mar 10, 2006

use headphones and you wont hear a noise that the wheel makes, and still enjoy the wheel. Thats what i do, then only my girlfriend has to listen. BUT, as stated earlier, you wont notice the noise either way, you almost never have to get on it so hard that the noise presents itself. Get the wheel.

karras85 · Mar 11, 2006

exacly... the headphones with volume all the way up...
put a Ventilator in the side as a windows....
that noise it will be desapear...

pedrov · Mar 21, 2006

yes, headphones is the best solution for that noise. besides, the car sounds better, everything sound better with them.

Mr Deap · Mar 22, 2006

I was taking a shower & I though the little girl neighbour was screaming. When I got out, my brother was playing with the DFP. :lol:

SmackZ · Apr 15, 2006

LOL...Whut whirring noise? Wait lemmie turn down the 5.1 sys...Oh that noise...Yea its annoying but I never pay any attention to it cuz I build a pcv cockpit and mounted an old logitech 5.1 sys to it with the sub wooffer mounted in the back of a honda crx seat...hence not much thought given to the sound of the wheel lol, if anything it adds to the mechanical sounds which in turn helps the simulation exp (IMHO)

rsmithdrift · Apr 16, 2006

I got rid of mine almost completely...once the motor warms up anyways.

Here's what I did. I took apart the DFP and exposed all the gears. I then LIGHTLY coated all of the gears with power steering fluid (chosen for it's high viscosity and it's PS fluid, that's where it goes lol)

Anyways once it's warmed up it's silent as a mouse. And it feels better too. The wheel feels tighter and doesn't make that banging noise as much when it shakes over the rumble strips. Also it makes it spin a little bit easier when the motor isn't causing any resistance.

Over all. It helped alot, feels more like a real car and doesn't scream as loud anymore.

Arkanen · Apr 17, 2006

I was thinking about something similar, to make it better feel and quieter. I hate that gear feel about it, sorry whats exactly that power steering fluid, i'm not native english speaker - could you post some names ?

PS. Does your wheel have that slight delay that makes countersteering so hard (both on pc and ps2) ? If not, whats could be a reason for that in my case ?

Mr. Apex · May 3, 2006

rsmithdrift
I got rid of mine almost completely...once the motor warms up anyways.

Here's what I did. I took apart the DFP and exposed all the gears. I then LIGHTLY coated all of the gears with power steering fluid (chosen for it's high viscosity and it's PS fluid, that's where it goes lol)

Anyways once it's warmed up it's silent as a mouse. And it feels better too. The wheel feels tighter and doesn't make that banging noise as much when it shakes over the rumble strips. Also it makes it spin a little bit easier when the motor isn't causing any resistance.

Over all. It helped alot, feels more like a real car and doesn't scream as loud anymore.

What??? You really did that? :dunce:

Props to you... but why power steering fluid? What if it destroys the plastic gearwheels with time?
I thought of applying ceramic grease instead (used in RC model cars – they have plastic cogwheels too).

I'm kinda curious about this – how big is the improvement really?
May I ask if you could eventually post a video (with sound) of your modified wheel?

PS. Does your wheel have that slight delay that makes countersteering so hard (both on pc and ps2) ? If not, whats could be a reason for that in my case ?

The wheel has no delay. It's just kinda hard to adjust to the GT4 twitchyness at first. Funny thing is, after a couple weeks it'll start to feel very comfortable and natural. It's just hard at the beginning.

rsmithdrift · May 9, 2006

Mr. Apex
What??? You really did that?
Props to you... but why power steering fluid? What if it destroys the plastic gearwheels with time?
I thought of applying ceramic grease instead (used in RC model cars – they have plastic cogwheels too).

I'm kinda curious about this – how big is the improvement really?
May I ask if you could eventually post a video (with sound) of your modified wheel?

Yes I really did that. I did it about a year ago. Last august anyways. I've had no problems cause of it at all. Some parts of a cars PS sysem are rubber and plastic, so no worries.

I used PS fluid because it's viscous and sticky yet very slick and oily. It's ideal for lubing but not spraying. I would have used some grease, but didn't have any. PS was the next best thing I could find laying around the house. I just had to use a thin, even coat so I didn't get it on any electronics.

It's a moderate improvement. Worth doing for the price (free lol) And it def. quieted things down more and improved steering feel.

I can't do vids though, no camera.

And fyi, my yokomo drift r/c has some of that grease and I have a tube of it now. I plan on soaking up most as I can get of the fluid and putting that in their.

You know the main reason it's so loud is that Logitech didn't put any lube at all on any of the gears inside there and there is some play between them. It's not solid at all. Any kind of grease, or lube will help emminsly (sp?) There's nothing you can do about the electric motor whine though.

I actually plan on putting some insulation on the inside of the case when I change the lube over, but I'm afraid of overheating.

Mr. Apex · May 15, 2006

rsmithdrift
Yes I really did that. I did it about a year ago. Last august anyways. I've had no problems cause of it at all. Some parts of a cars PS sysem are rubber and plastic, so no worries.

I used PS fluid because it's viscous and sticky yet very slick and oily. It's ideal for lubing but not spraying. I would have used some grease, but didn't have any. PS was the next best thing I could find laying around the house. I just had to use a thin, even coat so I didn't get it on any electronics.

It's a moderate improvement. Worth doing for the price (free lol) And it def. quieted things down more and improved steering feel.

I can't do vids though, no camera.

And fyi, my yokomo drift r/c has some of that grease and I have a tube of it now. I plan on soaking up most as I can get of the fluid and putting that in their.

You know the main reason it's so loud is that Logitech didn't put any lube at all on any of the gears inside there and there is some play between them. It's not solid at all. Any kind of grease, or lube will help emminsly (sp?) There's nothing you can do about the electric motor whine though.

I actually plan on putting some insulation on the inside of the case when I change the lube over, but I'm afraid of overheating.

Thanks for the info, I guess I'll have a go myself. I bet the wiggle-waggle on long straightaways at high speed
would disappear as well if only the gears didn't have as much play... but whatever. It's still a good wheel.

If I were to make a wheel myself though, I'd mount the rotor of a bigger electric motor directly on the axle of
the wheel and adjust the amount of electrical power (so the thing wouldn't break someones fingers...).

This solution would equal no gears, no whine, no play... but I guess it must probably be cheaper for logitech to
use a small motor plus cheap-o plastic gear. But I have to say I WOULD pay an extra 30 bucks or something for
a whine-free wiggle-waggle-free super DFP.

P.S.: I tend to think the insulation thing won't bring immense improvements...

oldskul · May 15, 2006

it only means that you're playing the game with the volume way too low. when you drive a GT40 the idling alone would be an earful already(sorry about that) so to simulate it, pump up the volume. Seriously tough, the current technology uses gears, and that really makes noise. if and when they change it to a belt driven type in the future it would be quieter. so for now, turn up the volume or use headphones.

rsmithdrift · May 16, 2006

oldskul
it only means that you're playing the game with the volume way too low. when you drive a GT40 the idling alone would be an earful already(sorry about that) so to simulate it, pump up the volume. Seriously tough, the current technology uses gears, and that really makes noise. if and when they change it to a belt driven type in the future it would be quieter. so for now, turn up the volume or use headphones.

The only problem with the "turn up the volume" theory, is that I can't currently play any game with 900 mode after midnight because I wake up my mom and she get's extremely angry at me. So I play 200 mode games with the volumn down and even then the think banging and shreeking over bumps or hard turns wakes her up.
So Me = :scared: