The Thrustmaster T500RS Thread

[Simmpa]

Nope the yellow mark is there by default. I got from http://rallyshop.se/produkt/RRS-Mockaratt-350flat .

The original T500RS rim feels like an old formula rim after you get used to the bigger "real" thing. The change is massive.

However I also have a problem with the tightening screw when using the DSD adapter. It ends upp about 1 o'clock when the wheel is fully tightened, compared to 6 o'clock with the orgiginal rim attached. This means the screw does not hit the flat part that is located at 12 and 6 o'clock.

Wait, only 595 kr? Is it made in a sweatshop? Compare the price to a Momo in similar size 1 875 kr

http://rallyshop.se/produkt/Momo-Mod78-330350---37mm

 

[Paul33993]

Wait, only 595 kr? Is it made in a sweatshop? Compare the price to a Momo in similar size 1 875 kr

http://rallyshop.se/produkt/Momo-Mod78-330350---37mm

Incredible. And it's not even DSD fault if, as I suspect, you have the latest T500 base model.

My DSD adapter lines up at 12 o'clock on my first T500 base. And the GTE rim does 6 o'clock. It's on my latest revision T500 that my GTE rim aligns at 7 o'clock. Which means when I get around to hooking my DSD adapter up to that one, it'll be at 1 o'clock on mine too (into the thread).

So is your base the latest T500? I mean, if Thrustmaster has changed the screw location on all T500s that's insanely stupid. Because it means even their old add ons like the GTE have the thread in the wrong location. I thought it was some dummy at Thustmaster who screwed up individually on my T500 base, not an entire production run that was switched (without any thought of what it would do to old threads).

Could be true for T500 but not with other wheels, it is recognized the at this (early ) stage in AC the FFB feeling on the T500 needs to be improved.

Think you misread what I said. I'm talking about rf2 being the king of FFB. Not AC. Although I do enjoy AC's physics better (which is entirely separate from the semi-broken state of the FFB).

 

[bogani]

Incredible. And it's not even DSD fault if, as I suspect, you have the latest T500 base model.

My DSD adapter lines up at 12 o'clock on my first T500 base. And the GTE rim does 6 o'clock. It's on my latest revision T500 that my GTE rim aligns at 7 o'clock. Which means when I get around to hooking my DSD adapter up to that one, it'll be at 1 o'clock on mine too (into the thread).

So is your base the latest T500? I mean, if Thrustmaster has changed the screw location on all T500s that's insanely stupid. Because it means even their old add ons like the GTE have the thread in the wrong location. I thought it was some dummy at Thustmaster who screwed up individually on my T500 base, not an entire production run that was switched (without any thought of what it would do to old threads).

It came boxed in the GT6 package so I guess it's the latest revision

 

[bogani]

Wait, only 595 kr? Is it made in a sweatshop? Compare the price to a Momo in similar size 1 875 kr

http://rallyshop.se/produkt/Momo-Mod78-330350---37mm

The Momo is obviously much higher quality than the cheap RRS. However, I wasn't ready to throw 1875kr on a wheel when I wasn't sure how it would work dimesion wise for me and the T500RS.

 

[Paul33993]

It came boxed in the GT6 package so I guess it's the latest revision

Mine came in the GT5 box (Microcenter), but it has all the latest revisions. That really can't be a coincidence. I never even looked before I got rid of the included GT wheel. Does your GT wheel line up at 6/12 o'clock? Or is that at 1/7 o'clock too?

If it lines up at the flat part, that means Thrustmaster intentionally decided to switch the screw thread orientation and all old wheels/DSD adapters are going to have this issue on the latest T500 base. If your included GT wheel, however, lines up at 1 o'clock, then it means we were just unfortunate to have a factory run where the assembly line machine was calibrated to drill the wrong hole on the collar.

Sucks either way, but I'm definitely interested in hearing which of the two scenarios it is.

 

[bogani]

Mine came in the GT5 box (Microcenter), but it has all the latest revisions. That really can't be a coincidence. I never even looked before I got rid of the included GT wheel. Does your GT wheel line up at 6/12 o'clock? Or is that at 1/7 o'clock too?

If it lines up at the flat part, that means Thrustmaster intentionally decided to switch the screw thread orientation and all old wheels/DSD adapters are going to have this issue on the latest T500 base. If your included GT wheel, however, lines up at 1 o'clock, then it means we were just unfortunate to have a factory run where the assembly line machine was calibrated to drill the wrong hole on the collar.

Sucks either way, but I'm definitely interested in hearing which of the two scenarios it is.

The original GT Wheel's got the screw perfectly 6 o'clock. Straight in the middle of the flat part. This makes me believe that the DSD adapter is longer/shorter than the original mount. I'll check when I get home.

 

[Paul33993]

The original GT Wheel's got the screw perfectly 6 o'clock. Straight in the middle of the flat part. This makes me believe that the DSD adapter is longer/shorter than the original mount. I'll check when I get home.

It's the t500 base they changed then. If you buy an old gte/f1 wheel it'll have the same problem. This is a huge **** up by Thrustmaster imo.

 

[bogani]

It's the t500 base they changed then. If you buy an old gte/f1 wheel it'll have the same problem. This is a huge **** up by Thrustmaster imo.

Contact support about it and ask? If it concerns their add on wheels they should take notice.

 

[Cote Dazur]

Think you misread what I said. I'm talking about rf2 being the king of FFB. Not AC. Although I do enjoy AC's physics better (which is entirely separate from the semi-broken state of the FFB).

I might be to one that has been misread, , I understand that you believe FFB to be superior in rf2, and you might be right, what I was trying to say is that, if your observation is based on using the T500, it might not represent what other are experiencing using other wheel, as, at this point, the T500 is not really optimized in AC, and that might distort the perception on how good AC FFB really is.
I have even read from T500 user that their perception is that GT6 FFB is better than AC FFB.
From an Elite perspective the FFB in AC is as good as it gets.

 

[Paul33993]

Contact support about it and ask? If it concerns their add on wheels they should take notice.

I'm kind of done with the official rims anyways. But if DSD doesn't chime in here, I think I'll PM him to give him the heads up.

Continuing what I was saying last week, I finally took off my custom wheel from my first T500. This is how a proper wheel is drilled. The screw is self evident and the red marker is where the thread begins on the wheel locker:

This is where it was drilled on the second T500 I got from Microcenter. The latest T500 version. The mark on the left is where the thread begins. The mark on the right is the screw. They drilled the hole into the thread

I realize the pictures are difficult to understand unless you know exactly what you're looking for, but those are pretty telling. It's my V2 wheel base vs the latest T500 base. And they've changed the location by a not insignficant amount. It's why my GTE & DSD align perfectly on the V2, but align at 1/7 o'clock on the latest revision of the base.

I think most people will never notice since the stock rims tend to stay in place even without a screw inserted, but it's definitely an issue if the wheel starts coming loose and you need that screw. I honestly thought my new wheel was an isolated issue. Or it was a bad run. But the fact the GT rim that comes with these new bases aligns at 12:00, tells me they compensated for the change with changes to the GT rim too.

EDIT: And with regards to my older posts, I know I was mentioning 4:30, but that's because I had the wheel rim off and was looking at it from back. And upside down. It wasn't really 4:30, it was 7:30 on the GTE.

I might be to one that has been misread, , I understand that you believe FFB to be superior in rf2, and you might be right, what I was trying to say is that, if your observation is based on using the T500, it might not represent what other are experiencing using other wheel, as, at this point, the T500 is not really optimized in AC, and that might distort the perception on how good AC FFB really is.
I have even read from T500 user that their perception is that GT6 FFB is better than AC FFB.
From an Elite perspective the FFB in AC is as good as it gets.

Gotcha That may in fact be true (although rF2 does sample at the highest rate, so it's going to be tuff to beat). But I was coming at it from the posters POV. He'd just bought a T500 and was wondering what would be the best showcase from a FFB POV. And from a T500 perspective, rf2 IMO is the best. When Kunos fixes the issues with the T500, my recommendation will hopefully change. I'd still recommend AC over rF2 to a T500 owner. As a game. Just with the caveat that as of today, rf2 is the shining example of what a T500 can do from a FFB POV.

 

[oqvist]

I would not recommend AC at all. I would highly recommend it when it´s released but being part of the alpha/beta programme is hugely overrated. rFactor 2 is good enough for really serious competitive multiplayer racing. Can´t say that about Assetto Corsa.

And I hot lap rFactor 2 so much more but mostly because I don´t understand why I should hot lap AC...

I would have hoped they would not change the mechanism so I could use my DSD adapters and rims to an upcoming TX or whatever my next wheel will be. No signs of my T500Rs budging yet though.

 

[skazz]

Sounds like we need to measure the screw depth on old and new wheels and rims, see what's what.... Paul, how much of that can you do yourself and which other data points do you need to build a complete picture?

 

[Paul33993]

Sounds like we need to measure the screw depth on old and new wheels and rims, see what's what.... Paul, how much of that can you do yourself and which other data points do you need to build a complete picture?

I can measure and post the depth of GTE thread barrel. And the depth of the rubber spacer. Maybe bogani can do the same with the latest GT rim. It seems different depths would be the most obvious answer for how they "corrected" things.

Other than comparing measurements of those two, I'm not sure where else to look. Clearly the collars are significantly different on the V2 vs Latest collar base. Those pictures don't have the greatest scale, but I'd say the difference between where the screw hole vs thread starts varies about 3/4 - 1 inch between the two models. And clearly accounts for why my screws hit the flat part of my wheels on V2 vs the threads on Latest version.

 

[bogani]

If I attach the original GT wheel and start screwing the "thing" that screws on the threaded part of the wheel it takes 5 complete turns from the startingpoint(tightening screw 6 o'clock) to get it tightened and ready to use.

When I do the same thing with my custom wheel and DSD-adapter it takes just under 4,5 turns to get it tightened and ready. It stops at about 1 o'clock and just misses the flat part 12 o'clock.

Edit:
Did a quick measurement of the threaded part of the DSD-adapter vs the original and it seems that the DSD-adapter is 1,5 - 2mm longer than the original which would explain why the tightening screw is off by more than half a turn.

 

[Gunstar]

Does it really matter where the tightening screw is? I just get mine to one of the flat spots and screw it in, it's always worked just fine on my TM rims and my DSD.

 

[Paul33993]

Does it really matter where the tightening screw is? I just get mine to one of the flat spots and screw it in, it's always worked just fine on my TM rims and my DSD.

That's the million dollar question. The point is, because they changed the orientation (and shortened the barrel length on the new GT rim to accommodate), you can't hit a flat spot using an old rim/DSD on the latest version. There really aren't any long term reports to know whether this will tear your threads up or not. If it's not a problem, though, why wouldn't Thrustmaster just make the entire barrel threaded? Why did they intentionally leave the top/bottom part flat? Did they fear it would tear it up otherwise?

There's a picture of the GTE barrel. I've circled the screw scrapes that my V2 made on the flat part. The hole from the latest revision T500 base is pretty obvious.

If I attach the original GT wheel and start screwing the "thing" that screws on the threaded part of the wheel it takes 5 complete turns from the startingpoint(tightening screw 6 o'clock) to get it tightened and ready to use.

When I do the same thing with my custom wheel and DSD-adapter it takes just under 4,5 turns to get it tightened and ready. It stops at about 1 o'clock and just misses the flat part 12 o'clock.

Edit:
Did a quick measurement of the threaded part of the DSD-adapter vs the original and it seems that the DSD-adapter is 1,5 - 2mm longer than the original which would explain why the tightening screw is off by more than half a turn.

Good info. That's what I would have put money on. That they shortened the barrel length to compensate. I was thinking maybe putting an o-ring on it would allow the wheel to tighten earlier, but this is quite the distance:

That'd have to be a pretty large o-ring to tighten that large a gap.

 

[bogani]

Does it really matter where the tightening screw is? I just get mine to one of the flat spots and screw it in, it's always worked just fine on my TM rims and my DSD.

That's the question. I'm not that worried actually but it still feels a bit odd that the screw penetrates the threaded part rather than the flat one that it's obviously meant to do.

You say you get yours to one of the flat spots and just tighten it. Does that mean you might leave a bit of space and actually not tighten the wheel fully?(not the screw)

 

[Whitestar]

I might be to one that has been misread, , I understand that you believe FFB to be superior in rf2, and you might be right, what I was trying to say is that, if your observation is based on using the T500, it might not represent what other are experiencing using other wheel, as, at this point, the T500 is not really optimized in AC, and that might distort the perception on how good AC FFB really is.
I have even read from T500 user that their perception is that GT6 FFB is better than AC FFB.
From an Elite perspective the FFB in AC is as good as it gets.

Not sure if you quoted me as one of those T500 users, but let me clarify what I think.
The only thing I feel (slightly) better in GT6 is the loss of traction in turns, for example when the rear end goes out. It's seems easier to catch the car in GT6 just because of that.
However, in AC I can feel other forces as well that I don't feel in GT6. And the FFB in general feels "tighter" and better. Hard to explain just what the difference is, but there is one.

 

[Paul33993]

I picked up a thicker rubber ring from the plumbing department and that's not really a solution to get the wheel to stop sooner. I could screw it tight with this rubber ring on it, but it still left if floppy and broken like. So I'm just going to give up looking for a solution. If Thrustmaster had had half a brain, they would have drilled two separte screw holes into the new T500 collar. One for their new shorter wheels, and another for their legacy wheels.

I have a hard time believing they're saving that much money by lobbing 2 mm off, so it was probably done to match what they were doing on the TX. The other obvious solution is to tap your own hole into the T500 collar, but that voids the warranty. So you get back in the old catch 22: by fixing what they screwed up in the first place, you're then left warrantyless.

 

[pilmat]

Crap... The T500 at work just dumped during a firmware update and won't accept the boot loader method ERROR: bootloader failure (Code:0x0000000C)

I'm on hold with Thrustmaster at the moment

Edit: and after an hour on hold... FLUSHED. Ah, don't you love modern customer support, 🤬!

Edit 2: tried again and no luck. Also tried the US number and they say "We are exceptionally closed, please try again" WTF!

 

[Dean]

Have you tried this method, @pilmat? I hope it'll help you out if you haven't. 👍

 

[pilmat]

Have you tried this method, @pilmat? I hope it'll help you out if you haven't. 👍

Thanks @Dean 👍 but yes, I tried that method. After it accepts the boot loader via the L3/R3 button press, the system reacts per the method. But the firmware upload fails with this screen:

​

I've tried it multiple times and multiple ways, but always the same result!

I'm going to take it home and try to load the firmware from my home computer. Last chance ?!?

 

[pilmat]

I know this a double post, but I thought it might be worth it

PROBLEM SOLVED

It seem as though the software didn't load properly at work, because when I plugged it into my home PC per the Boot Loader Fix, the wheel was seen as having FW40. At work it only showed up as FW0 after the failure, but upon first load of the software (and YES, I only plugged the wheel in when I should have ) it did show FW40.

The load took a couple of seconds and it is now showing FW41.

My conclusion (needs to be confirmed by TM), that error code means the drivers did not properly install on your system. The bug is that you cannot then re-try as the wheel is improperly sensed after that... You will need a computer that has already successfully run a T500.

WHEW!! I sweat that one for a bit

 

[TheORDL]

Hey all,

Received my new T500 today, "upgraded" from a G27 and must say im quite impressed. I have fitted the included brake mod and for now the pedals will suffice. Looking to get a Sam Maxwell rim when the funds allow, any other recommendations apart from load cell?

Might be just coincidence but...

Been iRacing for a few weeks now and best result is 2nd up to now in the MX5 Cup, get the new wheel today and straight off, 1st race I take the win convincingly and then back it up with another not long after. Cant believe first race with the T500RS, not even used to it!

Anyway I am sure the middle of the pack results will return soon enough

 

[Paul33993]

Hey pilmat, I'm not sure you caught the post I made a week or so ago, but I've fixed the wheel coming loose by putting a couple layers of electrical tape on the flat parts of the barrel (12/6 o'clock). Not sure if it's the increased thickness of the diameter, or the screw having a better grip, but it's solved that problem with my DSD adapter wanting to constantly loosen itself.

 

[diptob79]

I know this a double post, but I thought it might be worth it

PROBLEM SOLVED

It seem as though the software didn't load properly at work, because when I plugged it into my home PC per the Boot Loader Fix, the wheel was seen as having FW40. At work it only showed up as FW0 after the failure, but upon first load of the software (and YES, I only plugged the wheel in when I should have ) it did show FW40.

The load took a couple of seconds and it is now showing FW41.

My conclusion (needs to be confirmed by TM), that error code means the drivers did not properly install on your system. The bug is that you cannot then re-try as the wheel is improperly sensed after that... You will need a computer that has already successfully run a T500.

WHEW!! I sweat that one for a bit

I recently encountered the same problem. Failed to upload latest firmware and bricked the wheel.
It was due to USB 3.0 port
Use USB 2.0 when you update your wheel, that will guarantee successful firmware upload

 

[Gunstar]

Hey all,

Received my new T500 today, "upgraded" from a G27 and must say im quite impressed. I have fitted the included brake mod and for now the pedals will suffice. Looking to get a Sam Maxwell rim when the funds allow, any other recommendations apart from load cell?

Might be just coincidence but...

Been iRacing for a few weeks now and best result is 2nd up to now in the MX5 Cup, get the new wheel today and straight off, 1st race I take the win convincingly and then back it up with another not long after. Cant believe first race with the T500RS, not even used to it!

Anyway I am sure the middle of the pack results will return soon enough

Congrats on the win and the wheel. Upgrade the brake mod to the Basher Brake Mod ASAP and I am sure you'll be even happier.

 

[izver]

So got my new t500rs yesterday. It came from germany to slovenia, and it took about 4 days to deliver. The outer box said it was destined to go to Czech Republic. It arrived in the new GT6 box, with fw41 installed already, and the new pedal springs. The fan is not as noisy as people led me to expect it would, and there is no detectable (at least by me) ffb fade. So I think I got the most up to date wheel.


The first thing that hit me was the sheer size of it. Everyone says it's big. But it still shocked me just how massive this thing is. The gigantic wheel base literally dwarfs my old formula force ex.

Before I did anything else, I inerted the pedals to the GT style, and installed the brake mod. The brake mod installation went fine, however things got a little complicated when I tried inverting them. The little allen bolts are very flimsy and tiny, and so I stripped one, along with the allen key. Completely. After poundering for a few minutes I used some pliers to turn the butterfly bolt on the underside, which resulted in minor scraping of the pedals. It got the ruined allen bolt out though. The rest of the inversion went without a problem, albeit not without difficulty. Luckily it's not something I'm likely ever to be doing again, so i'm not that worried.

Anyway, digging the wheel.

The only thing I have a gripe with is the brake mod. There is no progression, just added weight. It's not like a real brake, where for the first 1/2 of the throw the force needed is much lower than the second half.

 

[TheORDL]

Congrats on the win and the wheel. Upgrade the brake mod to the Basher Brake Mod ASAP and I am sure you'll be even happier.

Thanks Gunstar, going to see if I can get another win today. Will certaily look at the brake mods. Are there any alternatives to Sam Maxwell, love his work but just wondering if there is anyone else I should look at.

 

[Paul33993]

Thanks Gunstar, going to see if I can get another win today. Will certaily look at the brake mods. Are there any alternatives to Sam Maxwell, love his work but just wondering if there is anyone else I should look at.

The Basher mod is cheap and effective. It's just using skateboard bushings. Which are squishy but firm. So for example, 20 pounds of pressure would only get you light brake pressure, and maybe 60 pounds would be required to go 100 percent.

I'm not sure what the exact force requirements are, but you get the general picture.