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History...

I'm in my fifth year of Sim Racing on the PC and my sim gear has been updated a couple of times, most recently with the addition of a T500 RS/F1 Addon/TH8 RS combo as I drive most genres of racing sim, 2012 seems to be the year of next gen racing sims, so I'm primed already!

I've always wanted to build my own F1 inspired wheel and had modified my G25 some years ago by adding my own button/display plate with encoders, buttons controlled by Leo Bodnar's BU0836 controller and the MMG SimRDisp7X display incorporated and fed the wiring through the center of the wheel hub to avoid unsightly wires.

This system was passed on to my son when I got a G27, but I never managed to convert the electronics for my G27 due to my real job changing roles and being more demanding of my time so it's still on the G25.

After upgrading in December 2011 to the T500 RS, I decided I wanted to carry out my dream of making the F1 wheel I had previously thought about, but this time I was reluctant to void any warranties as the wheel was so much more expensive than my previous two!

I found out that there is already a Thrustmaster F1 Wheel Addon and for the price, decided to get one with the intention of 'modding' it with an SLI-Pro and some rotaries and encoders... but once I got it, I was a touch disappointed with it and I decided to forge ahead and start making my own McLaren inspired wheel from (cast) polyurethane for the handles and a plexiglass/Carbon Fibre skin for the main body and paddles.

I have resigned myself to the fact that I'm not going to void the warranty of the T500 RS and so the USB connection will be attached to a colied cable out of the back of my wheel unit once complete. Then I struck a hurdle.... how would I connect it to the body of the T500 RS without having to disassemble either of the wheels?

 

P1x-T500-QR Adapter - prototype

Buying the F1 Addon wheel got me thinking about utilising the pseudo quick release mechanism that Thrustmaster have built in to the steering column to use my own after market wheels (e.g. momo or self built F1 style wheel) instead of the stock GT wheel and I set about making an adapter to suit.

I believe that this particular feat has not been done before in this manner, although I am aware that other members on the forum offer a different solution and I have made an adapter that requires no disassembly of the wheel Rim other than the normal wheel interchange procedure that is required for the F1 Addon wheel that Thrustmaster themselves promote.... a single screw and turn the collar to remove wheel (a) reverse the procedure to fit wheel (b)! The video below shows the removal of the standard GT wheel.

Important recommendations:
* Disconnect the wheel's USB cable before carrying out this procedure.
* When removing the wheel: take care not to completely unscrew the small holding screw.
* When reinstalling the wheel:
1) Strongly tighten the large central attachment ring, as far as it will go.
2) Next, re-tighten the small holding screw (taking care not to force or over-tighten the screw).

My adapter utilises this same mechanism on the wheel body and does not impede any connections within it. I have spent quite a lot of time (and money) in making this adapter and the facility to produce more if there is a demand and would like to share it with others at some stage in the future, so watch this space! You can contact me here.

Here are some pictures of my quick release adapter with a 70mm PCD 6-bolt -M5(x0.8mm thread) x 10mm fixing. I am currently developing a production worthy version whilst this one is in the testing phase.

 

P1x-T500-Ped Adapter - prototype

As I don't have a fully fledged racing rig just yet, I play my Racing Sims in my spare room/office with my wheel on the desk and pedals underneath. I also use the desk for my 'real' job, so am constantly removing the wheel and unplugging the pedal set. These little telecom plugs just aren't up to the challenge of being plugged and unplugged on a daily basis for very long at all. As my pedal set never has to move apart from when hoovering, I decided to make an adapter to plug in to my 'Leo Bodnar - G25 pedal Adapter'. It works great and my pedal set appears as a G25 pedal set in the control panel, no drivers required! Both the T500 RS Pedals and Leo's Adapter are 10 bit resolution (1024 graduations), so there is no loss or gain as there is with some lesser pedals, but the advantages are that the wheel and the pedals do not have to be connected to each other and the little telecom connector on the pedal set should be prevented from wearing out!

I bought a few sets of components to make this and have some left over so I can make some more, and will sell them for £12 + shipping (£3 UK Mainland, POA for other destinations). Heres a few piccies:

NOTE: A Leo Bodnar G25 Pedal USB Apater is required also. (Not supplied)

 

Futures...

Another thing that has got me thinking and designing.... The SLI-Pro is a great piece of kit, but because I like all Sim Racing genre's, I don't necessarily want to use a F1 style wheel all the time, which if I hardwired the SLI-Pro in to a single rim, then I would have to buy another SLI-Pro to have sitting on my wheel body or under the monitor when I am using another rim.... so I'm also in the process of making a module that will allow me to house the SLI-Pro and plug it in and out of each wheel rim/housing as and when I swap to another genre of Sim..

My next step, now that I have developed a connector/adapter and after the P1x-SLI-Pro-QR module is made, is to continue to build the F1 wheel I have been anticipating for so many years (although 3 years ago it would have looked very different indeed).

I will update this page as I progress, thanks for reading.

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