Fanatec's weak point are the pin plugs for their steering wheels that go into the base. The quick release seizes up making you wheel stuck with the base and then also the tiny electronic connector pins break and this is not an easy fix because it is all just glued internally and not engineered well.
I’ve just had too many issues with Fanatec to go back to them. I had a clubsport v2 wheel that had to go in for service after a couple of months with little usage and it never felt right again after that. Multiple issues with my clubsport v2 pedals like bad load cells and circuit boards. Ever since I went to an accuforce and Heusinkveld pedals I’ve been racing trouble free. The only thing I have left that is Fanatec is a clubsport shifter that I rarely use and a formula v2 wheel that is converted to USB.
Nice rim, I have the 'wheel round' paired with that same hub which I think is a very similar dimension to yours, just round. Its perfect for the older CART cars, or 1970s-90s F1. Love the customization of that hub and the ability to adjust settings directly on it while driving. Really helpful to dial everything in!
Assignable buttons: You should assign #1 to up-up/down-down/left-right/left-right/B-A-B-A/Select Start. This gives you 10% extra horsepower & grip in ACC. ;-)
Quite a coincidence Mike. I ordered the exact hub and wheel configuration and it's due to arrive in a couple of weeks. Obviously, I enjoyed your unboxing and impressions, but I have to say I was shocked at the size of the wheel. The dimensions I read online, as it turns out were the PACKAGE dimensions. OOOPs. I thought about cancelling but then realized the smaller dimension would be ideal for Formula cars and a perfect complement to my McLaren GT3 wheel. Like you, I'm about 6'5' with large hands and when I saw you driving the AMS2 Pro Stock cars with that wheel in your very next video, I was sold. My wheels are all CSL wheels as well, and I was glad to hear that this is quite a step up in quality. Keep up the good work and I'm glad you stayed with it.
I've had the WRC wheel for a while and enjoyed my time with it. I swapped to a QR1 that I had extra rather than using the Plastic one. I recently "retired it" after I got the Wheel RS. It was $300 USD until recently, now $350 and comes with the metal QR1. For $100 more, it was worth it, now $150 I'm not so sure.. But it's an amazing rim and I prefer the leather over the Alcantara.
Another great video Mike 👍I'm watching closely as I'm going to replicate your setup for my ultimate motion sim rig. Good choices to keep cost in check and still getting an immersive experience. Well done. God bless and race on 👍😎🏁
Had to choose between the WRC and McLaren GT3 for my first Fanatec wheel. Went with the WRC as a round rim can be used for everything, rallying with the GT3 wheels just seems wrong. After 6 months one of the shifters stopped clicking but still worked, then it started to either not shift or double shift. Have found Fanatec support to be utterly hopeless, impossible to get any reply from them unless it’s to buy a new product. Anyway, I’ve taken it apart and found the ‘snap dome’ buttons have a stress fracture. Not been able to source any replacements so I have fitted external tactile button switches between the wheel spoke and shifter paddles and wired them to the internal board, works fine but has a lighter shift action. Would like a long term review from you about universal hub in the future as it’s on my Christmas list.
I went with the mclaren wheel but bought the QR instead of using the plastic screw on pos. I’ve had it about the same time you’ve had the wrc rim. I love it and was actually deciding between the two but the wrc rim looked pretty cheap. I want a rally rim but might go with an opm rim instead. Anything from fanatec. We are living in a shitty time when nobody wants to work anymore. We went from probably the greatest four years of no war and people making money to the brink of Armageddon and peoples retirements have plummeted tens of thousands. Buying anything right now is a flipping nightmare. Our fridge went and my wife ordered one from lowes and found out the hard way that businesses of all types suck to deal with.
It is great to see how your channel is progressing and the quality of your equipment has improved over time. The content still remains extremely high standard, informative and entertaining. Thanks Mike
Cool Michael new Wheels Christmas in April. Fanatec is coming out with a new quick release. Mike I'm having a Sony fire sale. PlayStation 3 4 and 5 Gran Turismo 7 and a bunch of other games 🤑🇨🇦
The plastic quick release is no good. They even admitted there were problem when using it with the CSL DD bases. It slips. You definitely need the metal quick release. Do not accept the plastic one
It has better paddle shifters and materials on the rim. If you are using it as a starter wheel go cheaper if you are planning on using it for a good long while go for the wrc.
I have been switching rims lately and simply not use it, I reckon the QR clicks into place good enough that there is no need to constantly fix it with the screw as well, especially when you switch rims all the time.
Update; noticed some flex with the QR1 around the shaft recently, had to insert the screw again to solve it. I first had a scare thinking the shaft itself went a bit loose inside the case, but luckily it was just the QR1 :D
I think the Formula rim is the same size, so I bet this would be a good match for F1 and classic F1 cars. The two rims I have are the Formula v2.5 (270) and the CS RS (320). At first that 270 rim felt sooo small that I figured I’d only ever use it for F1, but you get so much detail out of a smaller rim that it’s become my go to rim for any race car, particularly in ACC and AMS2, with the larger round being used for regular road cars (eg GT7) and Rally. Stick with it, you may find it hard to go back to a larger rim. In an ideal world it’d be 290mm maybe, but it is what it is. The only thing you might want to consider, is tuning the FF Str for the smaller rim as it can need maybe 10% less force than the larger rims. Shame yours has some play - both my metal QR1s are solid but the plastic one developed massive play after a week.
Fanatec's weak point are the pin plugs for their steering wheels that go into the base. The quick release seizes up making you wheel stuck with the base and then also the tiny electronic connector pins break and this is not an easy fix because it is all just glued internally and not engineered well.
Simagic and Moza seem to have way betetr QR connectors on there wheel base's
I’ve just had too many issues with Fanatec to go back to them. I had a clubsport v2 wheel that had to go in for service after a couple of months with little usage and it never felt right again after that. Multiple issues with my clubsport v2 pedals like bad load cells and circuit boards. Ever since I went to an accuforce and Heusinkveld pedals I’ve been racing trouble free. The only thing I have left that is Fanatec is a clubsport shifter that I rarely use and a formula v2 wheel that is converted to USB.
Nice rim, I have the 'wheel round' paired with that same hub which I think is a very similar dimension to yours, just round. Its perfect for the older CART cars, or 1970s-90s F1. Love the customization of that hub and the ability to adjust settings directly on it while driving. Really helpful to dial everything in!
Hey Jake! Yeah, I think the 270mm diameter is a good size for most people, I just have these stupid, oversized hands, lol
@@SimRacing604 I know what you mean though about it being small! My other wheel is 350mm and its a big adjustment going between them!
Assignable buttons: You should assign #1 to up-up/down-down/left-right/left-right/B-A-B-A/Select Start. This gives you 10% extra horsepower & grip in ACC. ;-)
Quite a coincidence Mike. I ordered the exact hub and wheel configuration and it's due to arrive in a couple of weeks. Obviously, I enjoyed your unboxing and impressions, but I have to say I was shocked at the size of the wheel. The dimensions I read online, as it turns out were the PACKAGE dimensions. OOOPs. I thought about cancelling but then realized the smaller dimension would be ideal for Formula cars and a perfect complement to my McLaren GT3 wheel. Like you, I'm about 6'5' with large hands and when I saw you driving the AMS2 Pro Stock cars with that wheel in your very next video, I was sold. My wheels are all CSL wheels as well, and I was glad to hear that this is quite a step up in quality. Keep up the good work and I'm glad you stayed with it.
I like the orange shifters too Mike
I've had the WRC wheel for a while and enjoyed my time with it. I swapped to a QR1 that I had extra rather than using the Plastic one.
I recently "retired it" after I got the Wheel RS. It was $300 USD until recently, now $350 and comes with the metal QR1. For $100 more, it was worth it, now $150 I'm not so sure.. But it's an amazing rim and I prefer the leather over the Alcantara.
The WRC wheel doesn't come with QR lite?
i thought it came with the plastic quick release included in the wheel price
@@RacingTherapy Yep, it comes with the QR Lite, the plastic one. It works ok on the Podium base since it doesn't allow for it to go at its max torque.
Very nice, love new toys!!!
I have the McLaren GT3 wheel and been thinking about the Formula wheel for a while. Interested to hear your thoughts after a while of using it
Another great video Mike 👍I'm watching closely as I'm going to replicate your setup for my ultimate motion sim rig. Good choices to keep cost in check and still getting an immersive experience. Well done. God bless and race on 👍😎🏁
God bless, my friend! Thank you for the support.
Congratulations on the new kit👌🏻 All looks class. Absolutely love the Fanatec gear.
Right on! Thanks for watching!
Had to choose between the WRC and McLaren GT3 for my first Fanatec wheel. Went with the WRC as a round rim can be used for everything, rallying with the GT3 wheels just seems wrong. After 6 months one of the shifters stopped clicking but still worked, then it started to either not shift or double shift. Have found Fanatec support to be utterly hopeless, impossible to get any reply from them unless it’s to buy a new product. Anyway, I’ve taken it apart and found the ‘snap dome’ buttons have a stress fracture. Not been able to source any replacements so I have fitted external tactile button switches between the wheel spoke and shifter paddles and wired them to the internal board, works fine but has a lighter shift action. Would like a long term review from you about universal hub in the future as it’s on my Christmas list.
I went with the mclaren wheel but bought the QR instead of using the plastic screw on pos. I’ve had it about the same time you’ve had the wrc rim. I love it and was actually deciding between the two but the wrc rim looked pretty cheap. I want a rally rim but might go with an opm rim instead. Anything from fanatec. We are living in a shitty time when nobody wants to work anymore. We went from probably the greatest four years of no war and people making money to the brink of Armageddon and peoples retirements have plummeted tens of thousands. Buying anything right now is a flipping nightmare. Our fridge went and my wife ordered one from lowes and found out the hard way that businesses of all types suck to deal with.
Yay! New gear! Looks like Christmas in April. Enjoy, looking forward to your feedback.
My pal Ed! How are you man?
Always great to see your name in the comments. Hope all is well dude!
@@SimRacing604 All is well, thanks for asking! Hope all is well with you too!
Just getting back to racing after 7 weeks away...
It is great to see how your channel is progressing and the quality of your equipment has improved over time. The content still remains extremely high standard, informative and entertaining. Thanks Mike
nice add to the fleet in the fanatec eco system, im looking at the mclaren gt3 v2 and the universal hub v2 mounted to the r300.
Cool Michael new Wheels Christmas in April. Fanatec is coming out with a new quick release. Mike I'm having a Sony fire sale. PlayStation 3 4 and 5 Gran Turismo 7 and a bunch of other games
🤑🇨🇦
Bought the Flat 1 as well last year, my hands end up black after I use it from the paint going off a little so better use gloves. Otherwise fine rim!
5:21 me cringing in fear for those pins! FANATEC, what are you doing not covering them?
5:37 oh, just not secured well.
8:15 oh thank goodness!
Would you recommend the flat wheel for Indycar?
That looks like solid tech! What wheel did you start your simracing hobby with?
Why would anyone buy a wheel without a quick release? You should find a basic plastic/fibreglass mount in the box. .... There you go, you found it ;-)
Agreed, but when I got my McLaren GT3 wheel, the included plastic QR came in a separate box. It was automatically added at checkout for no cost.
The plastic quick release is no good. They even admitted there were problem when using it with the CSL DD bases. It slips. You definitely need the metal quick release. Do not accept the plastic one
“T” bar !👍
why don't you remove the driver's hands and the steering wheel from the screen?
Because I like seeing the drivers hands and steering wheel
Is the wrc wheel worth the extra cost over the 99 dollar one you reviewed?
It has better paddle shifters and materials on the rim. If you are using it as a starter wheel go cheaper if you are planning on using it for a good long while go for the wrc.
A set screw kind of negates the point of a quick release.
I agree
I have been switching rims lately and simply not use it, I reckon the QR clicks into place good enough that there is no need to constantly fix it with the screw as well, especially when you switch rims all the time.
Somewhere I know there is a DIY fix for the play in some of the QR1s'. It might even be on YT somewhere.
Update; noticed some flex with the QR1 around the shaft recently, had to insert the screw again to solve it.
I first had a scare thinking the shaft itself went a bit loose inside the case, but luckily it was just the QR1 :D
Strange that, my wrc wheel came with the plastic rotary lock mechanism
I suppose it’s my mistake. There was a turn-to-tighten style of QR shipped to me
@@SimRacing604 I saw that. ;)
1st comment!! (finally!)
Hey James! Thanks for the support man!
Next time please describe the smell !
That wheel looks so small like a go kart. Not my style.
270mm is small for me too
@@SimRacing604 is it because the hub came with it or you wanted to give it a go?
@@taxi615 I wanted this shape of wheel
@@SimRacing604 looks good but like you said 300mm would be perfect. Good video keep them coming
I think the Formula rim is the same size, so I bet this would be a good match for F1 and classic F1 cars. The two rims I have are the Formula v2.5 (270) and the CS RS (320). At first that 270 rim felt sooo small that I figured I’d only ever use it for F1, but you get so much detail out of a smaller rim that it’s become my go to rim for any race car, particularly in ACC and AMS2, with the larger round being used for regular road cars (eg GT7) and Rally. Stick with it, you may find it hard to go back to a larger rim. In an ideal world it’d be 290mm maybe, but it is what it is. The only thing you might want to consider, is tuning the FF Str for the smaller rim as it can need maybe 10% less force than the larger rims. Shame yours has some play - both my metal QR1s are solid but the plastic one developed massive play after a week.