MX-5 FFB for Thrustmaster TMX

[The NoobZMaster]

Yo,

I'm a bit puzzled here.

I'm running TMX with FFB set to 2Nm, 30% wheel force (auto-config landed at 22.7, but I found it handles better at 30).

AFAIK, Mazda MX-5 Cup car has power steering.
Yet, as soon as the car starts, there is still a lot of resistance when turning the wheel at low speeds.
Like, on the grass, any real car with power steering should be super easy to turn, but there's always this resistance, about 1Nm of torque at all times. Makes maneuvering back onto the track difficult as you havr to fight the car to do basic maneuvers.

Is this just how iRacing handles FFB for this wheel, or did I just misconfigure it somehow?

For jokes, I tried out Formula Vee and Ferrari GT3, they (as expected) handle very differently, much more in line with what I expect (heavier because of downforce and wider tyres).

[Marcel101]

All cars have resistance when turning the wheel even with power steering. 1nm is not a lot of resistance. The Thrustmaster TMX is a budget wheel that maxes out at 2nm so if you are getting 1nm of resistance than that is half the strength of your wheel which might feel like a lot but it really isn't. I would open the graphic settings while in the sim, and reduce the strength of the FFB to what ever feels best for you.

[The NoobZMaster]

Originally posted by Marcel101:

All cars have resistance when turning the wheel even with power steering. 1nm is not a lot of resistance. The Thrustmaster TMX is a budget wheel that maxes out at 2nm so if you are getting 1nm of resistance than that is half the strength of your wheel which might feel like a lot but it really isn't. I would open the graphic settings while in the sim, and reduce the strength of the FFB to what ever feels best for you.

I drive a car on a daily basis. I am aware of the baseline resistance. I also know how it feels without power steering, and how it changes at different speeds.
I notice that the baseline resistance is high regardless of the conditions.
At low speeds, steering should be light. At high speeds, steering should be heavy.
It is heavy on MX-5 all the time. It feels very good at racing pace on VIR, but if I try reversing or a u-turn, regardless of surface I'm on, I have to fight with the wheel.

I point it out because I see that the problem is not with wheel strength but lack of feel/FFB. I can turn strength down, but that is pretty much just lowering the gain of all forces.
I can feel tyres lose grip at speed very nicely, but anything at slow speeds is extremely heavy, as if power steering is just not working.

[Marcel101]

The MX-5 on iRacing, is one of the services best simulations with many MX-5 drivers saying it is very close to how it feels in the real car.
You are saying the car doesn't feel how you think it should feel. Either you are wrong on how it should feel and your settings are fine, or there is something wrong with your settings/configuration/hardware.
When you say there is a lack of feel/FFB, this screams limitation of a belt and gear driven wheel taking a dynamic signal from iRacing. The signal may be clipping your wheel causing the FFB to feel flat or lack dynamics. If it is, you need to lower the wheel FFB, iRacing FFB, or some combination of the two until you eliminate the clipping.

[The NoobZMaster]

Originally posted by Marcel101:

The MX-5 on iRacing, is one of the services best simulations with many MX-5 drivers saying it is very close to how it feels in the real car.
You are saying the car doesn't feel how you think it should feel. Either you are wrong on how it should feel and your settings are fine, or there is something wrong with your settings/configuration/hardware.
When you say there is a lack of feel/FFB, this screams limitation of a belt and gear driven wheel taking a dynamic signal from iRacing. The signal may be clipping your wheel causing the FFB to feel flat or lack dynamics. If it is, you need to lower the wheel FFB, iRacing FFB, or some combination of the two until you eliminate the clipping.

I don't have a problem if your answer is "actually power steering on MX-5 is much weaker than normal road cars so you do get to fight the wheel on everything you do. The simulation is accurate. Get used to it". I will happily roll with that answer any day.
I do however if your answer is "ur setup bad, check yourself noob". I don't just yeet into races, I test drive the car until I have a feel for it, and adjust the settings so that I feel the change in grip/balance/road surface to the most this limited wheel can give. And yeah, of the cars I've driven IRL, be it hydraulic or electric power steering, I've not noticed a single car requiring me to strongarm the wheel just to make a three-point turn.
Regarding clipping - I raced with GR86 just yesterday, forces are much much stronger there, the feel is drastically different when at low speeds in comparison with MX-5. Yes, with the same FFB/strength/smoothing/damper settings. There's no way I'm clipping with MX-5 as the forces transmitted while driving that car are noticeably lower than with GR86.

[Marcel101]

I wasn't trying to be rude. You are the one starting a thread acting like the MX-5 should feel like your daily driver cause it has power steering. The MX-5 cup car is purpose built race car, stop comparing it to a road car. The simulation is accurate Get used to it.

[DeerBra]

sounds to me that you vastly overestimate power steering systems. semi trucks have PS and are still way harder to steer at low speeds than a 90s civic without PS. power steering isnt an end all be all solution to making steering from a stop or 5mph feel weightless.

[The NoobZMaster]

Originally posted by DeerBra:

sounds to me that you vastly overestimate power steering systems. semi trucks have PS and are still way harder to steer at low speeds than a 90s civic without PS. power steering isnt an end all be all solution to making steering from a stop or 5mph feel weightless.

That may very well be true, which is why I mentioned it's equally heavy regardless of surface. Grass/earth is quite easy to steer on (at least IRL), yet the force is the same as if I'm on asphalt.