logitech Shifter extension?

[kevinpereira79]

I'm buying an skrs shifter, and I called the guys at tech affliction to ask if I should bother buying an extension. They told me that because the logitech shifter base is made of plastic, I could very well easily break it. That's understandable, but I'd like some more opinions.

[AyMazingATS]

TechAffliction is now making adapters out of metal for their knobs. The plastic base of the Logitech shifter, along with the weight of the knob and extension could lead to issues such as breaking. I'm in agreement here with Paul as an extension, the added stress of the knob being up highter which could cause problems that won't be covered by manufacturer warranty.

[Hylton Trucking]

My 17 year old son managed to break one & was promptly replaced by TA. I called & wanted to buy a replacement and he sent me at no charge & said it was under warrenty. Yet another testament to his customer service. I have been considering extending mine about 6-8 inches by simply going to the hardware store and buying the desired 1/2" rod needed, but was mildly concerned about breaking another adapter. I was not aware that they were offering metal adapters. I will have to look into that. Thanks for that tip

[Asigion]

I have a TH8A shifter with the CSIO knob and you can notice how heavy it feels. The rod on the TH8A is longer than the Logitech shifter anyway and with the adaptor is raised to about 8 1/2 inches from the top of the knob to the gear plate on the shifter. In my opinion the TH8A shifter could be extended because of the high quality of the shifter itself but it would have to be a reaonable extension of perhaps 6 inches or slightly more. However the Logitech shifter is short and not the quality of the TH8A so I think extending it too far with the added weight of the shifter knob would put extra strain on the shifter mechanism itself.

As with anything, you can try it and see. If it works and you feel it is not putting too much strain on the shifter mechanism then use it and if it doesn't then simply chuck the extension in the garbage. :)

[ttower]

Not to mention that the Logitech Shifters have a push down reverse, so if it gets to heavy, you might have to replace the spring that keeps the shifter up in order for it to not get caught in the grove for the reverse gear.

[Hylton Trucking]

Originally posted by ttower:

Not to mention that the Logitech Shifters have a push down reverse, so if it gets to heavy, you might have to replace the spring that keeps the shifter up in order for it to not get caught in the grove for the reverse gear.

I don't use the push down hole for reverse. Not needed. It's a standard 6 speed extended H pattern which is what a truck transmission is

[ttower]

Originally posted by hyltontrucking:

Originally posted by ttower:

Not to mention that the Logitech Shifters have a push down reverse, so if it gets to heavy, you might have to replace the spring that keeps the shifter up in order for it to not get caught in the grove for the reverse gear.

I don't use the push down hole for reverse. Not needed. It's a standard 6 speed extended H pattern which is what a truck transmission is

I mean that the weight of the shifter and extension might compress the spring enough the when you shift over the hole, it goes in, even though you dont intend to use it. You might end up needing to hold the shifter up so it doesnt fall down. Dont have one of them though, so Im not sure how resistant the spring is, so I might be talking about something that doesnt matter.

[Anorak the All Knowing]

yeah... if its pushed down it locks out all gear openings but the 2 centers and the reverse slot, which is the 4/8th gear slot on a TA knob.

it's fairly easy to push down, can't imagine it would take much more weight to cause issues.

[Twelvefield]

I wouldn't extend a TH8A shifter, even. It is a much sturdier construction than the Logitech and I think it's worth the hefty asking price, but it's designed to be clamped to a desk. It's not invulnerable, there are stories of people breaking them (and Thrustmaster replacing them).

For a true floor mounted shifter, I guess I would use truck parts and custom-adapt them using USB electronics.

For that matter, OP, have you tried mocking up a shifter? Just a broomstick handle, nothing functional. I find that the small radius of the gaming wheel, the smallness and closeness of the Logitech pedals, their short throw, and the positioning of monitor to seat to desk do not come very close to matching the ergonomics of a car cockpit, let alone a truck. It's easy to get eye, back, knee, and ankle strain if you aren't sitting correctly! I can imagine that going ahead and building an extended floor shifter only to discover that you wreck your back or shoulder while playing would be a liability.

[kevinpereira79]

Originally posted by Twelvefield:

I wouldn't extend a TH8A shifter, even. It is a much sturdier construction than the Logitech and I think it's worth the hefty asking price, but it's designed to be clamped to a desk. It's not invulnerable, there are stories of people breaking them (and Thrustmaster replacing them).

For a true floor mounted shifter, I guess I would use truck parts and custom-adapt them using USB electronics.

For that matter, OP, have you tried mocking up a shifter? Just a broomstick handle, nothing functional. I find that the small radius of the gaming wheel, the smallness and closeness of the Logitech pedals, their short throw, and the positioning of monitor to seat to desk do not come very close to matching the ergonomics of a car cockpit, let alone a truck. It's easy to get eye, back, knee, and ankle strain if you aren't sitting correctly! I can imagine that going ahead and building an extended floor shifter only to discover that you wreck your back or shoulder while playing would be a liability.

Thanks everyone for the replies firstly. Everyone brought up good points, especially about the logitech shifter possible staying pushed down due to the weight of the extension.

How would I build my own shifter. It's not like I'm not creative (I can definitely design the box), but wiring isn't my strong suit. Wouldn't I also have to program it as a joystick?

[TechAffliction]

If your main concern is weight pushing it down into reverse you can buy a stronger compression spring and replace the one under your current shaft.
Compression springs are pretty easy to come by online.

[kevinpereira79]

Originally posted by TechAffliction:

If your main concern is weight pushing it down into reverse you can buy a stronger compression spring and replace the one under your current shaft.
Compression springs are pretty easy to come by online.

My main concern is rather to make this as realistic as possible. Since the logitech base is made of cheap plastic that feels like it'll break if I were to go just a little too rough with one of my shifts I'd rather buy the TH8A shifter since it's made out of actual metal. I want to be as immersed in the game as I can. I started with the steering wheel set. Then the multi-monitor mod. Now on to upgrading the shifter. Then comes the game controller box:

https://evolpcgaming.com/store/product/8-heavy-hauler/

[TechAffliction]

There are mods you can do to the G series shifter to make it more solid shifting with an extension on it.
Replacing the compression spring that pushes the bearing into the slot to make the gate click more solid is one. Replacing the reverse spring is another.
I personally wouldn't spend the money for a Thrustmaster or Fanatec shifter just to play ATS. If you are into racing also it would make more sense.
A couple of compression springs are pretty cheap. So is all thread, paint, and PVC pipe to cover it for a DIY extension. The added benefit to a DIY all thread extension is that it's much lighter than a chromed alloy one. Although the hub for the G series shifter is Delrin plastic, it's pretty strong stuff. I doubt you'd break it in use playing a truck sim, though anything is possible.
The problem with an extension is that the longer the extension gets, the less feedback you get from the bearing clicking into place to let you know you're actually in gear.

[Asigion]

Originally posted by kevinpereira79:

My main concern is rather to make this as realistic as possible. Since the logitech base is made of cheap plastic that feels like it'll break if I were to go just a little too rough with one of my shifts I'd rather buy the TH8A shifter since it's made out of actual metal. I want to be as immersed in the game as I can. I started with the steering wheel set. Then the multi-monitor mod. Now on to upgrading the shifter. Then comes the game controller box:

https://evolpcgaming.com/store/product/8-heavy-hauler/

The TH8A shifter still needs to be mounted to something so it is either a desk, a table beside your chair or a proper gaming rig. Yes the shifter is superb but it would not take too kindly to being treated roughly either and in ATS and ETS2 there is no reason why the shifter would need to be treated that way. Shifting is very gentle in these games and there is no need to slam into any gear.

As said earlier extending the shifter beyond it's capability would damage the shifter regardless of whether it is a superior build to the Logitech shifter.

[TechAffliction]

I should have mentioned also that although the hub for the G series shifter is Delrin, the gates that actually stop the forward backward movement and that the shaft pins slide in are made of steel.
You're not going to shove the pins past a point where you can damage the hub unless you're using enough force to actually bend them.
The only scenario I can see that happening is trying to play something like iRacing with your extension and shift knob still on.

[kevinpereira79]

Again thank you for all the input. I think that what I'm going to end up doing is to search around for modifications to the shifter, and possibly design my own. I'm thinking of building a small heavy table for the shifter (make the legs out of sanded down 4x4's with a plywood top), staining it, and keeping it a decent height. By making it raised, I won't need need a long extension for the shifter. Most likely below 10 inches. I'm also going to modify my pedals.