In the world of simracing, we often hear brands promise us the best sensations. The best force feedback. The best bases and wheels. But we rarely hear about a crucial technological aspect: the Quick Release system.
Because let’s face it, when you’re a simracing enthusiast, you’ve got a lot of steering wheels. And you want to be able to switch from one wheel to another as quickly and efficiently as possible. And you want to be able to switch wheels as quickly and efficiently as possible.
In this battle, brands are very unequal. Some make Quick Release a point of honor. Others seem to be lagging behind. Are you a detail-oriented customer like me? Do you want only the best in your cockpit? If so, here at last is a comprehensive, no-holds-barred comparison of the different Quick Releases on the market!
The Thrustmaster Quick Release
Let’s start with a brand that’s clearly lagging behind when it comes to Quick Release: Thrustmaster. Its mechanism takes us straight back to the world of children’s toys. Wheel changing takes minutes (!!!) and requires a screwdriver.
But how does it work? You snap the steering wheel onto the Quick Release, aligning it well. Next, push up the plastic ring which will surround the steering wheel thread. Tighten by hand, then insert a small screw in the hole provided and tighten with a screwdriver.
It’s long and impractical. On the other hand, it’s relatively rigid. In fact, the Thrustmaster system doesn’t tend to allow much flexibility between the base and the steering wheel. But in practical terms, you could call it a Slow Release.
Much to my dismay, Thrustmaster decided to be stubborn and keep this model even on the T-GT 2. A flywheel base that’s supposed to be the brand’s top-of-the-range model. But it’s not all doom and gloom, as we already know that their first Direct Drive model will feature a new Quick Release system. Let’s hope it can keep up with the competition, because they’re not kidding!
Upgrading the Thrustmaster system
There are a few options on the Internet for upgrading the Thrustmaster system without having to get out the hacksaw or soldering iron. For around twenty euros, for example, the TM-QUICK-R model seems to do the job adequately.
The Fanatec QR1 Quick Release
The Fanatec model is either loved or hated. In any case, everyone has their own opinion on it. That’s good news for me too 😉
I’m going to disappoint a lot of people, but frankly, I’ve never had any problems with the Fanatec QR1.
Yes, yes, I know, it’s completely against the grain not to speak ill of this QR.
I must either be very lucky, or there’s an element of exaggeration in the inflammatory comments that can be found on the net.
But I’m not going to sing its praises either, rest assured. After several years of use, I’m well aware of its limitations. For example, it’s true that on some older models, the adjustment wasn’t perfect. You had to go through the clamping screw to fix the wheel firmly. And even then, we sometimes had a bit of flexibility. My test of the Fanatec DD2 showed that even recently!
Its 5 steel balls certainly do the job today, but it’s not uncommon for riders to hear a sort of “crackling ” sound when the force feedback sends out quite a bit of torque. It’s simply the balls rubbing against their holes. And even if, in most cases, the clamping screw solves the problem, it’s not 100% effective.
Wheel changeover time could also be improved. When you place a new wheel on the QR, you have to make sure it’s straight, to avoid damaging the pins connecting the wheel to the base. It therefore takes 10 to 12 seconds to install the wheel.
What about the Fanatec QR1 Lite?
The QR1 Lite isn’t the stiffest, nor the most stable over time, but it does have the merit of reducing the price of the brand’s entry-level wheels.
If you’ve been following our test of the McLaren GT3 V2, you’ll have seen that we’ve had problems with our QR1 Lite. The QR1 Lite on our BMW CSL had absolutely no such problems.
So it seems that, depending on the series, you can either have a high-performance model or not…
Simagic Quick Release
10 steel balls, an ultra-rigid and fast system. Simagic’s Quick Release is inspired by the NRG models found in real racing cars. It installs and uninstalls in 5 to 7 seconds, leaving no flex between the steering shaft and the steering wheel.
A sure bet. A QR that won’t let you down! Note that there are two simagic QR models. But we’ll be digging deeper into this subject in a future article on brand mixes between bases and steering wheels 😉
The Moza Racing Quick Release
The QR from Moza Racing looks exactly like the Simagic model. That’s normal, it’s the same one. If you’ve read my review of the Moza R9 and Moza GS wheel, you’ll know what I mean!
Changing the wheel takes 5 to 7 seconds. The 10 steel balls that clamp the steering axle make the connection indestructible. It’s a tried-and-tested model, even if it can sometimes have long-term reliability problems.
Simucube Quick Release
Simucube has a very different QR from the competition.
Here, the steering wheel is inserted into an inverted V-shaped “rail”. Then insert a safety pin to ensure that nothing moves.
And it works! You can also adjust the “height” of the rail so that the steering wheel is more or less tight against the QR.
I’ve already seen a few players complain that you can lose the safety pin in the heat of the action. True, but this is a very robust, inflexible solution, with no moving mechanical parts to get damaged.
The Logitech Quick Release
With the arrival of the Logitech G Pro, Logitech offers us its first Quick Release system. This suggests that there will soon be a range of steering wheel wheels in the brand’s ecosystem.
The current model is strongly inspired by the Fanatec model, but with an ingenious system of connectors on springs to avoid the risk of breakage on the connectors between the steering wheel and the steering shaft.
Mixing wheel and base brands
In a future article, we’ll look at how you can mix and match wheels from one brand with a base from another. And vice versa ^^
It’s going to be a big tutorial, as we’ll be getting into the technical side of things. But I promise I’ll try not to put you to sleep 🙂
Anyway, I look forward to seeing you in the comments. By the way, I’ve got a question for you: Have you tested several QRs? And if so, which ones did you like best? See you soon!
