Fanatec Clubsport Pedals - Indepth Look & Guide To Invert

[Wheel Nut]

Hi, welcome to the first "Wheel Nut" guide here at GT Forums!

It's time to take a close look at the Fanatec "Club Sport Pedals" which were released earlier this year with the GT3RS wheel. I'm sure they need no introduction and many will perhaps ponder over these beautiful pedals if you haven't already bought them then your in luck.

This guide will double as a close indepth look and introduction to further help wet your appetite, enjoy the many photos.

My personal reason for "Inverting" is mainly to give more leg room on a current d.i.y cockpit Im making. This will help if playing different games when seated at the cockpit when using a joypad or PC.

I dont expect any real but perhaps minor benifits in doing this from a comfort or controlability area compared to the pedals being flat.
Although many Porsche cars don't have inverted pedals, my upcoming d.i.y cockpit isn't trying to replicate a Porsche. Still doing so does however look cooler and I suppose as weve seen happen to the Logitech G25 it became quite a popular thing to do throughout the racing game community.

Contents:
Why Clubsports Introduction
Appreciating The Build Quality
Adjustments Possible
Standard & Inverted Comparison
How To Invert Guide

If you attempt to do this please take extra care not to damage your pedals. Ensure it is unplugged when working at it.
Be aware if you ruin your pedals it may invalid your warrenty.
Please consult Fanatec if you have any queries

Clubsport Pedals Official Webpage & Info


* NEW SHIPMENTS OF THESE PEDALS MAY NOT INCLUDE THE SPRING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL *

[Wheel Nut]

Why Clubsports?
Below we look briefly at some of the reasons why these should be considered and are currently taking the racing community by storm.

Personalisation In Adjustability
When comparing the "Clubsport Pedals" to other rival products it is worth looking closely.
Fanatec have designed the "Clubsport Pedals" to be unique in that they offer a multitude of adjustable settings for user preference.
This should not be underestimated because having pedals that feel right to you can only enchance your enjoyment and maximise your driving potential.
The Logitech G25 which has offered in my personal opinion the best pedals for a widespread consumer product doesnt offer any alterations or adaptability out of the box at all. Therefore the "Clubsport Pedals" open a whole new door...

Quality & Price
We welcome the simplistic design and adaptability these pedals have. They cost much less than professional, high end PC simulator designs that are currently on the market. So the price/performance ratio should be very good in a comparison.

Console Gamers Shocked
Yet having browsed many forums for feedback on this report I've discovered some people are shocked regards the price of the "Clubsport Pedals" With the introduction of FM3 and the announcement of this product being officially backed by Turn 10, the developers of Forza Motorsport 3 it has brought Fanatec into the limelight more than ever.

Yes indeed a wheel and set of pedals costing almost 2x the price of the X360 console is hard for some gamers to swallow particulary when they rather unfairly compare these to other wheels available for consoles. This I believe is the biggest obstacle for Fanatec to overcome in gaining increased sales from the general console gaming market. At this point I would like to mention that I'm not a PC sim gamer, yes I've dabbled at it but my resasons for purchasing these pedals along with wheels is for console games and particulary FM3 and GT5. I have a view that if many people spend hundreds of £s on graphic cards and PC upgrades to enjoy their games then buying a longterm quality wheel and pedals isnt any worse.

Compatible With More Games Than Any Other
This is where I think Fanatec have hit the market perfectly having Standard & Clubsport pedal products that are suitable for the major platforms.
Unlike other current offerings these pedals will now be suitable for PS3/X360/PC which is a first, sorry read that again this is a first for any steering wheel or pedals thanks to the upcoming release of the "Fanatec Turbo S" steering wheel. Now if you counted the amount of good racing games on PC/X360/PS3 that would be quite a long list so this is one of the strongest points of sale for the Fanatec range. Not only does no other product offer this but with the upcoming "Fanatec Turbo S" wheel it is possible to have a single wheel and pedals installed into a racing cockpit. Ive owned several consumer cockpits in the past and trust me it is a real pain not to mention time consuming changing over X360 wheel and pedals to G25 wheel and pedals. No more, no longer, no problems.


New Innovative Vibrating Brake Feature
Without having tested this yet I can only assume it is like the rumble feature used on the throttle with a Fanatec wheel. My assumption is it can help simulate a locked tyre or possible flat spotting. Perhaps it depends how it is implemented into a game.

This new feature is working on selected PC titles.
However I am awaiting further information from Thomas regards support for this on consoles.

I can confirm big news however, that Forza Motorsport 3 is likely to support this new feature with a X360 system update

This may actually be the first console game to do so. Without doubt this will be a fun feature to further enchance FM3 including "Clutch" and "H-Shift" gears. This also helps benifit X360 owners achieve a new level of simulation for those who purchase these pedals with their Turbo S wheel.
It will be less likely Gran Turismo 5 will support this with it's previous past with the Logitech brand but who knows.

[Wheel Nut]

Appreciating The Build Quality

[Wheel Nut]

Pedal Adjustments
As mentioned above these pedals are unqiue at this pricepoint with their adjustability.
It is true that they may not be at their best out of the box and I found this myself.
These products need to be tweaked to suit your own preferences and if anything these pedals are sort of like a pre built "kit" product.
Okay you dont have to build them but they beg for you to tinker with them, tweak them and put the effort in to get the best out of them.
Lets look in detail at the various options regards the adaptability to meet a users requirements.


Part 1: Pedal Plates:
Positioning / Angles / Spacers

Pedal plates can be mounted up/down/left/right with the holes provided.
Spacers are provided which alter the angle of the pedal plate to your foot.
In total you have 3 angles available depending how you mount the pedal plates.

The spacer allows a forward or aft angle. It's possible to attach a pedal plate without the spacer which changes not only how close the pedal plate is to your foot but also provides annother angle option. Having for example the throttle without a spacer is ideal for heel and toe braking.

[Wheel Nut]

Part 2: Springs
Looking closer at the "Clubsport Pedals" it's springs sort of resemble the suspension on an enthausiast "radio controlled car" like a Tamiya.
For the brake pedal two springs are provided. Each offers a different feeling of stiffness. Also you can have metal or foam insert for the "Load Cell" within the brake mechanisim.

Springs are adaptable by:
Increasing the tension in the coil by tightening the bolt and changing the springs for the brake pedal.

Thomas from Fanatec has revelaed here of new additional tuning performance parts will be coming to further increase the tunning potential of the pedals response.

[Wheel Nut]

Part 3: Components Of The Brake
The brake on the "Clubsport Pedals" is different to the "Clutch" and "Throttle" pedals. It does not feature the "Magnetic "Sensor" but uses what is referred to as a "Load Cell"

This is a pressure sensative component that allows you to adjust the maximium amount of pressure you want the brakes to have (see the video). The "Club Sport Pedals" have a potentiometer adjuster at the side of the brake to control this.

Brake Components

Part 3: Brake Pedal Travel Distance
The "Brake Pedal" upright also allows adjustment.
Changing this is one of the trickier things to do as it requires dismantling the pedals at the sides.
Thomas shows exactly how to do this on his video...
Thomas - You Tube Video

As shown below this extension has extra holes for the spring head mounting to be attached. This will reduce or increase the amount the pedal can be depressed giving you a short or long travel within the "Brake Pedal". Personally with all the other adjustments available I didnt try this or feel the need to yet.

[Wheel Nut]

Normal & Inverted Comparison
A quick look at the pedals in my "Game Pod" racing cockpit.

Normal Position
These pedals are quite large and take up more space than others.
I dont have a problem with the normal positioning but do prefer the look and additional foot space with them inverted.

Inverted Position
Here they are only temporaily standing/supported to show the difference in how they would look. No doubt about them taking less space when inverted and resembling most cars. Some think this is more professional looking, yeah me included.

[Wheel Nut]

Clubsport Pedals How To Invert Guide

The way the Fanatec "Clubsport Pedals" are made makes this a very simple mod indeed.
Brief points below and photos should be sufficent for people to get to grasps with it.


To start inverting the pedals you will need certain tools.
These include:

• 10mm & 17mm Spanner / Wrench
• Several Alan Key sizes, so best to have a set handy.
• Dry soft cloth
• Empty tub as not to lose screws or bits when dismantling
  

Thomas recommends "Bicycle Chain" oil lubericant.
If your wanting to replace the oil from a "1st Batch" set of pedals like mine or indeed just topping up at a later stage.

Before you begin I strongly recommend you watch the video Thomas made which is very helpful in seeing the best way to make adjustments and dismantling certain parts of the pedals.

Thomas - You Tube Video

Part 1: Changing Over The Pedals

• Remove the nuts,washers and bolts from the "Throttle" & "Clutch"
• Swap them over but remember to also turn them upside down.
• Do the same with the "Brake" pedal
• Take care with bits at the back

[Wheel Nut]

Part 2: The PCBA
Again very simple, points and pictures should be enough to demonstrate what to do. It is recommended you do not remove the actual sensors from the pedals as these are sensitive in their positioning.

Instead here is what to do:

• Unscrew the PCBA with the two screws
• Pull the "Throttle" cable out from the fixing clip
• Turn over the PCBA to show it's circuits
• Carefully change over the two cables (A & C) for the "Throttle" & "Clutch"
• Screw the PCBA back to the Pedals
  

That is all that is required from the electronics. This really couldnt be much more simple.

The only possible problem that may arise is if the cables on your own "Clubsport Pedals" are slightly shorter than mine.
It may require moving the PCBA left or right an inch or so and drilling two new holes for the screws. Or attach it with a strong adhesive sticky tape to attach it back to the pedals.

[Wheel Nut]

Part 3: Mounting & Issues
When inverting the pedals the "Throttle Plate" is now upside down. This means its rather narrow at the bottom rather than the thick end at the base of the pedal. I'm going to contact Fanatec to purchase an additional pedal the same as the others.

Personally I am considering having the 3 pedals the same and may be using the throttle pedal as a foot rest within my new ongoing d.i.y cockpit.

Mounting
If inverting the pedals these would only need be secured to a wooden/metal 90 degree upright in a cockpit. Alternatively perhaps some right angle metal brackets would suffice. It shouldnt be too technically challenging.

* I have suggested on the 911wheel.org site for Fanatec to consider making an official metal bracket solution for hard mounting into a cockpit and perhaps the fantastic Renn Sport Cockpit.

The "Clubsport Pedals" have adequete holes within the feet in it's base
These could be used to bolt to the material or brackets being used to secure them upright.

Issues
I have very few issues with the "Clubsport Pedals"
If anything the main one I have is to do with the cables. It would of been nicer for these to of been channeled down the pedal arms.
This would be tidier and keep them more out of harms way. I would admit to being concerned regards damage to these in the longterm particulary for users that may only have temporary places for their wheel & pedals and are possibly moving them a lot. So some care may need to be taken not to snag a cable if your moving these often.

Final Comments
Although I intend to do a review based on this units performance I am saving that for the later upcoming comparison thread. I hope this has been useful and if you have enjoyed this, please feel free to leave some comments.
GT Forums is here as a friendly and helpful forum community, have a look at some of our other guides including "Typhoons" Renn Sport Cockpit.

Enjoy the forums and your welcome to register.

Wheel Nut