Fanatec CSL DD with loadcell and shifter on a Playseat Challenge

My impressions of the Fanatec CSL DD, CSL pedals w/loadcell brake, and Clubsport Shifter mounted to a Playseat Challenge (as an upgrade to the Logitech Driving Force GT).
Shifter mount video: • Fanatec Clubsport shif...
Gopro shifter mounts: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B...

[@UniQue1992]

Thanks for showing us and explaining.

[@AndrewTSq]

I have the same logitech wheel, and playseat challenge :) And am thinking of upgrading to the Fanatec, so this was a really good video. thanks!.

[@gabox01]

I didn't try this new one but DFGT was the best wheel i've ever owned hand down. There's just something magical about it.

[@gamercubed]

Yeah, it really was good for a casual wheel - I particularly liked the feel of the wheel itself, super comfortable both in the contours and material. The sequential shifter too while cheap-feeling was really conveniently positioned for quick shifts in Dirt Rally.

[@gabox01]

@@gamercubed God have mercy I've sinned, but I mainly used the DFGT shifter as a handbreak in Dirt Rally.

[@olof1]

Thank you for making this video!

[@dimitrikhomyak7686]

I upgraded from the DFGT to the DD Pro as well, specifically for GT7 on PS5. Have mine mounted on the Playseat Challenge as well. With the load cell you should reinforce to connector, plenty of options online to reduce the lift. And for the wheel base, you should definitely add stabilizers. I built my own, but those are available as well.

[@miket3258]

I was looking for a used wheel on FB marketplace and couldn't find a decent one for less than the brand new price, some looked like trash. So I impulse-bought a G29 kit from Target because the other stores were sold out. It was $330! It was just too loud, clunking, vibrating through my desk into the floor and the room below me. And I just couldn't get over that center dead zone space when the wheel was centered. No force feedback at all in that zone. So, I figured I could just spend a little bit more on a belt driven one. I saw some Thrustmaster T300's for $450 and figured that's only 120 more than I paid for the G29 so I'll bite the bullet. Then I saw they were sold out everywhere but newegg. I was about the click 'buy now' for $450 plus alot in shipping and just randomly browsing, saw the Fanatec CSL DD. I figured it would be a fortune. The whole damn kit was only $399, only 70 more dollars than the G29 I just bought! And two giant steps up. It was actually cheaper than the belt driven Thrustmaster too, I couldn't believe it. After seeing this deal, I returned my G29 to the store, got my $330 back, and instantly purchased the whole Fanatec kit for $399 with motor, wheel and pedals! Only $14 shipping! I went two whole levels up for $70 bucks?! Even with shipping, it was actually cheaper than the lesser quality T300 wheel. I bought an old Playseat challenge for 40 bucks on Facebook marketplace from someone. Perfect sim rig. To think I only paid about $100 more total for all of this with direct drive and detachable wheel, better pedals, and a Playseat challenge than the G29 gear-driven toy is pretty insane.

[@guidofoc7057]

Hi, I have a very similar setup, (my pedals are Thustmaster T-LCM) and i have also added the Fanatec handbrake, mounted on a separate bracket. Works like a charm! One thing I have added is a reinforcement to the wheel plate, it's two 3d printed arms that extend from the farthest edge of the plate onto the chassis. I think it adds rigidity and is a worthy upgrade, besides looking nice.

[@rynosraceroom66]

I love my right / thx for the update

[@ThePvtMarcel]

You are 100% an engineer, great video

[@chappy0690]

Engineer?? Everything is bought, what are you talking about??

[@pr0gre551ve]

for LC pedals you can try 3DRAP brake mod, I've got it last week, dual linear and its finally softer then default setup

[@brunolisboa03]

nice video DUDE

[@4Kcorner]

Excellent upgrade choice!!! I too have learned to buy once cry once 🤣

[@giogamer4825]

Using the Fanatec DD+ now on the Playseat Challenge without flex, due to some reinforced mods. Love it

[@KJ-ls9ru]

Hi, i am thinking about to get the playseat challenge x (which should be more stable) with the dd+ 15nm. In some forum they said the challenge with the dd pro 8nm is not really suitable, because its too much force to the seat. Can you share some experience you did? do you think the challenge x with the dd + (15nm) works fine or is it too instable? And which reinforcment did you add from which brand, like indigo? thx

[@giogamer4825]

@@KJ-ls9ru started with DD Pro 8nm on the Reinforced Challenge. Now on DD+, It is good, if you can use the Indigo kit I have, especially the Baseplate mod. An Playseat trophy or something else will be better, but with the mod you get most of the flex out of the Challenge. I have to use the Challenge due to space issue. Also, I dont expect you will be max out on FFB in the DD+. I have it around 50% and that is already strong for me. Any questions, let me know

[@fgl8195]

Awesome review mate. Been trying to decide on gt lite and play seat challenge and like u I’m a slimmer person and play seat looks more snug for me. I’m getting a DD pro for it with boost kit. So playseat it is 😁

[@gamercubed]

Yeah, it's great, especially if you expect to fold it up somewhat regularly. It does flex but there are ways to improve that if it bothers you (not a big deal to me so far).

[@fgl8195]

Been brilliant so far and absolutely loving it. I don’t notice any flex. Super happy with my purchase

[@miket3258]

Playseat feels snug and if you adjust it right, the wheel comes into your chest and you have a nice grip on it, its not too far out. No shoulder strain during long races and good elbow bend. Surprisingly sturdy when holding a big heavy wheelbase like the Fanatec Direct Drive

[@fgl8195]

@@miket3258 I have purchased one now and I 💯 agree with you. Very happy with it. Thanks for your help👍

[@pedroberberana990]

I recommend to use the pedals Velcro belt to set up a stronger join between pedals part and the seat itself. This way you avoid wasting the plastic screws that use the playseat Challenge for this purpose and get an easy enforcement of the structure to be able to push hard the brake pedal.

[@MuddyFox76]

Great to see you can attach the fanatec shifter to the playseat, presuming on a left or right orientation? Awaiting my GT DD Pro to arrive next week

[@gamercubed]

Yeah, I see no reason it couldn't mount the same way on the left.

[@UnkownMTRider]

Can you do a video on how to connect the pedals with the load cell as a brake and the original brake pedal as a clutch and how did you connect them with the RJ cables between them. I have heard a lot of people have burned the cables of the pedals

[@stoss-11]

Awesome video this is exactly what I was looking for. I just bought all this same gear for my playseat as well. My main concern though is the rigidity. I did hear you mention it seems to be fine but is that thin little plate thats holding the CSL DD really holding up at high speed/force corning. I feel like it would move quite a bit due to its weight

[@radovanivanovic5706]

It moves quite a bit, but it's less of a problem than you would think. I don't know how the guy made it so that he doesn't lift the whole chair when he brakes, though... I have a 25kg bag of cement on my pedals, can still lift the chair (but only when I'm REALLY pushing it now, used to be during regular braking)

[@JoaoSilva-vx4sh]

nice video !! what was the screw that you used to mount the DD base ? thank you

[@ShinsouNL]

For those who are still looking. Fanatec prices dropped through the floor. CSL DD + Pedals + Steeringwheel is around 450-515 euro's now. Mind you that the 3 pedal set is more expensive.

[@tuobahc]

Any plan on filming yourself using it i'd rezlly like to see how it behaves on that flimsy support. I have one too and it's great but i'm really skeptical to how the whole setup survives it on dirt 2.0

[@wwjnz9263]

Nice grab! I have a CSL-DD as well. I kind of wish I got a pair of metal QR1 along with my WRC and McLaren rims. I originally wanted to wait for the QR2, but it seems like it has become vaporware. Still, it's a good wheel and wheelbase.

[@gamercubed]

Yeah, I should do a follow-up because I've started having the QR lite slip/clunk issues. Electrical tape "fix" seems to have helped but I need to give it more time to confirm.

[@christiancyr4073]

Do you know why you didn't get a qr1? I ordered mine January 1st and mine came with a qr1 "free" just had to sell a kidney to afford the wheel

[@SampaosLim510]

Nice how many bolt you have on your wheel base?

[@lratafia]

hey man, nice video, I wonder how noisy the pedals are, when you lift the gas pedal, when you lift the the clutch, since it's all metal againt metal, right? I wonder I you could record a video with a camera on the pedals, thanks!

[@gamercubed]

Honestly, I've never noticed a noise from the pedals. You're right that if you let them spring back without any resistance there is a metal on metal tap sound, but it's not loud and I've never noticed it while racing. I'd say the paddle and H pattern shifters are much louder and the only thing I'd really consider a concern if noise is a worry.

[@chrishemsworth1306]

Does it wobble during driving? I used logitech g29 with playseat challenge. N it feels fragile. And fanatech has lot more weight and torque .

[@outlawblue1]

Are these Ram Mounts on Amazon? I could order from Ram mounts directly but dont want to pay $20 for shipping. Thanks for the video! hoping to get my playseat set up exactly like this.

[@emilianomontanari283]

is it pedal break stiff and firmly enough with that cabled solution?

[@Steve30x]

Looking at how easy that is to fold and fold it's a million times easier to do than my Next Level Racing GT Lite. I also agree that the GT Lite is uncomfortable. I have mine since march and used it for over four hours a few times. But I'm looking at changing to the playseat challenge. The GT Lite takes up a lot of space when folded up , that's folding it the most compact way Karl Gosling showed how to do , there's absolutely no cushioning so the seat feels like concrete , there is no lumbar support , folding it and unfolding it takes a lot more effort than it's worth and it takes up a lot of space when folded. When I buy the playseat challenge Ill swap the pedal mount from the GT Lite to the playseat though.

[@PrimedProductions]

Did you end up switching? How is it?

[@andersenesved3188]

Hi, Is the red screws enoung to hol the pedals i place, or is the whole set moving forward when you brake hard? Nice video btw :)

[@rover1374]

Thanks for the video. Going through the process now of deciding on a playseat or GT Lite. I think I’m leaning towards the playseat I wish it also came with the ability to angle pedals and hard mount pedals without DIY. I am also looking that buying some loadcells and have heard it can lift under heavy braking. Any issues with this?

[@gamercubed]

It can lift with load cells under heavy braking, but you can prevent this by adjusting the brake sensitivity down so that max braking isn't enough to lift. I find even with that the experience is fine but I'm sure some would find it a compromise.

[@rover1374]

@@gamercubed I mainly play on console and I don’t think sensitivity can be adjusted. You can adjust the springs to make them softer though. As you say, I’m sure there is a solution of some sort. I wish they would update it (or make a pro version) to have a proper angled pedal mount and a stability bar or something at the back to prevent lifting with heavy braking.

[@gamercubed]

Oh interesting, yeah, I'm only familiar with PC so if sensitivity can't be adjusted that might be a concern.

[@emreerokyar]

@@rover1374 I do own the GT DD Pro for PS5 and did own the LC kit at some point in the past as well and here’s what I can tell. Through the wheel I could configure the pressure level needed for full braking - so it was definitely adjustable. Just don’t mistake it as a physical adjustment though, as the brake pedal will always be as hard as it was when it came from the factory - unless you do some kind of physical adjustment. But, the pressure you need to apply to the pedal to be registered as 100% braking by the game is adjustable on the software level. I’ve tested this with Gran Turismo 7 and had no major issues. The deal breaker for me was that the pedal was so hard, it almost wasn’t moving at all when I was applying the brake as most I could without moving the whole pedal set - even though the game was able to register it as 100% braking - and it was kind of breaking the immersion for me. So you might need a really rigid setup to be able to noticeably move the pedal forward on the LC kit. I ended up returning it as it was a bit too much for my setup on the NLR F-GT Lite.

[@rover1374]

@@emreerokyar thanks for the info. I have since upgraded most of my gear. Thanks

[@d3lph1c13]

How did you mount the pedals permanently. Just got a new playseat challenge and trying to figure out the best way to rig everything up.

[@Eriol-myt]

but seem to me that you cant fold playseat to full (seem that it remain more "fat"), i'm wrong?

[@TurboZHK]

How is the load cell working for you? I’m considering upgrade but I hear it’s super stiff and playseat challenge isn’t that sturdy, I am a bit worried since I won’t be able to return it. And would you say it is much better than the one come with the standard 2 pedals set brake?

[@gamercubed]

It is super stiff, almost no travel. That said, as long as you keep the max force at around 50-60% (which still requires plenty of pressure IMO) it's fine and won't tip the playseat. It's my least favorite part of the setup since the lack of travel doesn't feel realistic but I don't regret it since it's still the best way to add a clutch pedal. If you don't care about the clutch and think you'd be happy with a position based brake, then I'd maybe save your money and enjoy the stock brake which works fine and honestly feels better.

[@TurboZHK]

@@gamercubed Thanks, I bought a Elite V2, after reading about a lot people killed their gas pedal after installing LC brake. The chair lift is a problem for any brake force setting above 15% with V2, however it is quite usable even at low settings, even at 5% or 10% brake force setting.

[@peterlws]

Great video, can you mount the pedal directly onto the Playseat Challenge without any modification?

[@gamercubed]

I didn't have to modify the pedals themselves, but I did need to add that cross brace so the ends of the pedals have something to mount to. I don't really think the playseat's Velcro scheme would work very well for these pedals, so it does require some DIY.

[@andymcguigan7238]

I used cable ties works like a charm 😀

[@patrickduong8115]

Hi! Do you know what the length of your screws are for the DD to mount to the play seat? Thanks :)

[@gamercubed]

1cm. They could stand to be a bit longer but the stock ones would need some washers or something.

[@patrickduong8115]

@@gamercubed Awesome thanks for the reply! I got 12MM ones (:

[@kilaskil]

I"m waiting for the CSL DD + loadcell with a playseat challenge so same setup as yours, is it strong enough to handle the load cell? I've heard it's pretty tough pedal. Good vid ;)

[@gamercubed]

You will probably need to reduce the max force of the pedal, but it does work and seems solid enough.

[@kilaskil]

@@gamercubed ok, thank you :)

[@ParaBex]

Bonjour, avec quoi avez-vous fixé le pédalier ?

[@mishell76]

Hi Brian, I'm French, thank you for your video, I have "playseat" and I would like to buy a fanatec csl, it's a video that helps me a lot, even if it's difficult to translate for me :) but Is it possible to know which accessory to attach for the gear lever because I saw badly?, thank you

[@gamercubed]

Check the description for some links. This is the "gopro mount" I bought but unfortunately it's not available from this seller anymore: a.co/d/iLtuGqa

[@mishell76]

@@gamercubed thanks you very much 🙏

[@DM-fp8uw]

Any chance on a video on how you mounted the shifter?

[@gamercubed]

I linked a video in the description to the person I got the idea from and the gopro mounts I used. Except for my shortcut of using 1/2" PVC pipe for the spacers vs. his more legit 3D printed solution, it's pretty much the same.

[@TMHyt]

but do you need a table clamp to mount the wheelbase on your playseat?

[@gamercubed]

No, the playseat has hard mounts that work with the CSL DD.

[@giogamer4825]

Are you still using the Challenge and CSL DD,base? I have it also and have a great tip if you want, so you can have the metal base plate not flexing

[@chipsdubbo05]

can you tell us about that tip :D

[@giogamer4825]

@@chipsdubbo05 kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWanZ5Z8iJibZ80si=z5Z6253GlJzngzdX This is the tip. I am using the Fanatec DD+ now on the Playseat Challenge with almost no flex at around 50% FFB in game, by using the whole kit. Especially the Baseplate mod is perfect

[@MeMyselfandEye718]

After having a playseat challenge for a while now I switched up to a wheel stand only bcus I got tired of having to lift up the whole wheel and get up out of it… now I much rather just roll a chair up to it and play

[@stefanschopfer5662]

Hi, thanks for the video, very good informations. I also have the playseat challenge, after collecting some experience, do you think, this seat is stable enough to handle a Fanatec DD base with 8Nm? I also think about to upgrade from an G29. Greetings....

[@gamercubed]

It is for me (I have the 8nm kit), though I'll admit I'm a more casual racer so not stressing it as much as some. But the flex doesn't bother me and I've not seen any signs of stress on the frame.

[@deandecarlo7160]

How's the playseat challenge holding up with the CSL DD - - play seat told me that they only recommend wheels 5 nm and under so wondering if your seeing any parts getting loose from the direct drive.

[@gamercubed]

No issues so far but I'm not a heavy user.

[@deandecarlo7160]

@@gamercubed Looks like CSL DD is 5 nm so in theory it shouldn't give you issues!

[@gamercubed]

@@deandecarlo7160 it goes up to 8nm with the boost kit, so is pushing the limits of the playseat, but holding up fine so far ;)

[@deandecarlo7160]

@@gamercubed Awesome good to know I don't need to upgrade since its been a few months!

[@wsra.racing]

Check out our CSL-DD mount to SOLVE the mounting issue with Playseat Challenge. Get your CSL-DD center-mounted :) www.wsra.club/product-page/CSL-DD-universal-mount-WSRA Cheers!

[@guest21984]

I waited 20 minutes to see how the Playseat challenge handled the CSL DD force feedback... :(

[@PIDOFREAK]

You know you can skip ahead in a KZbin video, right?

[@xuimod]

Wow thank goodness I have a room dedicated to my sim rig. As the owner of a 8020 aluminum extrusion rig (Rigmetal) with bass shakers attached I can't even imagine having a fold up rig like this. Anyways everyone's situation is different, hope you enjoy your rig and setup.

[@phoenixsparrow3757]

Loool fucking hell what a subtle flex

[@ewenblack4174]

Time for a real rig bro