Fanatec CSL Pedals Load Cell Kit - Install, test and review

[@DomB_Fanatec]

Hi Ham VR, thank you for the review! The travel might increase a small amount over time as the elastomers settle. And as you say this is your first load cell, you might need more hours to adjust to the feel. We did consider alternative elastomers, but believe it or not, high quality elastomers that are softer but can still withstand high forces would add significantly to the overall cost of the product. So instead we took the decision to pick a single configuration that was 'about right' for the majority of users, and we knew that this would mean that some users would initially react with 'this is way too stiff'. But we've found that, in general, when given a choice of elastomers, many users start out with a softer combination but end up swapping them for something much harder over time.

[@HamVR]

Hello DomB, thank you for your comment. I will keep on trying the load cell and see if it eventually settles in over time. If I see significant change or if I simply get use it, I will do a follow up video. Out of interest, were your test users all using rigid race seats or were some also using reclining seats? I’m using a Sparco R100 car seat and I’m seeing some seat flex at maximum brake force. In reagard to the cost of other elastomers, do you think Fanatec will offer upgrade kits to allow users to buy softer (or harder) setups in the near future? On a final note, I think it would be helpful for customers to see the brake force curves between existing Fanatec products (see 17:50) to help with their buying decisions in future. If this could be added the Fanatec website it would be very helpful. Thanks again 👍

[@davistiano]

I received mine like 2 weeks ago and I had the exact reaction "this is way too stiff"! LOL. I do want to get used to it thou, do you have any tip/guide on how I should find my ideal brf setting? E.g. should I set it to a value that I can only brake to 90% with every single piece of my bodymuscle? Or should I aim for being able to reach 100% easily? Is a higher brf% means easier to modulate the braking power? Thanks!!

[@DomB_Fanatec]

@@davistiano If you use your entire strength it should be possible to max out the input even with BRF at Max. This doesn't necessarily mean you should. Generally speaking, the stronger the pedal, the better you will be able to train your muscle memory. But you can get used to any value if you put the time in to practice. I suggest starting at 50, and only turn it up from there once you are really used to it.

[@takosan87]

Dear Fanatec employeeeeee , i just got my Loadcell and it is even worst than whats seen here, my pedal moves like 1cm under max brf??? MAX BRF 10mm travel ??? WTF is this now you use bricks instead of elastomeres are you effing with us. Yes Yes yes you used the hard ones because customers will use them some day anyway but coming from the normal brake with like 7cm travel to a 7mm travel at 50% brf what is this. Be aware future buyers if you think the movement seen in this Video is not much than the new batch will be like hitting a Brick wall and not like a Brake. FFS i come from the normal brake to this? Did u not AT ANY POINT use your brains and thought, "this is the entry level load cell it should not feel like a brik wall under the feet, it should be a smother transition from a normal breake to the load cell"? Je right it would be more expansive, turns out 3 pieces of softer elastomere 10€ F for you and your marketing bs. This is so bs, wait so long for the lc to be in stock again so i can order and than its a brick brake of a es show. You had one job to to but you even did that job even worst GG Fanatec GG. What was your thinking, oh look a youtuber says this is to little travel only 40mm, hmm thats to mush lets make it 7mm ffs

[@HamVR]

@@takosan87 Thanks for your comment. 10mm does seem rather insane.

[@peterkarlsson845]

Thanks for the video, very informative. I just bough the CSL pedals and the load cell kit and I was looking for a video about the installation process and the cable connections.Your video is much more informative than Fanatecs own.

[@TheGingerOneNI]

For anyone who feels the same way about the lack of travel, have a look at the 3Draps replacement elastomers. I went for two of the linear versions and travel has increased significantly. I find I am able to trail brake much more effectively now.

[@bryan34wable]

I just started using mine and this is the exact issue I’m having problem with. Trail breaking is tuff for me with this limited pedal travel. Sometimes I’ll even look down thinking I am and see I’m not pushing hard enough.

[@UniQue1992]

@@bryan34wable How is it now, 4 months later? I mean it takes a lot of time to adjust to LoadCell brakes. How are you doing now? :)

[@bryan34wable]

@@UniQue1992 I modded mine with a combination of a spring I found on Amazon with the supplies bushings. I like it. Still has decent firmness but has about 1/2-3/4” more travel.

[@HamVR]

UPDATE: 3DRap are now making replacment elastomer kits which I hope to test out soon www.3drap.it/product/fanatec-csl-elastomer-brake-mod-csl-pedals-lc/ For those wondering why I cover pedal travel so much in this video when it's about a load cell brake (a pressure based sensor), check out the pedal force curve chart at 17:50 where I look at the Heusinkveld operating range.

[@mra091666]

Thank you for the very detailed information on the pedals and load cell. I just received the 3 pedal kit (without the load cell) and was in he process of ordering the load cell kit. However, after your honest and down to earth review I am going not order the Fanatec upgrade. I did already see one company that sells a double spring add on to the brake kit with the sponge and a one spring option for the throttle I will try for a combined cost of $65.00 and both add ons have adjustable springs.

[@HamVR]

Glad you found it useful. Keep in mind this is just my personal experience. I would be interested to know what you think of these alternative upgrades once you have tried them 👍

[@eduardovasconcellos4727]

Could you share a link to those springs for the normal CSL brake pedals?

[@ChristosBassCovers]

Great Demo (with measurements and comparison). Fantastic

[@lanmaster53]

Thank you for putting this review together. I have to ask though, have you ever used a load cell pedal before? A lot of emphasis was put on pedal travel when the whole point of a pressure based sensor is not to have excess travel. Too much travel in a pressure based pedal actually reduces the body's ability to sense and commit fine pressure detail to memory. What you prefer seems to be the opposite of what a load cell pedal is supposed to be.

[@HamVR]

Hey Tim, no I have not used load cell pedal prior to this one. I do acknowledge in the video that load cells are designed to be pressure based rather than position based. The reason that I mention pedal travel so much is to contrast it to the standard pedal and other brands of load cell pedals on the market (that offer adjustment with stated travel ranges). With the brake force set at 65% (a comfortable amount for brake force for me) I found 25mm was not enough travel to trail brake. I suspect the full 40mm would be a good enough range, but the brake force felt heavy to me. I think Fanatec missed a trick not shipping this product with alternative elastomers IMO.

[@CharlySayz]

I also just received these and found the pedal em strange and had it set low. After a week I run them at 80% and find the brake amazing and controllable right up to locking the wheels.. I was initially going to add a spring mod like a lot of people do so that it feels like my car with an inch before the brakes bite. I have changed my mind and really like it now.

[@akpanjennings]

Probably the only reviewer that I’ve watched with a less than positive review

[@HamVR]

I think at the time of the review I'm one the few "reviewers" that isn't a Fanatec partner LOL.

[@eduardovasconcellos4727]

To be fair, all other video reviews for this load cell pedal said something along the lines of "I like it, but it hurts my leg to use it."

[@njcdevelopments3765]

I think it will take you some time to adapt to the load cell properly. A month ago I went from Thrustmaster 2 pedal setup to CSL Elite load cell with 85KG elastomers. Initially it took some time to build muscle memory for 100% saturation but more importantly your muscles to slowly bleed off the brake whilst still pressing much firmer then you are used to. My travel is circa 20-25mm but thats not the issue. It’s getting used to the pressure. Good video btw!:)

[@HamVR]

Thanks. Yes perhaps with more time spent (days) I could learn to adjust to highest brake force setting. A rigid racing seat would work better too. I think an altertative set of softer elastomers would be useful for training purposes to slowly build up to that level.

[@ScottPC]

Good job highlighting the pedal travel. That's the one thing that threw me off when I switched to a loadcell. It felt very unrealistic until you get used to the fact its load based.

[@anddudewaslike]

Glad to see I wasn't the only one who found the brake pedal to be way too stiff for my preferences. I do agree some alternative rubber inserts would be a great option to allow for a bit more travel. I'm considering upgrading to Fanatec's V3 inverted pedal set eventually, but I literally just got my CSL load cell kit yesterday so I want to get some actual use out of them first.

[@HamVR]

These might be an option. I've not tried them myself (yet) www.3drap.it/product/fanatec-csl-elastomer-brake-mod-csl-pedals-lc/

[@anddudewaslike]

@@HamVR great resource thanks! I will definitely look into them.

[@takosan87]

Here a warning to all, i got a lc kitt just now (mid of March 2022) and the ruber thing is even stiffer. Now the Travel is like 10mm at max brf. So it is now officially a Brick you push against. Fanatec effed it up for me. i was so hyped for this and if i had like 3cm of movement like in this video i would have been happy, but nope, now its like 7mm of movement at 60%brf and like 1.2cm at max BRF.

[@HamVR]

I am surprised they have made it even stiffer. Are you sure you are pushing hard enough? My car seat was flexing to achieve the maximum travel in the video and I did think it was too stiff for me personally. Edit: Just seen what you said about the BRF. Yeah that sound very stiff/short throw.

[@nyc863]

same. the current shipping load cell has such little travel its got to be a joke did fanatec buy shares in 3drap why do i have to pay $50 to add some travel while stomping on the pedal??

[@Bowd3n46]

Totally agree with you on the adjustability issue. Way too hard, need some alternative elastomers to give greater degree of range of movement whilst meeting the ideal force feel. Great video and well articulated 👍

[@HamVR]

Thanks dude!

[@AdzzVR]

Could try to buy soft skateboard bushings ?

[@Huriz03]

thanks for the video Ham, I was thinking to buy it and your video has been so helpful to know how it works and what are the differences with the original ones.

[@HamVR]

Glad it helped 👍

[@ewia-stonegaming5783]

The load cell threw me off when I first got the kit based on the lack of travel that I was used to and the stiffness but as I have gotten use to the kit I’m glad I stuck with it and very happy with my purchase I bought the kit and base soon after they where both available the control you can have is outstanding

[@SupremeChimp]

Yours has way more travel than mine. If I try to turn the brake force up I almost break the pedals off the mount pressing the brake down. Feels like Im just stepping on a solid piece of metal most of the time unfortunately.

[@HamVR]

😂

[@ebdona72]

Great video Ham. My experience of the CSL LC 3 pedal set has not been great so far. The main 2 pedal kit was missing the bag with the countersink screws and allen key in. I have emailed them but no response. I have been able to mount the LC brake as that did have the screws and allen key in. It is very stiff and I'm finding it impossible to trail brake because of the short travel. The 1 upside I've found is the fact that when driving cars without ABS I'm locking up the wheels a lot less. Also, my lap times are very consistent, more so than before. Not sure what to do about the travel and stiffness.

[@HamVR]

They will soften up a little after more use, but even then they weren't to my taste. I'm hoping to try out some alternative elastomers from 3Drap in the near future. Watch this space..

[@myGamebox47]

Thank you bro for the information.

[@HamVR]

You are welcome. Thanks for commenting.

[@myGamebox47]

@@HamVR it gives

[@myGamebox47]

@@HamVR it gives me feedback as I'm using the new pedals which are great.

[@dukedub]

Have you been using the load cell any more? Curious if the pedal is now "broke in" so to speak. When my load cell arrived, my initial impressions were that the pedal is too stiff and doesn't travel enough. The csl load cell just feels like a ON/OFF brake switch. I'm hoping there is something in the future that can help the travel and pressure feel, in the mean time I will continue to use it and see if the pedal softens up any.

[@dukedub]

I would say for me, ideally, twice the travel and half the pressure required would be the sweet spot.

[@HamVR]

Hi yes I have continued to use it for a few weeks. No it's not really softend up IMO. I find for Dirt Rally 2.0 it's OK and it does work well for F1 cars in Assetto Corsa (with short sharp brake zones). However for general purpose track racing e.g. in ACC I find I just can't get the level of braking precision that I can with the standard brake pedal. Interestingly, I tried switching to the original clucth and brake pedal yesterday (which I re-installed) and the wheelbase wont detect them now (but the pedals will work if I use the seperate Fanatec USB adaptor instead). I'm not sure what is going on here..

[@mohareda6764]

tres bonne analyse merci

[@AdzzVR]

Hi, What size and length bolts do you need to bolt it down to a rig?

[@HamVR]

Hey, I used M8 25mm bolts with M8 washers either side.

[@AdzzVR]

@@HamVR thank you.

[@grahambaldwinson130]

Hello I am struggling like mad this time with the attached pc cable or RJ12 it says don't use both for updating am I correct???

[@HamVR]

That's right don't use the RJ45 (to wheelbase) and USB (to PC) at the same time. They both carry power so using both at the same time can damage the pedal.

[@RisitasKEKW]

Pedal was too stiff for me - didn’t give me what I needed 😩 - load cell brake doesn’t work properly unless it’s mounted

[@grahambaldwinson130]

Thanks ham can you guide me through it thought I needed to put usb cable to update the kit So do you mean connect the pedals to the USB on the laptop then disconnected from the laptop then do the wheel base then do the update all separately updates But thought I needed the RJ12 in and then connect to the laptop to get the update to work If I have it wrong can you give me step by step guide to doing the updates

[@HamVR]

You are probably best asking on the Fanatec forums for detailed steps (forum.fanatec.com/) but in brief, you can either update the load cell pedals via the USB cable connected direct to your laptop or via the RJ45 cable using a Fanatec Clubsport USB adapter (sold sperately). You can't update the pedals with them connectect to the wheelbase (or atleast you couldn't historically).

[@john420b]

Can anyone answer this here I have the csl elite wheel base and bought these pedals im going to use the accelerator and load cell break only do I plug the break and accelerator into the wheel base separately or do I plug one or the other into the base and link them

[@tcr_tiagy]

Hi All, I've posted here about 12 days ago sayint that it was to hard. 12 days later I'm not sure if it's softer but I'm now very used to it and really like. It feels very natural, don't even think about it at all. The Fanatec guys know what they are doing. Hope this helps.

[@abs4728]

Did you change anything with the setup of the braking force from the software? Or did you keep as is with factory settings?

[@tcr_tiagy]

@@abs4728 I think factory settings are 50% I've set mine to 45%.

[@viperx220racing3]

Ooooo, interesting. 🤔 I’ve ordered the full DD pro premium bundle so the load cell is included. I’m moving from a G29 setup and the brake I find is the most inconsistent feature. A proper load cell was supposed to be the answer to consistency. I’ll have to how it goes when it eventually arrives. With so many KZbinrs getting their kit now it’s painful wait till March 😴😴😴

[@HamVR]

It's a step up from the G29 brake for sure. However I did find it very stiff with the current elastomers. You could be fine with brake force and travel, in which case you will love it. A lot of this down to personal taste really.

[@cmorin522]

I just ordered the csl load cell do I do firmware update on load cell before connecting to rest of pedals first. Or do I need to connect everything up and connect to base and then do update. Also I’m on ps4 so I know not to connect usb and rj12 connection at same time because that will cause a problem or break something. I’ve just read after buying it that people say there gas pedal doesn’t work after they hook up their load cells. Any help would be greatly appreciated

[@HamVR]

You shouldn't need to firmware update the Load Cell Kit pedal. Just make sure they are connected in the right order and sockets. If you really want to firmware update, connect it to a PC via the USB cable and not via the wheelbase. You also need to make sure don't connect via USB and Wheelbase (RJ45) at the same time as yes it can damage the pedals, it says as much in the instructions. Just read the instructions in the box when you get them and you will be fine.

[@jonferraez]

Was switching to the metal face plates instead of the plastic that are included an improvement for you? Did you like them with socks better than the plastic face plates?

[@HamVR]

I've not tried the metal plates yet... I will hopefully get round to installing and trying them out soon.

[@fazlee712]

Yeah I wish I had that much travel on mine. Even with BRF on 80% I stamp on the pedal to hit 100% reading, and it moves maybe 5 or 6 mm. The metal flexes more than the elastomers deforming It's junk

[@KianGoedendorp]

Is it possible to change the percentage of the loadcell on console?

[@1027hristo]

Yes.

[@TheGingerOneNI]

I've had mine for a week and mounted to the GT1-EVO as well. Definitely a steep learning curve with it. I agree about the range of travel but I am slowly getting used to it. I use it with a DD1 on Xbox Series X (GPU's are too expensive right now) and mostly with F1 2021 until the ACC update comes in 2 weeks. Don't mind using it with socks though.

[@HamVR]

That's good to hear... being pluggable directly into the wheelbase is definitely a plus for compatability with console. I can see a stiffer brake being well suited to F1 driving, where braking is typically very fast and short! I might have to test mine out again with some F1 driving.

[@TheGingerOneNI]

@@HamVR I am in agreement though that different elastomers need to be available. Another 50% travel would be just perfect.

[@TheGingerOneNI]

To update, I got the 3Draps elastomers and it's a night and day difference. I went for two of the linear versions and can highly recommend them.

[@fintan.]

@@TheGingerOneNI I’m very new to this and got a load cell, same issue, what are the differences between the elastomers?

[@Thristed]

Thank you for sharing, good in depth vid! I bought the Fanatec DD GT pro bundle coming from a logitech G29 and am really struggling with the load cell kit, its so stiff? I guess its normal but damn its stiff!? I don't think i can press it 30 mm, it doesnt feel like i can get the mussle memory in.

[@dukedub]

any update? have you been using more and has your opinion changed?

[@Thristed]

@@dukedub hey, yes I've been using it for a week and am completely used to it now. It's different but it's better in my opinion.

[@CJ-uh8bk]

Thrustmasters entry level load cell pedals are about the same price and their brake has way more travel, but the whole point of load cell is so your muscle memory remembers how hard to push not how far to push, it’s supposed to have barely any travel

[@prozekutor]

You should add that to the end of your video: "Nooo Michael, no.... Zis is sooo NOT RRRAIT!"

[@HamVR]

You mean someone actaully watched this to the end 😂👍

[@eduardovasconcellos4727]

Have you figured out some sort of a DIY solution for the elastomers by chance? I just got a load cell kit and it fucking sucks - I have to put at least 150 pounds of force to get any response. The travel of the pedal is absolutely miserable - I really don't understand why anyone would enjoy it.

[@HamVR]

There's a company that makes replacement elastomers. I'm hoping to try them out soon www.3drap.it/product/fanatec-csl-elastomer-brake-mod-csl-pedals-lc/

[@brunostiglitz7535]

why is this pedal made to suit the Hulk?

[@HamVR]

🤣

[@kristianholm7537]

i just got the pedals this week...and im no where near the flex you have...i cant push it more then 8 mm max....with full force-.- feel like its a waste of money

[@HamVR]

They soften up a little after a lot of use. There's mod available too. I'm running 3D raps mods myself.

[@jirkadolezal8127]

👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@t2sugars393]

Hahaha yes, the Heusinkvelds will be your next purchase for sure 😉

[@HamVR]

LOL I better get saving 😂

[@t2sugars393]

@@HamVR lol ...just tell wallet it'll be last pedal set you will ever need to buy 😆

[@natevanderloon9060]

The whole point is a load cell brake does not care about travel it cares about pressure

[@Mistermoleymole]

You'll get used to it Ham..........stick at it. Its a very odd sensation to start with, but it becomes the norm. It improves your braking sooo much as you don't rely on travel distance at all.

[@Mistermoleymole]

Its like when you first start left foot braking, and your foot just doesn't get how much pressure or how much movement you need, but you get there and before you know it you cant believe it was ever an issue.

[@HamVR]

LOL I'll keep trying...

[@Salustmaio]

Honest no doesnt worth it doesnt feel wright

[@stefanoakes3572]

I just bought this upgrade and it’s awful, I am sending it back. It’s not realistic, there is 1cm of brake travel and you simply get no feel at all. The standard pedal is far better in my opinion. Very dissatisfied with it and it’s not worth £140 to go slower and have no feel in braking. No real car or race car has 1cm of brake modulation. It’s beyond a joke. And after spending £140 on the pedal I should not have to spend extra to fix this issue.

[@-ampm-]

it's trash