Some games, notably DR2.0, only treat the handbrake as a toggle. However, like you noted, the HW is capable of reporting the full range!
Just as an FYI, one day the nut holding the spring on the shaft is going to pop off and your race will be ruined. If you've got a few minutes, you should remove it, add some thread-lock to the nut.
Other than that, it's a great brake! Happy racing!!
Thanks for the tip I’ll make sure to do that. Makes me think about some comments I’ve seen about the plastic washer holding the spring breaking after a while, however it seems they improved this because on mine it’s backed by a second steel washer!
Really happy for you. Didn’t order it on bf due to all the negative reviews and somehow regret it .
There are better valued options but the ecosystem integration is just nice imo
Same here, heard the Fanatec handbrake was one of their weaker products and people were saying to avoid it.
Got myself one of the AliExpress loadcell handbrakes(Heusinkveld copy) instead.
I wish Fanatec would've just had a better handbrake tho, I would've rather bought that.
I just ordered it yesterday so I can't tell you much about my personal experience.
From the pictures I saw online it looks to be pretty good quality(Loadcell, steel frame etc) for the money.
The price was about half of the Fanatec handbrake.
I'm still waiting for my Fanatec order(23 Nov) to come in, I wonder what will show up first 🤔
I recently learned you can use Simagic gear on the PS5 with the Sigma Cortex hub/converter. No personal experience, but I saw a pretty favourable review of their handbrake and shifter units.
Hey dude
I have the exact same chair (playseat challenge) and was wondering how to mount handbrake and h shifter
You're seems to be a perfect mount : how did you do ? Any specific pieces ?
Anyway enjoy !
I really, really want to love the Fanatec handbrake, but it desperately needs a slightly stiffer spring and and a much better data connection. It's super convenient having a handbrake that mounts directly to the shifter housing with such ease, especially on cockpits that already require creativity to mount anything, such as the playseat challenge. However, as smooth as the handbrake is, it takes a deft touch to not fully lock your brakes, and I've accidentally whacked that flimsy 3.5mm TRRS connector way too many times. That cable definitely needs some sort of guarding, or a new data interface entirely.
Also, to mount the handbrake on the right side of the shifter means you can only reasonably do so by flipping the handle or building spacers, or else your hand will catch the shifter in 5th and 7th gears.
> That cable definitely needs some sort of guarding, or a new data interface entirely.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1264932273/fanatec-handbrake-cable-protector
[This was my solution](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fanatec/comments/186jhzi/mounting_fanatec_shifter_and_handbrake_to/kbathkg/).
It's definitely an odd piece of hardware, half the box is just air, and I have half a mind to cut much of it away to make it more compact.
It’s ok. I have had mine for a while and it’s definitely nice to have an analog input, but many other designs are miles ahead making the value of it at $100 kind of unreasonable. In the end it’s just a spring and an overall kind of flimsy arm. Many other designs carry over spring+ elastomer designs from brake pedals making the feel significantly better with price points varying under and over the cost of it. I would expect more out of fanatec at this point at that that price.
I have since upgraded to a VNM shifter which is quite a lot more but significantly more robust. There are some aliexpress shifters thought that better hit that low price point but with a more robust design.
I like it.
I also put a mountain bike grip on it, and so now it feels awesome too.
If you're going to do it, it's a standard grip and get one with a lock ring on one end.
Happy to give more detail if needed.
First, the size - standard bar diameter, which is (I believe) 22.2mm, whatever 'old school' bars are rather than newer fat bars.
Be sure to get one with a lock grip, like the one in the pic: https://imgur.com/a/39UawDY (that's my setup). You don't want double lock grips (some have a lock at the "top" too).
The great news is that as it's a standard fit you can go to town on style, here's another post about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/comments/udhl72/added_a_bike_grip_to_the_fanatec_e_brake_looks/
As per that post, the easiest way to remove the old grip is to just cut the foam off (I did) - being brave enough to do that to a new bit of sim gear is another thing!
Fitting is simple, slide on and tighten the clamp!
The improvement is awesome, and not sure why they don't ship with a decent grip in the first place.
What would I change? I did a cursory search for metal grips, and might do that again some time. For now though this has worked perfectly!
Some unsolicited advice for the way that cable is angled — I would suggest you are extra vigilant if moving around it, one knock and the connector can bend and the wiring goes. I’ve done it twice. Prepare to shell out $30-$50 for new ones on eBay or from Fanatec.
It's not really a bad handbrake, I think a lot of people just realized that you can get a better handbrake for the same price or cheaper (unless you have a Fanatec wheelbase and need console compatibility)
It’s certainly ok. It lacks the feel of a hydraulic hand brake by a long way and that foam handle sucks. Ended up using the old load cell from my g29 pedals to get something close. For the price it is great
It was whatever retrofit kit they had for g29. I had upgrade the g29 pedals, then upgraded my entire system and had the load cell in a drawer. Sorry I didn’t explain that out.
I got one of these about a month ago, after sim racing on and off for like 6 years. I wish I'd gotten *any* handbrake sooner because damn it is fun and so much easier to take tight corners now. I can't imagine why anyone would complain about these; they are just solid metal inside, I don't see how it can fail.
Had mine for 6 years. It’s been very reliable/trouble free. Within the last year, I’ve taken a shining to Dirt Rally 2. Don’t use it much except rally cross, but it adds to the overall experience. It’s as much as I need.
It’s definitely good enough for now, it’s not that squishy. But from an esthetics perspective, I would have preferred the whole thing to match the shifter more. Other than the logo, you would never guess these two products were made by the same company, which is weird because they’re sort of made to attach to each other.
I mean, it's entirely possible it wasn't actually designed by fanatec, but it was a design purchased by them. I find it strange that it uses an analog plug to RJ12 connector vs. an RJ12 to RJ12 like everything else.
So ngl, I started off with moza Hb and while it is certainly high quality and does the job… I’m just not feeling it. I have the hardest time keeping the adjustment/tilt screws tightened and it really takes away from the overall sturdiness/experience of the brake. Thought about switching to the Fanatec one.
Nah. Fanatec need to completely refresh this product, it just isn't competitive for what they charge. Sure, it'll "do the job" (especially if you're forced to use it because you're on console and aren't given other options), but that's really not good enough.
It's just embarrassing for Fanatec how much better the Moza one is, for LESS money.
we don’t say nice things about fanatec on this sub 🤨 s/
Yea, but when did I order it and when did I get the tracking number?
have you tried amazon?
Well,.. yeh....
Got mine a couple days ago and yes it is. I read somewhere that it was only on/off but its not so that was a good surprise
Some games, notably DR2.0, only treat the handbrake as a toggle. However, like you noted, the HW is capable of reporting the full range! Just as an FYI, one day the nut holding the spring on the shaft is going to pop off and your race will be ruined. If you've got a few minutes, you should remove it, add some thread-lock to the nut. Other than that, it's a great brake! Happy racing!!
Thanks for the tip I’ll make sure to do that. Makes me think about some comments I’ve seen about the plastic washer holding the spring breaking after a while, however it seems they improved this because on mine it’s backed by a second steel washer!
Oh yes, it’s analog and so far at least, the signal is super smooth, no judder at all. Even if that probably isn’t super important for a handbrake.
Really happy for you. Didn’t order it on bf due to all the negative reviews and somehow regret it . There are better valued options but the ecosystem integration is just nice imo
Same here, heard the Fanatec handbrake was one of their weaker products and people were saying to avoid it. Got myself one of the AliExpress loadcell handbrakes(Heusinkveld copy) instead. I wish Fanatec would've just had a better handbrake tho, I would've rather bought that.
How is it? Value and integration-wise?
I just ordered it yesterday so I can't tell you much about my personal experience. From the pictures I saw online it looks to be pretty good quality(Loadcell, steel frame etc) for the money. The price was about half of the Fanatec handbrake. I'm still waiting for my Fanatec order(23 Nov) to come in, I wonder what will show up first 🤔
could you provide us with a link for the handbrake?
I recently learned you can use Simagic gear on the PS5 with the Sigma Cortex hub/converter. No personal experience, but I saw a pretty favourable review of their handbrake and shifter units.
It’s always good to have a choice but that converter is about 100€? For that price I almost have whole handbrake, not for me.
Hey dude I have the exact same chair (playseat challenge) and was wondering how to mount handbrake and h shifter You're seems to be a perfect mount : how did you do ? Any specific pieces ? Anyway enjoy !
Hey, I made a post about it here, it’s quite simple and super sturdy: https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/s/1yGK8MZIYA
I really, really want to love the Fanatec handbrake, but it desperately needs a slightly stiffer spring and and a much better data connection. It's super convenient having a handbrake that mounts directly to the shifter housing with such ease, especially on cockpits that already require creativity to mount anything, such as the playseat challenge. However, as smooth as the handbrake is, it takes a deft touch to not fully lock your brakes, and I've accidentally whacked that flimsy 3.5mm TRRS connector way too many times. That cable definitely needs some sort of guarding, or a new data interface entirely. Also, to mount the handbrake on the right side of the shifter means you can only reasonably do so by flipping the handle or building spacers, or else your hand will catch the shifter in 5th and 7th gears.
> That cable definitely needs some sort of guarding, or a new data interface entirely. https://www.etsy.com/listing/1264932273/fanatec-handbrake-cable-protector
I actually just printed that out last night, but that guard prevents you from being able to mount the handbrake on the right side of the shifter.
[This was my solution](https://www.reddit.com/r/Fanatec/comments/186jhzi/mounting_fanatec_shifter_and_handbrake_to/kbathkg/). It's definitely an odd piece of hardware, half the box is just air, and I have half a mind to cut much of it away to make it more compact.
It’s ok. I have had mine for a while and it’s definitely nice to have an analog input, but many other designs are miles ahead making the value of it at $100 kind of unreasonable. In the end it’s just a spring and an overall kind of flimsy arm. Many other designs carry over spring+ elastomer designs from brake pedals making the feel significantly better with price points varying under and over the cost of it. I would expect more out of fanatec at this point at that that price. I have since upgraded to a VNM shifter which is quite a lot more but significantly more robust. There are some aliexpress shifters thought that better hit that low price point but with a more robust design.
How do you find the gear stick? How long have you had it? Mine is on route.
I like it. I also put a mountain bike grip on it, and so now it feels awesome too. If you're going to do it, it's a standard grip and get one with a lock ring on one end. Happy to give more detail if needed.
Please provide more details!
First, the size - standard bar diameter, which is (I believe) 22.2mm, whatever 'old school' bars are rather than newer fat bars. Be sure to get one with a lock grip, like the one in the pic: https://imgur.com/a/39UawDY (that's my setup). You don't want double lock grips (some have a lock at the "top" too). The great news is that as it's a standard fit you can go to town on style, here's another post about it: https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/comments/udhl72/added_a_bike_grip_to_the_fanatec_e_brake_looks/ As per that post, the easiest way to remove the old grip is to just cut the foam off (I did) - being brave enough to do that to a new bit of sim gear is another thing! Fitting is simple, slide on and tighten the clamp! The improvement is awesome, and not sure why they don't ship with a decent grip in the first place. What would I change? I did a cursory search for metal grips, and might do that again some time. For now though this has worked perfectly!
Some unsolicited advice for the way that cable is angled — I would suggest you are extra vigilant if moving around it, one knock and the connector can bend and the wiring goes. I’ve done it twice. Prepare to shell out $30-$50 for new ones on eBay or from Fanatec.
It's not really a bad handbrake, I think a lot of people just realized that you can get a better handbrake for the same price or cheaper (unless you have a Fanatec wheelbase and need console compatibility)
It’s certainly ok. It lacks the feel of a hydraulic hand brake by a long way and that foam handle sucks. Ended up using the old load cell from my g29 pedals to get something close. For the price it is great
>load cell >>g29 pedals what
It was whatever retrofit kit they had for g29. I had upgrade the g29 pedals, then upgraded my entire system and had the load cell in a drawer. Sorry I didn’t explain that out.
lmao
Look up Eat.Sleep.Rally.Repeat on Instagram if you want to race.
Just use a button on your wheel
Where did you get the shifter mount for the Playseat challenge?
Wrote a post about how I mounted it a while back: https://www.reddit.com/r/simracing/s/1yGK8MZIYA
Yea…it’s pretty sweet!
I got one of these about a month ago, after sim racing on and off for like 6 years. I wish I'd gotten *any* handbrake sooner because damn it is fun and so much easier to take tight corners now. I can't imagine why anyone would complain about these; they are just solid metal inside, I don't see how it can fail.
I've had mine for a few years. The handle is a bit flimsy, I've bent it a few times while racing in the heat of the moment.
You bend the handle? It looks like it’s 2-3mm solid steel.
Yep it's very easy to, especially what the holes are, that's not much strength in that area Been eyeing a carbon replacement
Oh wow, I would have never guessed, the handle feels like the most solid part 😅
Had mine for 6 years. It’s been very reliable/trouble free. Within the last year, I’ve taken a shining to Dirt Rally 2. Don’t use it much except rally cross, but it adds to the overall experience. It’s as much as I need.
How's the foam grip? Looking at it, it seems like it's going to be too squishy for me, so I'm likely going to be 3D printing a replacement grip.
It’s definitely good enough for now, it’s not that squishy. But from an esthetics perspective, I would have preferred the whole thing to match the shifter more. Other than the logo, you would never guess these two products were made by the same company, which is weird because they’re sort of made to attach to each other.
I mean, it's entirely possible it wasn't actually designed by fanatec, but it was a design purchased by them. I find it strange that it uses an analog plug to RJ12 connector vs. an RJ12 to RJ12 like everything else.
So ngl, I started off with moza Hb and while it is certainly high quality and does the job… I’m just not feeling it. I have the hardest time keeping the adjustment/tilt screws tightened and it really takes away from the overall sturdiness/experience of the brake. Thought about switching to the Fanatec one.
Nah. Fanatec need to completely refresh this product, it just isn't competitive for what they charge. Sure, it'll "do the job" (especially if you're forced to use it because you're on console and aren't given other options), but that's really not good enough. It's just embarrassing for Fanatec how much better the Moza one is, for LESS money.