Should I increase steering lock?

Bruno Gil · Mar 8, 2014

Well, I'm quite new in sim racing, so I'm still trying to get everything set up.
So, my steering wheel has a lock of only 270 degrees. I prefer to have a steering ratio equal to those of the real cars, but I'm not sure that way I would have a big enough steering lock for i.e. tighter turns. Let me exemplify:

Cars in WTCC usually have a steering wheel rotation of 540 degrees and a steering lock of around 18, which results in a 15:1 steering ratio. To keep that ratio with 270º wheel rotation, I'd have to reduce the steering lock (in the car's setup) to 9. Would this be enough for the tighter turns or should i up it by a few degrees/what do you think should be the minimum?

Thanks in advance

Tim Ling · Mar 8, 2014

I use a similar steering wheel lock @Bruno Gil. 9º is usually ok, but each car is different and may need some slight tweaking. I've found that Mini's may need a little less, but if you go too low you'll lose loads of time every lap as you won't be turning enough

Been there, done that

Dennis Phelan · Mar 9, 2014

Right, trying to match a ratio in a sim "may" work for you or you "may" like it but the best ratio might be the one that allows you to perform to your best. It's amazing how this one setting can affect a sim car. Remember these are nothing like the real thing, there's a big disconnect between us in a sim car that doesn't exist on a real surface.

Me, I have arthritis and allowing my wheel to rotate more than 90 degrees to wither side while driving can ruin my day. I set the wheel to 360 and keep the steering lock so that my arms "seldom" go past 90 degrees rotation. That's what works for me and why. What works for you?

Vaughn Stegeman · Mar 10, 2014

I too have a 270 degree steering wheel. I find that setting steering lock to somewhere in the 10 to 13 range works for me. Where to set it depends (for me) on the car and the track.
Most often I end up between 11 and 12.5