QR-lite slip solution
Alessandro Gortan
Member
The idea came to me by carefully observing the aluminum QR1. There is a lot of tolerance between the parts, so much so that without using the retaining screw, there is a lot of wheel flex and a lot of noise. But no slipping.
QR lite is made of plastic material, therefore it has a ring nut that tightens 4 fingers directly on the hub, and this cancels any tolerance. However QR lite slips on the hub, and gives rise to those annoying ffb micro-interruptions.
Inside the aluminum QR1 is a rubber ring, which does the trick. Although the metal-to-metal tolerances are greater, because the elasticity of the material cannot be exploited, slipping is completely absent, thanks to a simple black rubber gasket.
So it is sufficient to mount an oring rubber gasket, even inside the QR lite, in the same point where it is mounted on the QR1.
What is needed is a hydraulic rubber gasket, measuring 1 inch. A 1-inch black O-ring, bought at a hardware or plumbing store, usually in packages of 10.
Unfortunately this oring cannot be mounted directly on the QR lite, but must be inserted inside the QR lite when it is already mounted on the steering wheel, fitting it between the QR lite and the round part where the pins come out. To do this, you need to gently use a small flat screwdriver.
After fitting the oring between the QR lite and the wheel, simply mount the wheel on the wheelbase. This will push the gasket into place. You will only notice a slight jamming when you turn the bezel. So any movement or slipping will be permanently eliminated. And you can easily remove and insert the steering wheel. Rock solid, certainly better than the QR1, which will still have some lateral flex.
Comments
Great info, will try this out. Thanks!!
A clarification on the measures and materials. The gasket I used is for 1 inch plumbing plugs. For this type of object, I don't know what it's called in English.
It actually has a external diameter of 33mm, and importantly, a THICKNESS of the rubber of 2.5mm. It is not necessary to use thicker rings. A thickness of 2 mm would be preferable. There should also be white or green colored o-rings. They are softer, for the same size it is better to choose one of that color.
How does the modification work? The gasket comes between the steering wheel and the hub. When the steering wheel is inserted, due to the thickness of the rubber, it is positioned slightly further back. The difference is 1mm if the rubber is 2.5mm thick. So the QRlite's steel ball is offset from the hole on the wheelbase hub, and as you turn the collar, the ball is forced into the hole. This creates a tension that compresses the rubber. The rubber compressed between the 2 elements locks them onto each other.
However, the ball is made of steel, while the hub on the wheelbase is made of aluminum. So you shouldn't go overboard with the thickness of the rubber, and if possible, use a soft rubber. When you rotate the bezel, you should feel only a slight jam. If it seems too hard, leave it alone, remove the rubber and try a thinner one.
This is a clean, invisible solution, with no tape required. However, care must be taken not to force too much.
Grazie Alessandro! very interesting...right now i have same tape on the shaft, but i will try this solution, it seems much cleaner...
Much appreciated, sir.
Fixed my QR Lite that had the same symptoms.
I'm trying this now instead of tape which always wears through or bunches up. I actually had the exact O ring "in stock"! Benefit of being 72.
Thanks, will give this a try. Tired of constantly replacing tape on my CSL DD!
Hi Alessandro, I just wanted to thank you for your fix for the QR1 Lite slipping; I tried it today and so far so good, no slipping and clicking during turns. I was getting so fed up with it and having to use tape on my CSL DD that I was tempted to sell the whole lot and go with Moza; sounds silly for such a little issue but it really was annoying and unacceptable for equipment this expensive!
I think Fanatec need to thank you because they nearly lost a customer! Thanks again.
Tried this and it worked like a charm. Thank You!!
Hi Allessandro,
Thanks for sharing this minor mod! I've recently received my Fanatec kit. At first, I had no issues at all. Shortly after, however, the clicking issues during corners evolved.
I'm currently looking at getting some o-rings as you've described. I was looking at the preferred thickness of 2mm, and found the following option:
Do you believe this to be a suitable o-ring for this purpose? I would hate to destroy such an expensive piece of kit by using the incorrect o-ring.
Thanks in advance, looking forward to your response!
I was able to find a relatively close sized O-ring at my local Home Depot hardware store here in the US. It was just under 2.5mm thick, and did the job... at first...
Now after about a week of racing with it, it is starting to have a bit of movement again during high torque left to right turn transitions. I pulled the wheel to find that the aluminum hub is actually being deformed by the steel ball... Does not look to me like this is going to be a permanent solution...
The other thought I had was to find some sort of set screw to thread into the hole with blue Loctite so that the steel locking ball has something steel for it to secure against, but I'm not sure if it will get enough grab against the hex socket on a set screw or not...
I'm thinking more and more about looking into a QR2. Can anyone confirm if that different design eliminates this issue???
A single steel ball securing against an oversized hole in an aluminum hub just doesn't seem like a winning or reliable solution...
I just wanted to post an update. Fanatec ended sending me out a replacement wheel side qr1 lite, which made zero improvement... so I bit the bullet and just ordered the standard version of the QR2. You get like $10 off if you buy them both at the same time...
It is a night and day difference! 100% motionless connection! Actually haven't even thought about it since I installed it. I hate having to put out the extra $$ when the qr1 design just makes no sense... but the qr2 is totally a buy it and forget ot fix!