A Thrustmaster wheel needs very little to work well in iRacing. There are two places to set it up: the Thrustmaster control panel in Windows, which you do once, and the iRacing options, where only the strength changes from car to car.
Here are the values for every common Thrustmaster base, and what to touch when the wheel does not feel right.
Thrustmaster control panel settings
Open the Thrustmaster control panel from Windows before you start iRacing.
| Setting | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Rotation | The maximum of your base | 1080 on the T300, T150, T500, TS-PC and T818. 900 on the TX, TMX, T248 and T128 |
| Overall strength of all forces | 75% | The Thrustmaster default. It leaves headroom and keeps the motor cooler |
| Constant | 100% | This is the effect iRacing uses for nearly everything |
| Periodic | 100% | Leave it at full |
| Spring | 100% | iRacing does not use it. Other games do, so leave it |
| Damper | 100% | Same as spring |
| BOOST | Off | Always off |
| Auto center | By the game | iRacing controls the centering |
Two things here confuse people.
Spring and damper do nothing in iRacing. The sim sends its forces through the constant effect. You can leave both at 100% so other games still work.
75% is not a mistake. A T300 or a TX pushed at 100% for a long stint gets hot, and when it gets hot it drops the force by itself. At 75% the wheel feels the same on lap 40 as on lap 1. If you want it heavier, do it with the strength in the sim first.
iRacing settings for a Thrustmaster wheel
In iRacing, go to Options and then the tab with the wheel and force feedback settings. Run the wheel calibration first. It asks you to turn the wheel fully and then to hold it at 90 degrees. After that the sim knows your range and sets the right steering lock for every car by itself.
| Setting | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Enable force feedback | On | |
| Wheel range | Set by the calibration | It should read 900 or 1080, the same as the control panel |
| Use linear mode | Off on gear and hybrid bases, on for direct drive | See the table per base below |
| Reduce force when parked | On | The wheel does not fight you in the pits |
| Strength | Use the auto button | Different for every car. Do clean laps first |
| Wheel Force | What your base can produce | See the table per base below |
| Damping | 0% | Belt and gear bases already have friction of their own |
| Smoothing | 0% | Only raise it if the wheel rattles |
| Min Force | 1% to 3% | 0% on direct drive |
I explain every option on that screen in my iRacing FFB and haptics settings page guide.
Settings per Thrustmaster base
| Base | Type | Rotation | Wheel Force | Linear mode | Min Force |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T128 | Hybrid belt and gear | 900 | 2 Nm | Off | 3% and up, test it |
| T150 | Hybrid belt and gear | 1080 | 2 Nm | Off | 2% to 3% |
| TMX | Hybrid belt and gear | 900 | 2 Nm | Off | 2% to 3% |
| T248 | Hybrid belt and gear | 900 | 2 Nm | Off | 1% to 2% |
| TX | Belt | 900 | 2 Nm | Your choice | 1% to 3% |
| T300 RS | Belt | 1080 | 4.4 Nm | Your choice | 1% to 3% |
| T500 RS | Belt | 1080 | 4.4 Nm | Your choice | 1% |
| T598 | Direct drive | Maximum | 5 Nm | On | 0% |
| T818 | Direct drive | 1080 | 10 Nm | On | 0% |
The Wheel Force values for the TX, TMX, T248, T300 and T500 are the ones iRacing publishes in its own reference table. For the two direct drive bases I use the torque Thrustmaster gives: 5 Nm for the T598 and 10 Nm for the T818. The T128 and T150 are not in the iRacing table, so I put them with the TMX, which is the same kind of base.
Not sure which base you have or how they compare? My Thrustmaster wheelbase lineup guide goes through all of them.
How to set the strength
This is the one setting that matters, and there is no single number for it. A Mazda MX-5 sends small forces to the wheel. A Dallara single seater with downforce sends big ones. If you use one value for both, one of them is wrong.
The way I would do it:
- Pick the car and the track and do three or four clean laps. No spins, no kerb hopping.
- Open the options or the black box and press the auto button next to Strength.
- iRacing sets the strength so the biggest forces of your lap just fit inside what the wheel can produce.
- Drive again. If you want the wheel a bit heavier, go two or three steps heavier than auto and accept a little clipping on the kerbs.
iRacing saves the value per car, so you only do it once for each one.
Clipping is when the sim asks for more force than the wheel has. The wheel is at its limit, so it cannot tell you any more. In a fast corner you feel a heavy wheel and no detail, right when you need to feel the front tyres. A lighter wheel that still talks is faster than a heavy one that is mute.
Wheel Force and linear mode
Wheel Force tells iRacing how strong your base is. The sim uses it to scale the strength slider and the auto function. It is not a feel setting. Put in the value for your base from the table and leave it.
Linear mode decides how the forces are mapped. With linear mode on, the wheel gives you the forces one to one. With it off, iRacing lifts the small forces and squeezes the big ones, so a weak base can show you more detail before it runs out.
That is why I would leave it off on the T128, T150, TMX and T248. On a T300 or a TX try both. On is more honest, off gives more feel in slow corners. On a T598 or T818 it is on, because the base has the torque to show everything.
Min Force
Belt and gear bases have friction inside. Very small forces from the sim do not get through it, so around the centre the wheel can feel dead. Min Force lifts those small forces above the friction.
Start at 1%. Drive down a straight and move the wheel a little left and right. If the centre still feels empty, go up by 1%. If the wheel starts to shake by itself on the straight, you went too far. Most Thrustmaster belt bases end up between 1% and 3%.
If you want the exact number for your own wheel, you can measure it. I show how in how to use iRacing WheelCheck.
T818 and T598
The direct drive bases do not follow the control panel table above. They have their own panel with a master gain and their own modes.
For iRacing I would keep it simple: gain at 100% in the Thrustmaster software, Wheel Force at 10 Nm for the T818 or 5 Nm for the T598, linear mode on, Min Force 0%, damping 0% to start. Then use the auto button for the strength like on any other wheel. If the wheel feels too raw on the straights, add a little damping in the sim, 5% at a time.
More on both bases in my Thrustmaster T818 review and my Thrustmaster T598 review.
When it does not feel right
| Problem | Change |
|---|---|
| The wheel is heavy and you feel nothing in fast corners | The signal is clipping. Raise the Strength number in Nm, or press auto again after clean laps |
| The wheel is light and vague | Lower the Strength number in Nm one step at a time |
| Dead zone around the centre on the straights | Min Force up by 1% at a time |
| The wheel shakes on the straights | Min Force is too high. Take it down by 1% |
| Forces fade after 20 or 30 minutes | The motor is hot. Overall strength at 75% in the control panel, and check the fan |
| The steering does not match the car on screen | Run the wheel calibration again and check the rotation in the control panel |
| Grainy or notchy feel on a T248, TMX or T150 | That is the gear part of the drive. Smoothing at 5% to 10% hides some of it |
Change one thing at a time. It is the same rule as with a car setup: if you change two things, you never know which one worked.
More iRacing and Thrustmaster settings
If the wheel is not recognised at all, start with how to use a Thrustmaster wheel in iRacing. For other brands, the iRacing wheel FFB settings page has the overview, and there is one for the Logitech G29 and G920 and one for Fanatec.
Same wheel, other sims: ACC Thrustmaster wheel settings and Assetto Corsa Thrustmaster settings.
FAQ
What are the best iRacing settings for a Thrustmaster T300?
Control panel: 1080 degrees, overall strength 75%, constant and periodic 100%, BOOST off. In iRacing: Wheel Force 4.4 Nm, damping 0%, Min Force 1% to 3%, and the strength set with the auto button for each car.
What Wheel Force should I set for a Thrustmaster TMX or T248?
2 Nm. That is the value in the iRacing reference table for the TX, TMX and T248.
Should I use linear mode with a Thrustmaster wheel in iRacing?
Off on the T128, T150, TMX and T248, so the small forces come through. On for the T598 and T818. On a T300 or TX try both and keep the one you like.
Why does my Thrustmaster wheel lose force during a long race?
The motor gets hot and the base lowers the force to protect itself. Keep the overall strength at 75% in the control panel and make sure the fan and the vents are clear.
What rotation should I use in iRacing?
The maximum your base allows: 1080 on the T300, T150, T500, TS-PC and T818, 900 on the TX, TMX, T248 and T128. iRacing then sets the correct lock for each car.
Do the spring and damper settings matter in iRacing?
No. iRacing does not use those effects. Leave them at 100% in the control panel so other games work as they should.
What strength should I use in iRacing?
There is no single number. It depends on the car. Do a few clean laps and press the auto button next to Strength, then adjust a little to taste.