Thrustmaster T3PA Pro Load cell Spacer

thingiverse

MANY THANKS to RamjetX https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3366188/comments/#comment-2386946 He fixed all the electrical issues, which was indeed the difficult part. Without his post, I wouldn't have a load cell setup, so HUGE THANKS!!! I have T3PA PRO pedals and they come with a small tray that holds a spring or has thread to hold a rubber bumper that threads into the tray. I'm using the tray because it has convenient mounting ears & screws to attach it to the pedal base. I only use two of those mounting screws to attach the tray (FYI) and don't have any issues so far. Time will tell, I suppose. This requires a spring. Mine came from a broken umbrella. My guess is it's probably around 80lbs, or twice what the load cell is rated at. I haven't created the brackets to hold the spring elegantly in place yet. Presently, it simply stays between two screws. I took a few pics with the spring removed so you can see. The screws use holes already available in either the load cell or the pedal. The small black disk on top was just a metal nut that fit inside the spring. You don't need it actually. These load cells have two screws on each end, they are different sizes. Because of how the load cell wires are siliconed to the side of the load cell, I had to mount via the smaller holes. The hole on mine was M6 and the length needed was 35mm. The second hole just above the one used to mount it is potentially important. Look at the images of the load cell mounted. You will see a small black screw sticking up. A load cell works by measuring the flex in the aluminum bar. By placing a screw for the brake arm to run into, it keeps me from damaging the load cell by applying too much force. As my spring is probably 80+lbs, I needed to stop the pedal travel. To adjust this, I used a laptop and the stock Windows 10 application "USB Game Controller." I just pulled the pedal and watched the game controller display until it maxed the load cell, then adjusted the screw up to meet the back of the brake arm. It's not a pretty thing, but it works. My father handed me a few Fanatec springs from his rig and I'll give them a try. Some experimenting can and needs to take place regarding finding the right spring for me. Obviously, the heavier the spring, the less throw you get. 80lb gives me about an inch of throw, so....ya I need to experiment. I'm not a good designer, but if you want to download the actual CAD files, you can here: https://a360.co/2EXq3T0