V1.0 - Thrustmaster Warthog replacement gimbal

thingiverse

Edit: Version 2.0 is finally here - https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4550666 My Thrustmaster Warthog base wore down and eventually developed quite a bit of play in the gimbal, which was a major issue. This set of STL files replaces the stock gimbal with one that uses Tamiya 1280 bearings, which are commonly available from hobby stores everywhere. Bearing dimensions: - Outer Diameter: 12.0 mm - Bore: 8.0 mm - Width: 3.5 mm No other parts are required apart from those in the joystick base itself. Steps to build once all parts are printed and the stock gimbal is disassembled. You will need to desolder the ground line from the controller PCB completely. 1 - Install the printed "stick holder" into the stock grip bell. The rounded edge goes into the bell first. Be very careful to make sure that the wiring notch in the stick holder is on the wire side when installing, or you risk damaging the wires. Check that the wires are still free to move by unscrewing the connector on top and moving the wires through the assembly. 2 - Install two bearings on the printed "inner gimbal" on the thicker edges. Of the four edges on the inner gimbal, there are two that are thicker and two that are thinner. The thinner pair need to be thinner so we get a full 40 degrees of roll axis movement. 3 - Install the inner gimbal assembly into the stick holder, lining up the bearings with the slots in the stick holder that will accept them. This might be a tight fit and may require quite a bit of pressure to fully install. The inner gimbal should be able to move freely if it is installed correctly. 4 - Make sure the stick holder is fully inserted and as close to centered as possible. Due to the shape of the bell, it is not possible for the stick holder to perfectly self-seat in the bell, so try to make sure it looks even. This is best seen by looking for any differences in the depth the stick holder sits on both sides. 5 - Install the sensor board on the printed "outer gimbal". Re-use the same screw that was originally used to locate the sensor board. The outer gimbal will have a locating pin printed to help with the process. Make sure the sensor wires go through the outer gimbal and come out the bottom. 6 - Install the two remaining bearings on the remaining inner gimbal posts. 7 - Pass the grip wires through the inner void in the outer gimbal and out the bottom of the outer gimbal. 8 - Align the inner gimbal and outer gimbal so that the free bearings fit into the slots in the outer gimbal. Again, this may be a tight fit and require some pressure. 9 - Verify that the grip wiring is still free to move. If not, try and figure out where it is stuck. You may need to disassemble the assembly to find where. 10 - Verify that the DIN socket's key is on the left side looking from the top, that the grip wiring is on the left side, and that the outer gimbal's base has the leg with two holes on the left side. 11 - Set the assembly onto the original metal base plate, with the USB lead hole facing forwards. 12 - Invert the assembly and screw in the original forward and rear screws. 13 - Reassemble the control logic board and re-solder the earth lead, followed by screwing in the remaining original screws over ground ring connectors. 14 - Reassemble all other elements. Calibration will be required via the Thrustmaster Joystick Calibration tool (current version 1.13), which can be found on Reddit or the Eagle Dynamics forums. Don't forget to disable hardware deadzone in TARGET before calibrating in Windows.