ProtoSimTech PT2 Pedals
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Overview
- Excellent quality load cell pedals at a then very reasonable price (2013-2022)
- The clutch on the PT-2s has a novel spring-loaded physical resistance mechanism to approximate what a clutch feels like in a real car
- Probably surpassed by other pedals at this point but excellent pedals and I'm still using them in 2025
- ProtoSimTech closed down in 2022
- Replacement parts are no longer available for purchase from ProtoSimTech but many of the smaller pieces are off-the-shelf pieces and there's a good chance you could buy replacements at Home Depot, Amazon, or other places
- I wouldn't worry, I haven't needed any replacement parts since I bought mine in 2018
- Other parts like rubber washers can be replaced with parts from Heusinkveld who make their own high quality pedals and parts
- Archive.org Website Copy (Apr 5, 2023) - Last valid website archive
In-Depth Review Video
- Video from Barry Rowland's excellent Sim Racing Garage YouTube channel
- Complete first impressions, build, part analysis, and gameplay review
Calibration
- PT2 Adjustments and Calibration [Video] - Batch 1-3 with Sensitivity Potentiometer Box Adjustment
- DIView for USB Devices - Software to View and Calibrate USB Inputs
- DIView Brake Load Cell Calibration [Video] - Video is labeled for "Batch #5" but it applies to all batches as it's at the USB inputs level.
- Calibration for PT2 batch #4 and later [Video] - Batch 4+ with Sensitivity Software Adjustment
Brake Calibration
- Sensitivity Potentiometer Box Adjustment:
- Heavier brake feel: Turn Left - Decrease Sensitivity
- Lighter brake feel: Turn Right - Increase Sensitivity
- Recommendations:
- Start in the middle
- Adjust by 90degs either way and test, then by 45degs and test, then by 22.5degs and test, and so on
- I am somewhere between straight left and straight up ie. 25-50%
Upgrades
Upgrading Leo Bodnar BU0836-LC Load Cell Joystick Controller 12-bit to Leo Bodnar Load Cell Interface LC-USB 16-bit
- Upgrading ProtoSimTech PT-2 pedals from Leo Bodnar BU0836-LC Load Cell Joystick Controller 12-bit to Leo Bodnar Load Cell Interface LC-USB 16-bit
- Whole process was pretty easy actually and took less than an hour
- Old throttle and brake fit connectors on easily
- Confusing to know which pin headers the throttle and brake go on, though. Easy to correct, though, once you confirm in a game.
- Brake pins go in the 4-pin dedicated screw-in housing, so pretty easy
- LC-USB Configuration v2.exe easy enough to use
- DIView can be used to dial-in min/max pedal range and is useful for setting deadzones by hand
- You might want to manually set deadzones for games that don't have deadzone adjustments or are missing either lower or upper deadzone adjustment
- I might be wrong here. GTR2 seems to bypass DIView deadzones.
- DIView can be used to reduce the foot weight/pressure required to hit 100% by reducing the max pedal range
- Right-click on the Brake axes window > View Raw Data, press the Brake until you want that feel to be 100% and note the raw number, then right-click > Calibration and set Min/Center/Max
- Setting Min/Center/Max: Re-use the previous Min, set the new Max, set the Center to (Min + Max) / 2
- Right-click on the Brake axes window > View Raw Data, press the Brake until you want that feel to be 100% and note the raw number, then right-click > Calibration and set Min/Center/Max
- You might want to manually set deadzones for games that don't have deadzone adjustments or are missing either lower or upper deadzone adjustment
- I was able to stick the smaller controller board into the old plastic housing of the old board to provide it some protection
- Leo Bodnar LC-USB 16bit Load Cell Interface Review. [Video] - Raja Simracing (2022)
- Super helpful video about converting pedals to the 16bit Bodnar controller.
- Even though they're Fanatec pedals it's still incredibly helpful
- Video covers wiring, Bodnar software configuration, DIView calibration, and in-game results
- Video Table of Contents:
Troubleshooting
Brakes Too Easy To Press / No Longer Takes Strength To Reach Max Brake Application
- tl;dr I removed the screws on my controller box and it started applying the appropriate heavy feel per the knob rotation
- Something must be getting compressed in there and it stops working for some reason
- It turned out to be soldering loosening on the connections to the small knob board (three wires). As a temporary fix, I used electrical tape to make the connections a little more robust and that fixed it.
- At some point, my brake load cell seemed to be stuck on the easiest, lightest setting regardless of what I set the control box knob to
- After unscrewing the controller box to see if anything was disconnected, or looked broken, the appropriate brake pressure / heavy feel started working again
- Using Diview, I could see the actuation number and gauge based on how much pressure I was putting on the pedal
- Now it takes significant brake pressure to reach 100% brake, which is what I want
- Update:
- Still a problem. Appears to be frayed wire strands on the small potentiometer board connections touching each other
- Separated them with electrical tape and that seems to have fixed the problem for now
- I will be upgrading the existing BU0836-LC Load Cell Joystick 12-Bit Controller to a Load Cell Interface LC-USB 16-bit
- Update: I upgraded here: #Upgrading Leo Bodnar BU0836-LC Load Cell Joystick Controller 12-bit to Leo Bodnar Load Cell Interface LC-USB 16-bit
- Bonus: Instead of a potentiometer knob, the brake feel can now be adjusted in software using Bodnar Configuration Software which is available on the same product page
- I managed to contact Chris from ProtoSimTech, as well as Bodnar support, and they both indicated it was a valid upgrade path for the pedal inputs
- Looking forward to the higher 16-bit resolution as 12-bit (4096 steps) just seems a little too low resolution to me