TL;DR: moved on from TM due to lack of higher end products, but wanted to share my tips on how to fix some of the most common issues i see on internet from users

Hi there fellow sim racers. As you may have understood from the title, this will be a message for both people in the ecosystem and hopefully someone who works directly in the company. I really wanted to remain loyal to TM but eventually it became impossible.

I started my journey in this hobby with a T80, not even had ffb. But it was fun. Quickly moved on to a T150 which stayed with me for 3 good years alongside T-LCM pedals. Then finally jumped on a t300, probably the biggest disappointment due to the overheating despite the noctua fan mod. So I ended up buying a TGT-2 and that was really good despite carrying still many flaws from its predecessors. Long story short, I have had experience with almost all the products they released in sim racing. I play now only on PS5 for different reasons, so I could never upgrade to the t818. And this is where the decision to switch over to Fanatec eventually stemmed from.

As someone who was deep in the ecosystem, I was anxiously waiting for a direct drive that could finally replace my belt driven wheels and seeing that they came up with another entry level product like the t598 was the last straw. I watched many and many reviews about it. I am happy more people entering sim racing can already hop on a dd wheel as their first setup. But for me, and i am sure a lot of others out there, it felt like being ignored. I am aware the licensing for playstation is not cheap, yet i think that many people would have gladly hopped on a similar version of the t818. For experienced drivers, 5nm are simply not enough. I know I could have bought an adapter like drive hub and get a t818, but this leads us to the next topic:

each product i put my hands on or planned on acquiring had big flaws which were never fixed. Some examples? The t818 grinding noise that is supposed to be slapped to kinda fix it, the t300 overheating (very common problem), the tlcm pedals randomly disconnecting (and customer service saying it's EMI while it's not true), TGT2 fan getting noisy and still using a damn screw as quick release... i am a bit shocked years after these products were out, they were never addressed in the future batches. I am really fond of the path I had with TM and the memories, but it's time to innovate a bit more and take care of users who want more.

This being said, I wanted to leave by sharing with you all the experience and tips I can give on solving some problems that may arouse for users while playing, they may not be the definitive solution but most likely yes:

My T150 paddle doesn't shift gears = you must change this part you can buy from 3DRAP

My T-LCM reach 80% input = disconnect and reconnect, should work fine. In alternative, make sure they are on the correct mode (on the manual, you can find the button combination for your base)

T-LCM randomly get stuck during racing = this was the most annoying and serious problem. If you reach out to customer service they tell you it's due to electromagnetic interference. While it may be true, the only thing that actually solved forever my issue was doing this process I described in a video here

T300 loses force feedback after 20-30 minutes = it's because of overheating. People suggest changing the original fan and replace it with the Noctua one, for me it's just a waste time, skip it and get a TGT-2/T-598. Or just lower the ffb, obviously, but at that point you could have stayed on a t150

Wheel gets lose and wobbles = make sure you use the screw to firmly fix the rim to the "quick" release. I bought also this collar mod from Etsy which worked well and made swapping rims much more enjoyable

TGT-2 fan is loud = probably because of the fan inside the motor. You can put some grease/lubrificant there. Video for reference

Ps4/ps5 doesn't recognize my TGT-2 = unplug and make sure to have it on "Other" and not GT mode before reconnecting

Can I replace the knob on the TH8S shifter = yes, you need an adapter though and if its still not tight you can use some electrical tape to make it work.

Disclaimer: obviously I am not responsible for any damage and you should always contact TM support first, especially under warranty

Disclaimer 2: let's avoid comments like "my t300 is fine even if i play at 100% ffb for 8 hours straight", i mentioned comments which i am fully aware to be spread enough

See you on the track.

I’m at the end of my patience here. Bought this unit in October and literally unplayable 2 months in.

What makes it bad is that when it works it’s so much fun but sadly working is more rare than not.

Wheel starts to make some clicking sounds in turns before disconnecting. Then pedals reset and I have to recalibrate it again.

Tried a new high quality usb cable, same problem.

Will try to return this and hopefully the supplier will give me a refund to buy a Fanatec instead.

I can understand some nostalgic reasons, but a stick shift and clutch is much slower than a paddle shifter. So I wonder why people want the stick shift and clutch pedal? Anyone care to share?

I have replied to at least 50 threads over the past 6-months on FB & Reddit, to help people deal with this issue smartly. But, new folks keep coming. So, I thought I’d create a new thread with the relevant keywords as the title, so people facing this issue can resolve it permanently, and without voiding their warranty!

Firstly, when you get your new T598, congrats! It’s an awesome direct-drive which needs some care while setting up, probably because it was designed &/or launched in a hurry by Thrustmaster’s, with their quality check department sleeping behind the wheel (pun intended).

Now that you have your wheelbase, ensure the first 4-digits of the serial# is over 2513. Then, you have to prepare for disconnects and mitigate the problem even before it happens. So, here’s the playbook…

I got mine in mid Jul ‘25, and got a new PSU replacement in Wk.3 of Nov ‘25 from Thrustmaster, yet I started facing disconnects again after about 45-60 days. But, here are two key things I did to fix this issue:

A. Replaced the stock Type-C cable with a new high-quality (8k@60hz) cable with a power rating of 5A

B. Used hot glue on both the T598 power cable and the Type-C cable — at the wheelbase’s end so they don’t wiggle!

If you get the T598 (or any DD wheel) and follow these steps, you’ll gonna enjoy it.

- 99% of all disconnects (in all DD wheels!) happen primarily due to an an average USB-C cable (like the one with your Macbook Pro or the ones you got with the T598 — yes, they’re Average!), and if this goes on, it’ll also corrupt your wheelbase’s power supply board over time. So, just invest in a high-quality Type-C USB4 cable to connect your wheelbase to your console or PC. Majority of the times, this is the real cause for disconnections

- Check the first four digits of your T598’s serial number is higher than 2513 — check this out for more info:
https://www.thrustmaster.com/cases-of-unexpected-disconnections-that-may-affect-the-operation-of-your-t598/

Type-C Cable Details & Reasoning:
Apart from being a USB4, there’s also an Ampere rating (how much current can a cable handle). The default ones are just 2-3A, including the Type-C cable for the Macbook Pro (which in itself is good!). But, for sim racing, you’d require a 5A rated one, (and an uninterrupted 5A at 48V at that) in order to support a high consistent torque (FFBs & vibrations) without any disconnects. So, get a Gen4 cable with 240W Power (5A at 48V), 80GBPS data transfer and 8K/16k @60Hz. This 8K @ 60Hz is an important marker. Read below…

I spent a pretty penny on the Stuffcool Primus (an Indian brand) that’s equipped with an advanced E-marker chip on its Gen4 cable, to ensure a safe and high performance. The chip communicates with connected devices to negotiate the power delivery levels and data transfer speeds, ensuring that the right amount of power (up to 240W) is safely delivered without risk of damage or disconnections. The reason for the 8k/16k @ 60Hz is because it requires a stable, high-bandwidth connection that the E-marker chip and overall construction help facilitate.

Bought this and sadly I failed to see all the warning about issues with disconnecting. I had it for 3 months and until this week it was great. No issues at all. Used it for multi hour sessions and it ran flawlessly. Then earlier this week it disconnected mid turn. It was annoying but thought it was something I did. Now I can even get 1 lap before the POS disconnects. I’m going to request a new power supply but will probably be selling it off shortly after and going with Moza or something else.

Чтобы мой новый руль не превратился за короткий период времени в то , что на второй фотографии, намотал ленту для велосипедного руля . Стало мягче и толще , но внешний вид спорный )))

Got brand new T818 as replacement of the old defective T818 base, this is how it goes after 1H of Nordschleife.

Well friends. It was a good run. I’m leaving the Thrustmaster Ecosystem and I’ll explain why.

I bought a T598 full rig used for $350. After just a month of use, it did the dreaded disconnect issue. And of course I had no warranty because I bought used. I attempted to convince TM to help out of the goodwill of their heart to no avail.

I have for context
T598
Raceline Load Cell Pedals
Ferrari 488 GT3 Wheel
TH8A Shifter

All things I bought either new or used so I felt stuck.
So I purchased a brand new base from Amazon and to be fair, it does work and well. But now just have no trust that it will last the length of the warranty and start the disconnect issue again. I do not want to deal with TM again and sending it over to France to get repaired.

I genuinely loved it while it lasted and recommended it to everyone I met. Then it died. Really sad day.

Yesterday I listed all my items for sale and bought a Fanatec DD Plus, GT3 Rim, and CSL Elite Pedals. I’ll report back once I get it all for comparison.

I’m gonna stick around the sub because I still believe that TM will pull it together and fix the T598. Such a fantastic value proposition for what you get. Just make it work.

This example is iracing, firmware up to date. Does everyone's do this? This can't be right.

I bought a Thrustmaster T.16000M HOTAS from mypilotstore and there it got delayed about 3-4 ish times, ordered on June 10 and eventually they cancelled it again to mid July, so I cancelled my order and bought it from Amazon for even more money, and then they it got delayed for the 6TH time in total with no arrival in sight, this is not a platform thing this is a Thrustmaster thing, SCREW YOU THRUSTMASTER.

I bought my first steering wheel today after saving some months. The t300. So excited. But I can't drive a centimeter forward. That thing got it's own life and I don't know what to do. I'm pretty sure this isn't normal

Please help

He has the steering wheel for two and a half months and the vast majority of the time to navigate the menus. I use the remote and the X button. They are already in this state when the steering wheel is four years old it will be destroyed.

why in the hell would you advertise the only direct drive wheel you developed in the T818 as revolutionary for using lighter weight components to increase force feedback response, when this whole time you had something more advanced in the works?

I'm starting to regret signing up for this thrustmaster club for breaking news and new products because so far since I've done it, I've received an email offering me a free second generation quick release for the T818 DD servo, as long as the form in the email was completed within a certain time frame (which I had completed within 10 minutes of receiving the email on the first day).... and still have not heard anything back about whether or not they are even still in supply...

and now this shit?

I'm never going to buy another thrustmaster product again

The only reason I can think of why the 3 pedal set was not included with the t-598 is so they can basically try to rob you with an "upgrade" that should've been in the bundle instead of the 2 pedal set. You'd think they'd want their customers happy well this should do it right? There isn't a load cell on this. So why not give the clutch pedal at release so we could've just got the load cell upgrade. It's not that your products are bad, your sales tactics are and that makes us customers feel like we're not the #1 priority. If you're customers aren't happy and you keep doing the same things you won't have any in the future!!!

Hi my t-Lcm pedals will randomly have a pedal stick and go up to full input (not physically), I have yo unplug and Replug it in and it’ll be fixed for a random amount of time( 30 seconds to 45 mins) I’ve taken it apart and cleaned it with no avail, anyone have this issue and or know how to fix it ? Pfa

I saw lots of dude here discussing about the new T598, i will tell you DO NOT go for it, for TM, just stays on T300, entry level products only.

i brought a T818 with the SF1000 bundle from last December, 10/11 months now, the grinding problem "gives" me 2 new T818 wheelbase (of course a new becoz in 1 year warranty)

u may ask what is grinding problem, when u turn the wheel, the wheel is jamming on certain angles, like grinding a coffee bean.

yes that means 15 hrs of driving in 3 WHEELBASE. i mostly do ACC, Monza, Nurburgring.

u can say i should do RMA, but TM says i brought it from distributor, no refund (WTH?), this is clearly a design fault / building issue, they should do a global re-call

this damn thing gives me a headache how to manage it later on after the warranty is gone : (

My brand new AUD $800 Thrustmaster T598 wheelbase died right before Christmas – power supply cable faulty, confirmed by their support after I uploaded pics.

Logged a ticket, explained pedals might be dodgy too, but 5+ days later? Still no update about replacement cable shipped from Thrustmaster.

Chasing them up, and they ask “have you checked the pedals?” – BRO, how with no power?! Ruined my holidays staring at an unplayable rig.

I realise most of you have got fully functioning units. Congratulations. Clearly there’s hundreds of us with faulty units that either need new cable or send the base to France.

I am 100% going to return this junk and ditching Thrustmaster forever – eyeing Fanatec instead.

Just bought this wheel and it’s missing a selector knob I have looked all over does anybody know where I can find a replacement?