Simucube 2 Pro and ActivePedals – Finalizing my Sim Racing Build!
Sarah Nocchi
This is it! The third and final part in my full sim racing build series featuring the Trak Racer TR160S chassis. In the last two parts, I built the TR160S cockpit, mounted the massive Samsung G9 57” ultrawide, and built my first custom PC. Now it’s time to install the gear that matters most: the pedals, the wheelbase, and the wheel!
In this post, I’ll walk through installing the Simucube ActivePedals Ultimate, Simucube 2 Pro direct drive base, and the Simucube Valo GT-23 wireless GT wheel. Then I’ll fire everything up for a first test drive in iRacing and share some early impressions.
👉 Watch the full video below:
🔧 Hardware Install Begins: Simucube ActivePedals
First up: the Simucube Active Pedals. These are, without a doubt, the part I was most excited to install. The engineering behind them is next level—and having force-feedback on your pedals is a game changer. Read my full ActivePedal Ultimate review here.
To mount them, I used the Simucube base plate, a $259 optional addon that comes in pieces and requires you to assemble. I purchased it primarily because of the heel plate. It looks very clean and is made of high-quality aluminum with pre-drilled holes, making the install super easy. The pedals attach directly via standard M5 bolts and T-nuts, but using the dedicated base plate makes alignment much easier and eliminates the guesswork.
I went with a two-pedal configuration for now—one active pedal as a brake, one as an accelerator—and I repurposed the passive throttle as a clutch. Since most of my cars use paddle shifters, this setup should give me the best use of the active pedal features where it matters most.
🌀 Mounting the Simucube 2 Pro Wheelbase
Next was installing the Simucube 2 Pro direct drive base. This part couldn’t have been easier thanks to the Trak Racer TR160S Direct Drive Mount, which fits the 2 Pro perfectly. Simucube also offers their own, in-house version of this mount. No awkward adjustments, no weird spacing—just bolt it in and go.
Compared to mounting my old Fanatec DD1 on my TRX rig, this was night and day. I had it secured and level within minutes.
Then came the Simucube Valo GT23 wireless steering wheel. It uses Simucube’s quick-release system and paired wirelessly with no issue through Simucube's Truedrive software (Update for 2025: Simucube consolidated their two softwares into one; Truedrive is now part of the Simucube Tuner).
Just slide it on, insert the locking pin, and you’re good to go. The wheel feels incredibly premium with its alcantara wrap (my fav), sharp LED shift lights, and satisfying tactile buttons. The level of quality is top notch here...but it should be: the wheel costs $899! It's Simucube's first ever wireless wheel with LED shift light capability.
🧩 Cabling Everything Together
This was the messiest-looking part, but surprisingly easy to get right. If you follow Simucube’s setup guide, everything connects logically. The only complexity comes from using two Active Pedals, which requires an Ethernet switch to link them both to the Simucube Link hub. The Link hub is included with the purchase of one primary Simucube ActivePedal.
Once the wiring was done, I booted up my PC and, for the first time, powered on the Samsung Odyssey G9 57”—and wow. Seeing it in action really brought the whole build to life.
🖥️ Software Setup & Calibration
Simucube now uses one single app - Simucube Tuner - for configuration of all their devices. That's a welcome update to when you previously had to use Tuner for the pedals, and Truedrive for the wheel.
The latest version of Tuner, V2.5, is very well-designed and intuitive. After a couple of firmware updates, I could tweak all kinds of settings—pedal force curves, ABS-style vibration, friction, rebound, and more.
When I first pressed the brake, I realized it was way too stiff. I was only hitting 30% force even when pressing with all my strength. Turns out the default brake setting was at 100kg of force. I dialed it back to 40kg, which felt much more manageable. The amount of force you can put into these things is insane!
These pedals are crazy adjustable, and I’ll need time to dial in the perfect feeling for each car I drive. Read (or watch) my dedicated Simucube ActivePedals review here.
🏎 First Drive in iRacing: Immediate Impressions
With everything connected, aligned, and (mostly) dialed in, it was finally time to take the rig for a spin.
I loaded up iRacing and... instant goosebumps.
I could feel the texture of the track through my feet. The pedal vibrated under braking. The feedback wasn’t just powerful—it was detailed. I knew these pedals were going to be good, but this felt like a different world entirely.
Compared to my old Fanatec V3s, which served me well for years, the Active Pedals are on another level. They're shorter in travel, but much more force-dependent, allowing for precision braking and greater realism. This should make it easier to build muscle memory and improve my technique—especially in threshold braking zones.
🧠 Feedback Granularity on the Simucube 2 Pro
The Simucube 2 Pro ($1379) is also my first time stepping beyond Fanatec hardware when it comes to wheelbases. Simucube has cemented themselves in the industry as a top-tier, premium brand (and their product pricing reflects that). The 25nm Simucube 2 Pro offers more torque than you could ever need, but that, combined with its incredible build quality, makes it an investment that you make once and never have to upgrade or worry about ever again.
The force feedback is smooth and refined. It feels detailed - not just stronger. You get subtle cues through the wheel that I never noticed before. I’m pretty sure that’s thanks to the 360Hz force feedback mode in iRacing, which the Simucube 2 Pro fully supports. Not all wheelbases do.
It’s not just force - it’s fidelity. You feel tire scrub, weight shift, bumps, and track texture all separately. This kind of granularity is what makes the driving feel real.
🛞 The Valo GT-23 Wheel: A Perfect Match
The Simucube Valo GT-23 wheel ($899) rounds out this dream setup perfectly. It's a 320mm diameter, flat-bottom wheel designed for sports car driving.
It has a sturdy build, alcantara leather grips that feel close to what I have in my real car, satisfying push buttons, and customizable RGB shift LEDs across the top. This wheel boasts 18 programmable LEDs. The wireless connection is flawless, and it makes swapping wheels in the future that much easier. Its battery is a rechargeable NiMh with 2000 mAh typical capacity - it will last hours upon hours before needing a charge.
I chose it mostly for the aesthetics, but I’m honestly impressed by the ergonomics and quality. The paddle shifters feel perfect, and they aren't too loud. It also comes with clutches. This wheel is expensive when compared to others, but it's in line with Simucube's 'long-term investment' mantra. Definitely worth it.
🚀 Final Thoughts: The Dream Rig Is Complete
This setup is the most immersive sim rig I’ve ever driven. And it’s not just about having the best gear - it’s about what that gear enables: more feedback, more realism, more precision.
Sure, I still have some fine-tuning to do (like adjusting pedal height and seating position), but the foundation is done. And it’s exactly what I dreamed it would be.
Thanks again for following along with this entire build series. If you have any questions about the Simucube gear, the monitor, or anything else in the setup, drop a comment or message me. Also be sure to subscribe on YouTube so you don’t miss any future sim racing gear reviews!
📦 Where to buy?