Assembly
Like I stated previously the unit is shipped in three boxes with six distinct parts that need to be assembled. The instructions provide exact details on how to assemble both the wheel and pedal units and include all the necessary tools needed except a wrench for tighten and loosen some bolts. The first order of business is to attach the securing clamp. Once the clamp is on you can secure the wheel unit to your desk to attach the paddles and wheel.
Assembling the paddles and wheel may take a 2nd person to help hold the paddles and wheel in place while you thread the bolts through the wheel and through the paddles into the wheel unit.
That's it for assembly of the wheel unit! All you need to do after this is adjust the tension of the spring for the Monopoint system and adjust the travel of the wheel, which can vary from 180 to 240 degrees of rotation.
Assembly of the pedals is a little more tedious and requires the help of another individual unless you have extremely little fingers. Once the pedals are secured to the base pedal plate you will want to adjust the heel rest and the angle of the pedals for maximum comfort. Did I mention this wheel and pedal unit has about all the adjustably built in that you could ever want?
Once you have made all your adjustments to the wheel and pedals you hook the pedals into the wheel unit and then connect the wheel to an open USB port on your computer. The wheel unit requires no special drivers and shows up in Device Manager as a USB Human Interface Device. Now you just need to calibrate the wheel in the Gaming Options in Control Panel and you will be ready to race!
Construction
The all steel construction of the ECCI is covered in a Ferrari red powder coat that will make all fellow sim racers jealous. Both the wheel and pedal units are machined to the highest quality that ensure perfect bolt alignment and no rattling between fittings. The construction is flawless with no hint of cutting corners or use of any cheap parts.
The construction of the unit has left no stone unturned. The wheel unit cover is cut away to reveal the inwards of the wheel components, specifically showcasing the aluminum billet fluid dampening cover sleeve.
Wheel Unit
The wheel unit is the showcase of this marvel; from the fluid dampening system to the Monopoint steering system this piece of machinery is a work of art.
In the decade history of ECCI, the Trackstar 6000 Wheel unit is the smallest of the bunch and the first to require a securing clamp.
The wheel unit has two unique features, the fluid dampening system and the Monopoint steering resistant system. The fluid dampening system allows smooth control over slow precise inputs while providing smooth resistance over sudden inputs that help reduce such things as over correcting from a loose condition.
The Monopoint system is a cam style system with a single spring that can be adjusted to provide resistance during steering. The unit can accommodate any one of arrangements of three springs that allow precise control over the steering resistance. The spring load is controlled by a bolt and plate that is secured to the wheel unit.
The wheel unit also houses the electronics for interfacing with your computer. Here you will connect the pedals to the wheel unit and from the wheel unit you connect to your PC. There is an extra DB-9 connector that is used for expandability and is discussed a little later in the review.
On a side now, the securing clamp is quite large and prevents the use of a keyboard drawer from working properly. This may or may not present a problem depending on your setup.
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