PT Actuator 6DOF Conversion Review

Final thoughts on the 6DOF upgrade kit from the guys at PT Actuator. I have been running my 5DOF PT Actuator system for over a year now. I’ve been pleased with the motion experience that it delivers. But now it’s time to make my system a true 6DOF
platform. All the parts required to assemble the kit were present. This is a time consuming conversion having to almost completely disassembly the motion system assembly. The first thing I did was install the very heavy solid steel guide bars across the middle of the bottom frame. Then move the bearing pivot assembly from the front of the frame to the middle of the frame. Which required installation of the greaseless linear bearings. Once that was sorted it was time to install the front Traction Loss actuator.
After that was completed, I installed the new Servo Drive in to the new longer Servo Drive case with the other Drives. Once I had the cables sorted and had tested the new actuator it was time to begin the reassembly process. Once all the actuators were back in their original position it was time to test everything for proper operation. Once that was sorted, I was able to finish the complete re-assembly. I used the latest version of the Sim Racing Studios tuning software. I had been using Simtools to run this system for a long time and was not sure what to expect from the SRS app. If you are currently using Simtools to control your PT Actuator motion system you are in for a treat with the SRS software. Much more user friendly. And easier to understand what effect a setting has on your motion. I was able to get up and running straight away. And tune a good setup for every vehicle I have driven to date. I don’t have everything dialed in perfectly yet. But I am not far away from it. But then again I am very picky about how my cockpit moves in simulation. I was tweaking my Simtools settings for a couple of months before I was satisfied it was the best I could get it. If you have a PT Actuator system, and are using Simtools you should do yourself a favor and get the SRS software. The performance of the new sway element is good. Unfortunately there are few driving simulations or games that support the Front Traction loss element in their telemetry feeds. SRS has overcome this limitation by taking existing data that is
available and creating their own effect to action the Front TL actuator. I did have to tweak it a bit for my taste, but I can feel a sway element that is not there in the 5DOF motion I had before. Hopefully iRacing and other driving simulations will get busy making the needed information available in their telemetry feeds. Until then, I don’t have any issues with the sway I am experiencing now. Because of this current state of affairs you do have to ask yourself if all this work to get your 5DOF system changed to a true 6DOF system is worth the effort that you have seen here. Of course if you ordered your PT Actuator motion system in the 6DOF configuration, you don’t have to worry about this.