Our Verdict
Pros
- Inverted mounting options
- Better design than T3PA pedals
- Two brake mods included
- All metal construction
- Priced competitively
Cons
- Not a true loadcell pedal set
- Overall design, not able to compete with other brands
Thrustmaster has been making the right steps towards the ultimate pedal set for a while. The base pedals you get with some Thrustmaster wheels come with only two pedals and are just not fit for sim racing.
The pedals that come with the T500Rs look very similar to these but feature a spring brake mod. It certainly isn’t to the same quality as the conical brake supplied with these pedals.
In theory, these T3PA-Pro pedals are the perfect amalgamation of the best braking technology and product design. We’ve been testing these pedals for a while now with our T248 racing wheel. And we’ve written this review to help you decide whether it is worth you buying these T3PA-Pro pedals
How are the T3PA-Pro pedals different?
You may think on first impression that these look identical to the already existing T500RS pedals. And, well they are certainly very similar. But that is for good reason. The T500RS pedals feature the best product design of any Thrustmaster pedal set to date.
They allow for floor-mounted or inverted pedal mounting positions. This, in turn, allows you to set up your pedals to mimic a range of driving setups. You can floor mount them for formula-style driving. Or invert them for GT and road cars.
So Thrustmaster has used this great product design and fixed the one downside that older Thrustmaster racing wheels such as the T500RS had. The brake pedal.
The T500RS had a spring-based brake pedal, which allowed you to stiffen the brake pedal by installing a spring mod.
T3PA-Pro pedal design and quality
As mentioned, the design is almost identical to the T500RS pedals. That isn’t a bad thing. Unlike some cheaper pedals, the T3PA-Pros feature a full metal construction. This really elevates the perceived quality of this pedal set.
The footrest features an almost industrial-style metal grip plate. And quite honestly, we really dig it. It looks hefty and it isn’t as slippery as you may think from first impressions.
One area to note, is if you race in socks, as we do. You may find the metal footrest makes your feet a little cold. This won’t be an issue if you live someone hot, but for us, we certainly had to double sock to keep warm!
The pedals themselves offer a huge amount of customization. This is possibly our favourite part of the pedals. You can adjust the spacing between each pedal by mounting the pedal plate in one of three locations.
This allows you to run a closer brake and throttle pedal for heel-and-toe downshifting if that’s your style.
You can also mount the pedals from above. Effectively, by inverting the pedal mounting, you create a set of pedals which matches a real road car. This gives ultimate immersion when driving these styles of cars, and even better throttle and pedal control in certain situations.
How good is the brake mod?
The conical brake mod is where these pedals really come into their own. The T3PA-Pro pedals come with two brake mods. The first is the spring-based brake mod from the T500RS pedals. This is OK and effectively makes the brake pedal stiffer.
Then there is the new conical brake mod, which is from the standard T3PA pedal set. The conical brake mod is a piece of high-density rubber, shaped like a cone.
This introduces progressive braking and can be configured in a range of configurations to adjust the progression rate. The conical brake mod can add up to 70 pounds of extra resistance in to your brake pedal.
With the conical mod installed, the brake pedal almost becomes like a true progressive brake. It feels similar to a loadcell brake, although it’s not quite there in terms of braking quality. It sits just under a loadcell brake, such as that in the Fanatec CSL Elite LC pedals.
But despite not being able to compete with a true loadcell brake. The T3PA-Pro conical brake is almost, almost there. It adds a new dimension in terms of braking quality compared to other Thrustmaster solutions. And it should be your go-to setup for a Thrustmaster pedal set.
Final Thrustmaster T3PA-Pro pedal review
These pro pedals bring a lot to the table. They combine elements from other Thrustmaster pedals to create the best Thrustmaster pedal set to date. The option to choose between two sets of brake mods and the customization of the pedal layout make for one of the most versatile pedal sets on the market.
These are designed to work on all T-range Thrustmaster wheels, and they should be a must-buy for those who have a T300 or TX racing wheel. If you already have a T500 RS, these are practically the same but with the extra braking mod.
It probably isn’t worth the $150 price tag, just to get the mod if you already have the T500RS pedals. Although, if you purchase the T3PA-Pros and then sell on the T500RS pedals to cover some of the cost, then that could be worth it.
Overall, the conical brake mod does transform this pedal set to put it up there alongside loadcell pedal kits from other manufacturers. And we would highly recommend picking up a set of T3PA-Pros if the opportunity arises.
Technical Specifications
Review written by Felix König
