NASCAR 26 Best Wheel Settings: FFB and Steering Guide

NASCAR 26 delivers noticeably more detailed Force Feedback than its predecessor, but the default wheel configuration is not necessarily ideal for every racing wheel. Steering rotation, FFB strength, friction and the new Balance setting can dramatically change how the car feels, particularly when moving between entry-level Logitech and Thrustmaster wheels and more powerful Direct Drive hardware from Fanatec or MOZA. These settings provide a practical starting point for some of the most popular wheels currently being used with NASCAR 26.

Before changing anything, make sure NASCAR 26 is fully updated. iRacing Studios has already released several post-launch patches, including a September 17 update that specifically fixed an issue where the center spring was not functioning correctly on some racing wheels.

PC players should also remember that NASCAR 26 can manually map devices using XInput, GameInput and DirectInput. If your wheel is detected by Windows but does not have a predefined NASCAR 26 profile, go to Options > Input Mapping and configure the required axes and buttons manually.

For a broader look at currently supported hardware, see our NASCAR 26 Wheel Support guide.

NASCAR 26 Basic Wheel Calibration

For Logitech G29/G920 and the tested Thrustmaster wheels, 270 degrees is currently the most consistent steering rotation.

The important part is making the wheel software and NASCAR 26 agree with each other.

A good universal starting configuration is:

With Steering Range at 100, steering input remains linear. Setting Wheel Max Rotation to the same value being used by G HUB, the Thrustmaster Control Panel, Fanatec software or MOZA Pit House also helps prevent a mismatch between the physical wheel and the steering seen by the game.

We recommend starting with Overdrive at 0. Increasing it can make the wheel feel stronger, but it can also compress or clip stronger forces and make it more difficult to distinguish what the front tires are doing.

Spring is different from useful self-aligning torque. It simply adds an artificial pull toward the center, so starting at zero generally gives NASCAR 26’s own steering forces more room to work.

Logitech G29, G920 and G923 Settings

The Logitech G29 and G920 are among the easiest NASCAR 26 wheels to configure. Public testing since launch has found that the game’s new FFB controls can compensate reasonably well for the relatively weak center forces characteristic of these gear-driven wheels.

The Logitech G29 and G920 can start with the following G HUB configuration:

Then use:

The relatively high Balance and Friction values help compensate for the G29/G920’s lower torque and mechanical dead zone around the center. If the wheel feels excessively harsh over bumps or during sustained cornering, reduce Driving Forces Strength from 95 toward 85-90 before changing other parameters.

The Logitech G923 can use the same configuration as a starting point. However, TRUEFORCE-specific NASCAR 26 support has still not been clearly documented by Logitech or iRacing Studios, so we would not currently build the setup around TRUEFORCE behavior.

Thrustmaster T248 and T248R Settings

The T248 needs slightly different settings because increasing Balance too aggressively can cause noticeable oscillation on straights.

For the Thrustmaster T248, a tested wheel-side starting point is:

The newer T248R uses My Thrustmaster Panel rather than exactly the same PC software. A comparable starting point is around 65% Force with Boost disabled.

Inside NASCAR 26:

Balance is the key difference here. If your T248 starts oscillating from side to side on a straight, increasing Balance is likely to make the behavior worse rather than better.

Thrustmaster T300 and TX Settings

The belt-driven Thrustmaster T300RS and TX have enough smoothness and torque to provide considerably more detail than entry-level gear-driven wheels without requiring Direct Drive-style FFB reduction.

Start in the Thrustmaster Control Panel with:

Then configure NASCAR 26 as follows:

These settings provide a strong starting point for both oval and road racing. If sustained oval corners make the wheel feel too heavy, lower Driving Forces Strength rather than changing rotation.

Fanatec NASCAR 26 Settings

Fanatec has not yet published a complete NASCAR 26-specific recommended-settings profile for its current wheelbase range.

That means the values below should be considered a conservative starting baseline for Direct Drive hardware, not official Fanatec settings. The same applies to model-specific NASCAR 26 compatibility. PC users can use the game’s manual input mapping when the device is recognized, while console compatibility still depends on the wheelbase and platform.

For CSL DD, ClubSport DD+, ClubSport DD and related Direct Drive bases, start with the wheelbase rotation at 270° and avoid adding additional centering spring.

As a rough starting range:

• CSL DD / GT DD Pro 5 Nm: 70-80 Driving Forces Strength.
• CSL DD / GT DD Pro 8 Nm: 55-70.
• ClubSport DD 12 Nm: 45-60.
• ClubSport DD+ 15 Nm: 35-50.
• Higher-torque Podium hardware: start lower and increase gradually.

Keep the base’s overall available torque high enough to preserve dynamic range, then use NASCAR 26’s Driving Forces Strength to control the actual output. This is generally preferable to running both the wheelbase and game close to maximum and then relying on clipping to limit the strongest forces.

MOZA NASCAR 26 Settings

The situation with MOZA is similar.

NASCAR 26 is not currently listed with a complete official MOZA Pit House profile covering the R5, R9, R12 or R16 Ultra, so these values should again be treated as starting points rather than manufacturer-approved settings.

On PC, first set the maximum steering angle in MOZA Pit House to 270°. Leave more advanced filtering relatively neutral initially and tune the game itself before adding extra damping or friction through Pit House.

For the MOZA R5, R9, R12 and R16 Ultra:

A reasonable initial Driving Forces Strength range is:

• R5: 65-80.
• R9: 50-65.
• R12: 40-55.
• R16 / R16 Ultra: 30-45.

These ranges deliberately start conservatively. A Direct Drive base does not need the high Balance, Friction or Dead Band values that help weaker gear-driven wheels feel alive around the center.

If the steering feels too light, increase Driving Forces Strength in increments of around five points. If the steering becomes heavy but you stop feeling differences between normal cornering and peak loads, you are probably approaching clipping and should reduce it again.

What the NASCAR 26 FFB Settings Actually Do

Several of NASCAR 26’s parameters can sound similar but affect very different parts of the steering.

• Driving Forces Strength is the main overall Force Feedback level and should normally be the first parameter you change.
• Balance changes how prominently lighter forces are represented. Increasing it can help wheels such as the G29 or T300 communicate smaller forces around the center, but excessive values can produce oscillation, particularly on the T248 and some Direct Drive systems.
• Collision controls the strength of impacts. It does not make normal cornering forces more informative, so there is little advantage in pushing it extremely high.
• Overdrive amplifies stronger effects. It can make the wheel initially feel more dramatic, but also increases the risk of clipping. Zero is therefore the safest baseline.
• Friction adds steering resistance and weight. It can be useful on weaker wheels but should generally be used more sparingly on Direct Drive hardware.
• Spring creates an artificial centering force. NASCAR 26 already generates steering forces from the car, so zero is usually preferable.
• Dead Band can help older gear-driven wheels hide mechanical looseness around the center. Direct Drive users should normally start at zero.

How to Fine-Tune NASCAR 26 for Your Wheel

There is no single perfect Force Feedback configuration for every player, track and wheelbase. Start with rotation and calibration first. If the steering ratio feels wrong, changing FFB will not fix it. Then adjust only one parameter at a time.

If the wheel is too heavy everywhere, reduce Driving Forces Strength. If weaker forces disappear around the center on a G29, G920 or T300, increase Balance. If the car causes the wheel to shake on straights, reduce Balance and unnecessary friction or spring effects.

Direct Drive users should pay particular attention to clipping. More torque is not automatically better. NASCAR 26 should communicate the transition from a relatively unloaded steering wheel to higher front-tire loads rather than simply applying maximum force through every corner.

Finally, remember that NASCAR 26 is still receiving post-launch updates. iRacing Studios has already modified wheel behavior once by correcting the center spring, meaning Force Feedback may continue to evolve.

For compatibility information before buying new hardware, see our NASCAR 26 Compatible Wheels guide. You can also read our early NASCAR 26 Force Feedback impressions for more detail on how the new steering system compares with NASCAR 25.

See you on the track!