Pedal Travel and Load Cell Specification Chart
A load cell brake rating is the force at which the pedal reports full braking, not the force you should use. A 75 kg rating saturates at about 736 newtons or 165 pounds, and a 100 kg rating at about 981 newtons or 220 pounds. Most drivers set full braking between 25 and 45 kg of effort, which is 33 to 60 percent of a 75 kg cell and 25 to 45 percent of a 100 kg cell.
A potentiometer measures how far the pedal moved. A load cell measures how hard you pushed. That single sentence is the whole category, and the specification that follows from it is the full scale rating in kilograms: the force at which the sensor reports one hundred percent braking. It is routinely misread as a strength requirement. It is not. It is the size of the range you get to tune within, and the force you should actually apply is far lower. This chart converts every rating into newtons and pounds, gives the saturation setting each effort level corresponds to, and lists what each pedal set publishes.
Of the 6 pedal sets charted here, 5 use a load cell brake and only 2 publish a kilogram rating for it. Where a manufacturer does not publish the figure, the cell below reads "not published" rather than carrying an estimate, which is the same rule the wheelbase torque chart follows for newton metres.
Pedal set specifications
| Pedal set | Brake type | Full scale rating | Pedals | Adjustability | Connection | Mounting needed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logitech G RS Sim Racing Pedals | Load cell | 75 kg | 3 | Fixed curve | Check against your wheel | Desk or rig | $159.99 |
| Thrustmaster Raceline Pedals III | Standard, brake upgradeable later | Not published | 3 | Modular, brake module replaceable | Console and PC | Desk or rig | $169.99 |
| Thrustmaster Raceline Pedals III LC | Load cell | Not published | 3 | Modular | Console and PC | Rig preferred | $320.96 |
| MOZA CRP2 Load Cell Pedals | Load cell | Not published | 3 | Adjustable stiffness and travel | PC focused | Bolted rig | $369.99 |
| Logitech G PRO Racing Pedals | Load cell, elastomer tuned | 100 kg | 3 | Swappable elastomer stack | Check against your wheel | Bolted rig | $379.99 |
| Fanatec ClubSport and CSL Elite sets | Load cell or hydraulic by model | Varies by model | 2 | Varies by model | Varies by model | Bolted rig | Sold mostly direct |
The connection column is where money most often gets wasted in this category. Some sets plug straight into a PC over USB and ignore the wheel entirely. Others route through a specific manufacturer wheelbase, which on console is enforced in hardware. Confirm that a set names your exact wheel or your platform before ordering rather than assuming a standard exists, and check the wheel compatibility chart if you are on a console.
Brake force in kilograms, newtons and pounds
Ratings are published in kilograms of force, physics is done in newtons, and rig hardware is frequently rated in pounds. All three describe the same thing. The last three columns show what percentage of each common full scale rating a given effort represents, which is the number to set brake saturation to in your driver software.
| Effort (kg) | Force (N) | Force (lb) | Percent of a 75 kg cell | Percent of a 100 kg cell | Percent of a 200 kg cell | What this effort feels like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 98 | 22 | 13% | 10% | 5% | Very light, closer to a road car with servo assistance |
| 15 | 147 | 33.1 | 20% | 15% | 8% | Very light, closer to a road car with servo assistance |
| 20 | 196 | 44.1 | 27% | 20% | 10% | Light to moderate, comfortable for long stints |
| 25 | 245 | 55.1 | 33% | 25% | 13% | Light to moderate, comfortable for long stints |
| 30 | 294 | 66.1 | 40% | 30% | 15% | Light to moderate, comfortable for long stints |
| 35 | 343 | 77.2 | 47% | 35% | 18% | Firm, close to a race car without servo assistance |
| 40 | 392 | 88.2 | 53% | 40% | 20% | Firm, close to a race car without servo assistance |
| 45 | 441 | 99.2 | 60% | 45% | 23% | Firm, close to a race car without servo assistance |
| 50 | 490 | 110.2 | 67% | 50% | 25% | Firm, close to a race car without servo assistance |
| 60 | 588 | 132.3 | 80% | 60% | 30% | Very firm, sustainable only in short sessions for most drivers |
| 75 | 735 | 165.3 | 100% | 75% | 38% | Very firm, sustainable only in short sessions for most drivers |
| 100 | 981 | 220.5 | 100% | 100% | 50% | Very firm, sustainable only in short sessions for most drivers |
Two figures in that table are worth memorising. A 45 kg braking effort is about 99 pounds of force, which is roughly half the body weight of an adult, pushed horizontally into the pedal plate on every corner entry. And a 100 kg full scale rating corresponds to 220 pounds, which is more force than most people can produce with one leg from a seated position at all. Buying the bigger cell does not make you brake harder, it moves where in the range your normal effort lands.
What saturation should you set?
Brake saturation, sometimes called brake force or brake range, tells the driver software what effort should count as one hundred percent braking. Setting it correctly is what makes the pedal usable, and it is the single most commonly skipped setup step in sim racing.
| Driver profile | Target peak effort | Saturation on a 75 kg cell | Saturation on a 100 kg cell | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New to a load cell, coming from bundled pedals | 20 to 25 kg | 27 to 33% | 20 to 25% | Your leg has no calibration for pressure yet. Start soft and firm it up. |
| Sprint racing, ABS available | 25 to 35 kg | 33 to 47% | 25 to 35% | Enough range to modulate without fatiguing over 20 minutes. |
| Sprint racing, ABS off | 35 to 45 kg | 47 to 60% | 35 to 45% | A firmer pedal gives a wider window between full retardation and lock. |
| Endurance and league racing | 25 to 35 kg | 33 to 47% | 25 to 35% | Fatigue over a long stint matters more than peak firmness. |
| Rally and loose surface | 20 to 30 kg | 27 to 40% | 20 to 30% | Grip is low, so useful braking happens at low pedal force. |
The test for whether you have it right is repeatability, not feel. Pick a braking zone, brake at what you judge to be 80 percent, and look at the telemetry trace. If you can land within a few percent lap after lap, the setting is correct. If your peak pressure drifts down over a stint, the pedal is too firm. The step by step procedure is in how to calibrate pedals, and the underlying sensor physics is in load cell pedals explained.
What does the brake force do to your rig?
Every newton you put into the brake goes somewhere. On a bolted cockpit it is reacted through the frame and into your own body weight through the seat, which is why a rigid frame makes a pedal feel firmer without any change to the pedal. On a loose pedal tray it pushes the tray away from you, which changes the pedal position mid corner and defeats the sensor entirely.
| Mounting | Force it will hold | What happens above that | Suitable pedal sets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedals loose on carpet | Under 10 kg | The set slides away on every stop | Bundled potentiometer pedals only |
| Pedals on a rubber mat against a wall | Around 20 kg | Creeps under repeated hard braking | Entry load cell at a low saturation setting |
| Folding wheel stand pedal plate | Around 30 kg | The frame rocks fore and aft under the pedal | 75 kg cell set to roughly 40 percent |
| Folding cockpit pedal deck | Around 40 kg | Hinges take up slack, pedal position shifts | 75 kg cell at most |
| Bolted steel cockpit | Over 60 kg | Fasteners work loose before anything else | Any set on this chart |
| Aluminium profile rig | Over 100 kg | Nothing, if the fasteners are torqued correctly | Any set, including hydraulic |
Cross-read that against the effort table and the rule falls out on its own: a 100 kg brake at $379.99 on a folding frame is a brake you cannot use above about 40 percent of its range, so you have paid $220 more than the entry load cell set at $159.99 for capability the frame throws away. Buy the frame at $499.99 first, which is the same argument the first sim rig buying order makes for every component.
Which specification actually matters when choosing?
- Load cell or not. The gap between a travel brake and a pressure brake is larger than the gap between any two load cell sets on this chart. Getting into the category matters far more than which door you use.
- Connection and platform. A set that will not talk to your wheel or your console is worth nothing, whatever it is rated at.
- What you can bolt it to. Whatever you brace against sets the usable ceiling, and no rating changes that.
- Adjustability, if you race varied cars. Swappable elastomers and adjustable travel let one set suit a modern GT car and a vintage one. If you race one series, a fixed curve you like is fine.
- Full scale rating, last. It is the headline number and the least important of the five, because most drivers use a third to a half of it.
For buying advice rather than specifications, the pedals roundup splits the category into three tiers with real prices, and load cell versus potentiometer pedals is the head to head. To see where pedals sit in a complete build, the intermediate setup lists them alongside everything they have to be matched to. Specifications change between hardware revisions, so confirm with the manufacturer before purchase.
Frequently asked questions
What does a 75 kg or 100 kg brake rating actually mean?
It is the force at which the pedal reports full braking, not the force you are meant to apply on every stop. A 100 kg rating means the sensor saturates at roughly 981 newtons, or 220 pounds. Most drivers set full braking somewhere between 25 and 45 kg of effort, so the headline rating is really a statement about how much range you have available to tune within.
How much brake force should I actually use?
Set full braking to a pressure you can repeat for an entire stint without your leg shaking, which for most drivers falls between 25 and 45 kg. Too stiff and you underbrake in the last third of a race as your leg tires, which you will blame on the car. Too soft and you lock the fronts on every corner entry. Set it once, drive a full race distance, then adjust once.
Do I need a load cell if I only race casually?
If you race with ABS and driving assists on, a load cell changes less than you would expect, because assisted braking flattens exactly the modulation window a pressure pedal exists to give you. The upgrade pays off when ABS is off or limited and you are holding the car at the edge of lock. That is also the point where consistent braking starts deciding your lap times.
Why do load cell pedals need to be bolted down?
Because a pressure pedal pushes back at whatever you are braced against. A 45 kg effort is about 99 pounds of force going into the pedal plate, and a set resting on carpet will simply travel away from you. Every stop then becomes a different pedal position, which is precisely the inconsistency a load cell exists to remove. The mounting is not an accessory here, it is what makes the sensor readable.
Is a hydraulic brake worth the money?
Only after everything under it is solid. A hydraulic brake reproduces the compliance curve of a real brake more faithfully than a spring and elastomer stack, which is a genuine difference at the top of the sport. It is wasted under a driver on a flexing frame or an inconsistent seating position, and it costs more than a good load cell set plus the cockpit to mount it. Fix the frame first.
Does the throttle pedal matter as much as the brake?
No, and it is not close. Throttle modulation happens over a wide, forgiving range where almost any sensor is adequate, and a potentiometer throttle is fine at every budget. Braking is where most amateur lap time is lost, because the useful window between maximum retardation and locking a wheel is narrow. Spend the money on the middle pedal and ignore the marketing about the other two.
How we choose: we compare published manufacturer specifications, documented torque and travel figures, and verified owner reviews. We do not test gear in person. Everything here is researched guidance, not professional installation advice. Direct drive wheelbases produce enough torque to injure a wrist, and rig hardware carries real weight, so follow the manufacturer's mounting and torque limits.