Simsonn Pro Pedals (Aliexpress) – Review

Simsonn Pro Pedals (Aliexpress) – Review

The Simsonn Pro pedals are currently the most recent pedals to be sold via Aliexpress. Compared to their direct and indirect predecessors, some minor problems have been eliminated and, for the first time, comprehensive software is also included. In this test report, you can find out how the pedals fared and what first impressions they left behind.

Ordering and shipping

The Simsonn Pro pedals can currently only be ordered via Aliexpress (resellers on other platforms charge significantly higher prices, so you shouldn’t go for it here). Please note that additional taxes and customs duties may apply depending on the country of dispatch. For Germany, the limit here is €150, up to which Aliexpress will take care of processing. The average delivery time is now significantly shorter than it was a few years ago and in most cases is around one to three weeks.

The following selection is currently on offer, with prices varying greatly and additional vouchers can often be redeemed: The pedals are each also available in a non-black version for around €10 less each:

• Simsonn Pro Pedals: Set of 2: 145€
• Simsonn Pro Pedals: Set of 2 + Damper: 165€
• Simsonn Pro Pedals: Set of 3: 185€
• Simsonn Pro Pedals: Set of 3 + Damper: 205€
• Base Plate: 100€
• Simsonn Pro Pedals: Set of 3 + Damper+ Base Plate: 300€

Scope of delivery

The Aliexpress retailer has now significantly upgraded the scope of delivery. In addition to the previously included assembly material and tools, the retailer is now also including elastomers and springs in various hardnesses. The revised controller box including earthing cable and a USB-A cable for connecting the pedals to the PC are also included.

• Pedals
• Controller box
• USB cable
  • Springs (yellow, green, red, blue, black – pre-assembled)
• Elastomers:
  • White (30ha): 3x
  • Red (50ha): 3x – pre-assembled
  • Black (70ha): 3x
• Mounting material
  • Screws (4 per pedal)
  • Washers (4 per pedal)
  • Nuts (4 per pedal)
• Tools
• Short(!) guide

Pedals

The pedals are made of 3 millimetre thick aluminium (the manufacturer’s specifications contradictorily refer to steel at one point) and are now also somewhat better machined. This can be seen in the now significantly less sharp edges (of course, a slightly bloody hand was still a must when changing the elastomers…) and, for example, in the ball bearings now used instead of slide bearings. However, there is still some catching up to do elsewhere, e.g. the screws on the pedal plates are slightly sticking out. Before using the pedals for the first time, all screws should definitely be checked thoroughly; on the pedals tested, for example, two screws were not fully tightened.

The angle of both pedals can be adjusted in four stages and the pedal plates can also be moved in height by about one centimetre via slotted holes.

Brake Pedal

The centrepiece of the kit is, of course, the brake pedal, which is equipped with a 200-kilogram load cell that is designed for an estimated maximum force of around 100 kilograms on the pedal plate. The force is transmitted via a rod on which elastomers and springs are mounted, which are compressed during braking. The preload of the structure, which has a particular effect on the spring installed, can be adjusted using a rotating nut.

In the standard setup, the orange-coloured elastomers of medium hardness are installed in combination with a relatively soft spring, whereby the elastomers for the test setup were replaced relatively quickly with the harder black variants. This results in a relatively soft pedal in the initial area, which becomes significantly harder in the later braking process. The elastomers supplied are of a higher quality than the old pedal sets from Aliexpress, but the softer elastomers in particular do not match the quality of the well-known manufacturers. However, especially for the price range, you now get a usable brake pedal out of the box.

The easiest way to convert the brake is to remove the lower spacer of the pedal arm, which is also the end stop. You can then tilt the assembly forwards and replace the elastomers relatively easily. For reassembly, we recommend loosening the preload on the spring to make it easier to reinsert the spacer. Unfortunately, the manufacturer’s instructions here and elsewhere are very inadequate or do not address some points at all. Even if an experienced user can derive most of the settings quite easily, there is still some catching up to do.

Throttle

For the throttle pedal, a Loadcell was chosen for signal transmission as well, this time in a 20 kg version. A spring exerts a force on the Loadcell when the pedal is pressed, which generates the corresponding pedal travel in the software. The resulting curve of pedal travel and the resulting deflection in the software is therefore not completely linear, but can at least be corrected in the software if necessary.

The hardness of the throttle pedal can be changed relatively easily via the selected position of the screw connection on the pedal arm, which has a direct influence on the lever. The preload of the built-in spring can also be adjusted here using a hand nut. The end stop of the accelerator pedal can also be changed; it is adjusted using a rubber spacer.

Although the connecting rod is lightly lubricated from the factory, a closer look reveals a slight grinding in the mount. In actual use, this has no effect, but it is advisable to keep an eye on this area and lubricate it regularly if necessary.

Mounting

These pedals can be used relatively easily on almost all rigs thanks to the brackets attached to the underside. The continuous design in particular makes it easier to mount the pedals, especially on aluminium profiles. The matching bolts with nuts and washers are already included with the pedals; profiles also require the matching T-nuts.

New controller box and software

An important factor in the new edition of the pedals is undoubtedly the revised controller box, on which the calibration of the pedals is stored. In addition to the connection for the USB cable, the box has a total of six connections, whereby the three RJ45 ports for the pedals are of course the most important:

• Handbrake
• Clutch
• Brake
• Throttle
• SQ-Shifter
• H-Shifter

The housing is open at the sides, which makes it somewhat sensitive to dust. There are also no mounting holes, but this is not too much of a problem given the small dimensions and low weight (if in doubt, double-sided adhesive tape will do).

The pedals can now be configured much more conveniently in the calibration software and pedal curves can also be set. However, it does not currently seem possible to further customise the curves that can be set, which would actually be necessary in particular to correct the linearity of the throttle pedal and an optional clutch.

Overall, the software is an improvement, but it certainly still needs fine-tuning

Differences to previous models

The new pedals are a significant improvement on the direct and indirect predecessors of the pedals available from Aliexpress. Usable elastomers are now included in the scope of delivery and the new ball bearings and significantly improved manufacturing quality are also a clear step forwards. Thanks to the software now used, it is also no longer necessary to calibrate the pedals using third-party tools (Freejoy, DiView).

Conclusion

Just like the previously tested Simjack pedals, the Simsonn Pro pedals from Aliexpress are once again an absolute price/performance hit, if you can overlook the points of criticism mentioned above. For only around €150, you get a usable set of 2 pedals that clearly stands out from the entry-level sets from Logitech, Thrustmaster and others, but without matching the quality of the much higher quality, but also massively more expensive pedals (e.g. Heusinkveld Sprint or VRS Pro pedals).