How to Set Up and Adjust VRS DirectForce Pro Pedals

Before you begin

Gather suitable mounting bolts, washers and locking nuts, metric Allen keys and spanners, the VRS pedal controller, the supplied USB cable, and a ruler or phone camera for recording the original settings.

Disconnect the pedal controller from USB before moving cables, changing springs, or adjusting linkages. The brake spring stores energy, so remove preload gradually, support the mechanism during disassembly, and keep your fingers away from pinch points.

Mount the pedals securely

VRS pedals should be hard-mounted. A loose pedal set, flexing pedal plate, or moving seat makes the brake feel inconsistent regardless of calibration.

1. Loosely mount each pedal to the pedal deck or aluminum profile.
2. Sit in your normal driving position before tightening the hardware.
3. Align the brake with your braking leg and hip.
4. Place the throttle where your ankle can operate it without rolling outward.
5. If you use a clutch, leave enough room to avoid catching the brake during shifts.
6. Support your heels so you are not holding your legs in the air.
7. Tighten the mounting hardware evenly and press the brake firmly to confirm that the pedals, deck, and seat remain stationary.

At full pedal travel, your knee should remain slightly bent. The ball of your foot should contact the central portion of the pedal face without forcing your ankle into an extreme angle.

Set the basic pedal geometry

Complete the ergonomic adjustments before changing springs or response curves. VRS provides approximately 21 degrees of overall pedal-angle adjustment, more than 30 degrees of pedal-face-angle adjustment, 20 mm of pedal-face depth adjustment, and up to 30 mm of pedal-face height adjustment.

Overall pedal angle

Adjust the pedal assembly so the face approaches your foot naturally. A more upright position commonly suits a higher GT-style seat, while a more reclined position often suits a formula-style cockpit. Support the pedal while loosening its pivot hardware, then retighten both sides evenly.

Pedal-face height

Raise or lower the face so the ball of your foot lands near its center. Lowering the face slightly reduces travel and increases effective force. Raising it has the opposite effect.

Pedal-face depth

Move the faces forward or backward to align their resting positions. Bringing the brake and throttle faces closer together can also make heel-and-toe driving easier.

Pedal-face angle

Choose an angle that keeps your ankle comfortable at both rest and full application. After every adjustment, press the pedal through its complete travel and make sure the face, arm, linkage, and cable clear the pedal plate and neighboring pedals.

VRS publishes the complete adjustment ranges in its DirectForce Pro pedal overview.

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Connect the pedal controller

With USB disconnected, connect the throttle, brake, and optional clutch cables to the VRS controller. Route each cable away from the pedal arms, springs, dampers, and other moving parts. Leave a small service loop so pedal movement cannot pull on a connector.

Mount the controller where it cannot be struck by a foot or placed under cable tension. Connect it directly to the PC for initial setup. Avoid an unpowered USB hub until the system has been verified.

Install the current VRS software

Download VRS ONE or the current DirectForce configuration software from the official VRS downloads page. Open the software and confirm that the controller and every connected pedal are detected.

Calibrate the throttle

1. Leave the throttle completely released and establish its minimum input.
2. Press it smoothly to the mechanical stop several times.
3. Establish the maximum input.
4. Confirm that the displayed axis rises smoothly from 0% to 100%.
5. Add only enough lower dead zone to eliminate an unwanted resting signal.
6. Add a small upper dead zone if the pedal does not reliably reach 100%.

Approximately 1% at each end is a useful starting point, but use the smallest dead zone that produces reliable operation.

Calibrate the brake

The VRS brake measures pressure. Its software maximum should represent the hardest force you intend to use while driving—not the greatest force the hardware can survive.

1. Release the brake completely and establish its minimum input.
2. Sit in your normal driving position.
3. Press the brake to a firm but repeatable maximum.
4. Use that pressure as the 100% calibration point.
5. Repeat the press several times and confirm that you can consistently reach approximately 98–100%.
6. Add a small lower dead zone if resting your foot produces brake input.
7. Add a small upper dead zone if your normal maximum stops just short of 100%.

A 2–5% lower brake dead zone is a reasonable starting range for drivers who rest a foot lightly on the pedal. Too much dead zone makes the beginning of trail braking harder to feel.

Calibrate the clutch

Move the clutch through its complete mechanical travel. A small dead zone at each end helps ensure that it is fully engaged when released and fully disengaged when depressed.

Start with linear response curves

Use a linear curve for all three pedals during initial setup. The VRS software supports dead zones, linearity changes, calibration, and saved profiles, but a linear baseline makes mechanical tuning and troubleshooting much easier. Save this baseline before experimenting.

Calibrate inside the simulator

1. Assign the throttle, brake, and clutch axes individually.
2. Run the simulator’s pedal-calibration process.
3. Invert any axis that operates backward.
4. Confirm that released pedals show 0% and fully applied pedals show 100%.
5. Remove duplicate assignments left over from an older controller.
6. Save the controller profile.

For iRacing, select the load-cell option during calibration or set Brake Force Factor to 0.00. That produces the linear brake response recommended by iRacing for load-cell pedals. Changing the controller’s USB port may require in-sim recalibration.

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Adjust the brake

The VRS brake combines a steel coil spring with a bell-crank mechanism to create a progressive response. Tune it in three layers: choose the spring, adjust the linkage geometry, and then calibrate your preferred maximum force.

In its stock configuration, VRS rates the blue spring at approximately 65 kg of maximum pedal-face force and the red spring at approximately 130 kg. Other geometry changes can raise the available brake force to approximately 140 kg.

Changing the brake spring

1. Disconnect USB.
2. Photograph the spring, spacer, washer, and tie-rod arrangement.
3. Release as much preload as the adjustment permits.
4. Support the spring assembly while removing its retaining hardware.
5. Install the replacement spring with the required spacers and washers.
6. Confirm that everything is seated correctly before applying pressure.
7. Recalibrate the brake.

Tie-rod adjustment

Changing the tie-rod length alters leverage and progression. Make small changes and test them before proceeding farther. Whenever the length changes, the spacer and washer stack may also need to change. An incorrect stack can introduce free play or unintended preload.

Practical brake-force starting points

Choose a maximum you can reproduce without lifting your heel, pulling on the steering wheel, or flexing the cockpit.

Adjust the throttle

A longer, lighter throttle is generally easier to modulate in powerful cars. A shorter, heavier throttle feels more immediate but may make small corrections harder.

The throttle’s spring-seat and load-cell mounting positions work together to alter leverage, force, and travel. Record the original hole locations, support the spring during changes, move one position at a time, and recalibrate before evaluating the result. VRS lists approximately 21.5–58.1 mm of available throttle travel and a maximum configurable force of about 8.4 kg.

For most drivers, medium-to-long travel with moderate resistance is the strongest all-around baseline.

Adjust the clutch

The optional clutch uses a regressive action with a noticeable breakover point. Linkage position changes travel, peak force, and how strongly that breakover is felt. Adjust one position at a time, verify that the spring remains correctly seated, and recalibrate afterward.

VRS specifies approximately 37.8–77.1 mm of clutch travel, depending on configuration. A shorter throw is convenient when the clutch is used mainly for launches. A longer throw usually provides better bite-point control in manual road cars.

Add optional hydraulic dampers

A damper resists rapid pedal movement more strongly than slow movement. It can smooth abrupt inputs and add a hydraulic sensation, but excessive damping can make a pedal feel sluggish.

Install the appropriate VRS damper with the supplied hardware and follow the current VRS damper manual. Begin with the lightest practical setting, cycle the pedal through its entire travel, and confirm that nothing binds before increasing damping.

The brake/clutch damper has a higher damping rate than the throttle version. Damping can be adjusted through its mounting geometry and pivot height. Do not substitute damper types unless VRS confirms compatibility.

For response graphs and original mechanical ranges, consult VRS’s in-depth pedal adjustment reference.

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Use a controlled tuning process

1. Establish a comfortable driving position.
2. Choose the brake spring.
3. Set the brake linkage geometry and preload.
4. Calibrate the brake to a sustainable maximum force.
5. Tune throttle and clutch travel.
6. Add dampers only after the undamped pedals feel correct.
7. Drive the same car and circuit for several sessions.
8. Review telemetry before making another change.

Photograph and record the spring, tie-rod length, spacer stack, mounting holes, pedal-face position, calibration maximum, and dead zones for every setup you want to keep.

Troubleshooting

Routine maintenance

VRS pedals use sealed bearings, steel springs, and low-friction components intended to require little routine maintenance.

• Remove dust with a dry microfiber cloth or soft brush.
• Inspect mounting and linkage hardware periodically.
• Check cables for rubbing, pinching, and connector tension.
• Keep damper rods clean.
• Confirm that every pedal returns freely.
• Recalibrate after any meaningful physical adjustment.

Do not apply grease, penetrating oil, or thread-locking compound unless VRS specifically recommends it for that component. An unsuitable product can attract dirt, alter the response, or damage low-friction inserts and damper seals.

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