Ultimatc T-Stick Plus seems stiff/tight

[electricd]

Hello-

I brought my MAME cabinet back from the dead this weekend.  It has been sitting in my garage unused for 12+ years.  Luckily once I swapped out the PC for a new one everything still worked!  I have 2 Ultimarc T-Stick plus sticks for Player 1 and Player 2 on the console that I installed originally because I liked being able to change the restrictor plate from 4way to 8way from the top of the console.  These sticks still work great, but they feel really "stiff" with a short throw distance compared to the just plain Happ Controls 8-way sticks I have for player 3/4.  Is there a way to make these sticks less "stiff" or increase the throw distance somehow?  Do I just need to look for something new?  These were purchased like 20 years ago, so maybe there is a new style one that is 4/8way switchable that feels better?  Thanks in advance!

Chad

[MartyKong]

I don't have a Ultimarc T stick but had a similar issue with a Pac Reunion stick that was way too stiff. What I did was remove the spring get a bolt long enough to go through the spring with large washers on each end. I then screwed a nut on a little at a time compressing the spring and then took measurements to see what each did. I found by compressing the spring a little at a time would slightly shorten the spring and relieve the "stiffness". It's been playing great for seven years now so that's the way I would do it.    Marty

[jeremymtc]

When I had my T-sticks I had the same thoughts about the travel and feel. I went to longer balltop shafts (Andy sells them), softer microswitches, and shortened and stretched the springs. It did improve the feel, but those sticks are just inherently going to be short-travel and somewhat notchy by design.

If you can handle an under-the-panel 4-8 way adjustment, GGG's Omni2 is a solid choice for a switchable stick.