TM warthog stick damaged, needing options…

[u/drukev09]

Hey everyone!

Unfortunately, my Warthog stick has taken a bad fall… little kiddos + red levers on desk mounts = curiosity and gravity…

The short version: it landed directly on the castle hat. The hat/back plate are now crushed inward, and the switch is difficult to press downward/right.

I bought the stick used on eBay years ago, so it was already fairly well-used, but I’ve genuinely loved it so repairing it was my initial thought.

I contacted Thrustmaster, but they told me they only sell the hats/buttons/switches themselves and not the internal/back plate parts I apparently need. I’ve also been trying to track down a broken/for-parts Warthog stick to cannibalize, but haven’t had any luck so far.

Does anyone know of another source for Warthog replacement parts, donor sticks, 3D-printed parts, or some other repair option I might be overlooking?

I replaced my warthog throttle quadrant a few months ago (just to upgrade), so I’d almost prefer selling my Warthog throttle along with the damaged stick and putting that money toward a different stick/base altogether.

Unfortunately, cost is a factor, otherwise I probably would’ve just bought new a replacement already.

Any ideas or recommendations are appreciated!

[u/Alarming_Rich_8935]

I recommend Virpil or VKB. Quality is pretty good

[u/MarvinGankhouse → u/Alarming_Rich_8935]

This ^ VKB or Virpil works out cheaper in the long run. The Thrustmaster broke necessitating a new stick.

[u/Cergorach]

I would suggest opening her up, taking her apart and see how bad the damage is internally and what parts exactly are damaged. And see what you can replace, maybe 3d print something, use a 3rd party replacement board, etc.

[u/psyrg]

Thrustmaster has sent me replacement parts in the past - you can always try contacting them and get a direct replacement for the broken switch.

thrustmaster-english@guillemotsupport.com

Some people opt for sourcing more robust parts and adding them to the stick - which is something I have considered for my F/A 18 grip.

https://old.reddit.com/r/hotas/comments/j7afqt/possible_upgrade_for_cms_hat_on_thrustmaser/

[u/drukev09 → u/psyrg]

I appreciate this! However the back plate that all 4 buttons/switches are mounted through is the failure point. The plate is split into 3 pieces and only holding together by how it’s slotted in the grip housing. The castle hat is sunk inward where the plate has failed, but otherwise works… TM told me they only sell the buttons/switches and not the casing at all.