Originally Posted by: NumberlessMath 
I think % of outer front peak friction should continue to be a factor in the final steering output on gamepad, but there needs to be other references in the calculation too, including rear outer peak friction, and vehicle yaw moment/rate. Gamepad steering should be capable of balancing the car in oversteer with better precision and predictability.
The arcadey feel comes from the yaw damper and roll damper. It's perfectly ok to draw from variables like that to determine final steering output on gamepad. It's not ok to override the core physics with arbitrary forces, or (at least, not nearly this much) player-input-relative forces. I don't want 1:1 analog-stick-as-wheel input, and I also don't want to play God. I just want to drive the car.
Lot of misconceptions and contradictions here:
1. THERE IS NO YAW DAMPER. There is no "arbitrary force" that controls the yaw of the car on controller when using simulation steering. IT IS ONLY PRESENT ON NORMAL STEERING.
"The Normal steering assist may make FFB feel “sharper” because it influences the yaw inertia of the car to help maintain control during rapid lock-to-lock steering situations. This makes the car somewhat less agile than with Simulation steering, but also more stable."
"There are multiple systems layered together to create Normal steering. Some of these layers alter inputs where some of these layers alter the vehicle dynamics. Simulation Steering turns these systems off. The input layers of these systems are turned off any time you use a wheel, regardless of the steering setting."
2. You steer the car from the front wheels, not the rear wheels. Yaw, momentum, rate, pitch and peak friction of the rear tires SHOULD NOT influence what the front tires are doing! It's pointless. You say you don't like "arbitrary forces" to override the physics but all you're doing with this solution is doing the exact same thing with steering angle. You're overriding the user and taking away engagement, control, skill and speed. It won't make the cars easier to drive and more balanced NORMAL STEERING IS LITERALLY FOR THAT ALREADY. All you've done is create another version of normal steering but actually worse because you're taking into account rear grip. You're literally making the rear of the car dictate what the front is doing. It won't decrease lap times, it won't increase control and comfort, all it'll do is artificially understeer the car when the rear kicks loose or goes over 100% peak friction. Any hint of oversteer and you'd understeer. The game would just feel even more on rails and even more restrictive.
The best system is what we have in place now and that's to give the user maximum grip and control at the front of the car while not being able to abuse a controller's clear advantage of lock to lock speed. We do not need to take away control of the rear of the car. That's disastrous.
Now I do however agree with opencamswrx and believe an option to remove all controller filters and be left with the raw physics should indeed be an option, though that will just make the car harder and slower to drive but nevertheless out should be an option.