3D Printed Low Mass 320mm Steering Wheel

ThomasTML · May 29, 2020

Just uploaded the file to thingiverse:

320mm Sim Racing Steering Wheel by thomastmlai

Requires Creality CR-10 or bigger 3D printer, 8 x 20mm M3 screws, instant glue. Standard 70mm mounting pattern. To minimize mass, I print the spokes at 35% fill and the rim at 15% fill, 0.16mm layer height. There is some damping due to some minimal flex. Feel free to change the % fill to find...

www.thingiverse.com

Feel free to test it out! It's lighter (400g without the hub) than any formula wheels and rigid enough for daily use.

Tronicgr_6DOF · May 30, 2020

nice! Right what I was looking for ...

ThomasTML · May 30, 2020

Thanks! The next step is to get some covering. No ideas what to get that is light and easy to apply.

Elaphe · May 30, 2020

I don't think the low weight is worth if it lacks rigidity, specially for a DD motor.

diablo2112 · May 30, 2020

Excellent work here, very well done! Let us know how it holds up in your testing.

Jeremy Ford · May 30, 2020

It may kill me, but I'm going to give this a go for the lols!

ThomasTML · May 30, 2020

Don’t worry, I stood on the hub without breaking the thing (160lb), if you print the spokes with 65% infill, it will be as solid as a piece of hard wood, but it will also added 100g to weight.

Jeremy Ford · May 30, 2020

ThomasTML said:
Don’t worry, I stood on the hub without breaking the thing (160lb), if you print the spokes with 65% infill, it will be as solid as a piece of hard wood, but it will also added 100g to weight.

Thanks Thomas. It will definitely end up as a video on my channel, I'll give it a good stress test on my DD. It's an interesting idea.

Tronicgr_6DOF · May 31, 2020

I'm going to get a CR-10 just to be able to print this.

ThomasTML · Sep 15, 2020

Finally got my hand on the Simucube 2 pro. It’s time to put the 3D printed wheel to the test.

Test subjects: Effect of a ultra low mass steering wheel on a direct drive system

Setup: rFactor 2, Simucube 2 pro, Fanatec Porches GT3 wheel rim (1287g with quick release), 3D printed 320mm PLA wheel rim (835g with quick release). No button box was attached to minimized weight.

Track: Nordschleife (This is a rough track indeed)

Car: Mercedes GT3 (Why this car? I was trying to break the 308 km/h speed record legally, which a young man was caught speeding with an Mercedes C63 in Ontario, Canada)

Findings:
A lighter wheel bring out more detail even in a 25 KN wheel base at full strength. Especially at the final straight. The heavier Porches GT3 wheel feel like driving on the highway at 100 km/h. On the 3D printed wheel, the tarmac effect is a lot stronger, I have no real life experience on driving at 250+ km/h speed, so I cannot comment on weather that is more realistic!

Note: If you decided to try the 3D wheel. Make sure that you are wearing gloves. There are no fingers safer on the design, so it could hurts quite bad. Use at you own risk.

ThomasTML · Sep 15, 2020

Deleted member 197115 · Sep 15, 2020

Set that friction and inertia filters to 0%, TBW to Unlimited, and you get same details from regular wheel.

ThomasTML · Sep 15, 2020

Andrew_WOT. You are the best. I'm still new to the Simucube. Your recommendation really bring life back to the game!

TedBrosby- · Sep 16, 2020

Andrew_WOT said:
Set that friction and inertia filters to 0%, TBW to Unlimited, and you get same details from regular wheel.

With my SC1 setting damping to 0% caused oscillation in ACC just from the menu. I needed at least 1% to remove it. Can you run 0% damping on SC2 without issues?

Deleted member 197115 · Sep 16, 2020

Technically AC and ACC do not need any damping for oscillation control purpose, one has Gyro and another Dynamic Damping, which is essentially the same, just named correctly.
You can still use some damping just for wheel weight so it doesn't feel too loose and over reactive.

AccAkut · Sep 16, 2020

ThomasTML said:
I have no real life experience on driving at 250+ km/h speed, so I cannot comment on weather that is more realistic!

at 200km/h+ you should feel less detail in a typical real street car due to front end lift. I've only personally driven that fast in an Audi A6 tho, commuter diesel variant, no S model and thus not optimised for feel.
Race car with aero may be opposite actually.

ThomasTML · Sep 16, 2020

AccAkut said:
at 200km/h+ you should feel less detail in a typical real street car due to front end lift. I've only personally driven that fast in an Audi A6 tho, commuter diesel variant, no S model and thus not optimised for feel.
Race car with aero may be opposite actually.

Interesting! I never know that its actually feel less detail! All I heard were something like this:

Racing driver David McAllister described it this way “When your ass, hips, thighs, back and shoulders are wrapped in carbon fiber and you’re strapped down so that you can only move your extremities and there is less than an inch of padding between your ass and a solid surface, you feel EVERYTHING that the car does. Every bit of understeer/oversteer, every small bump, dip, or rut and every bad bushing in your car. After a couple of laps that will have you on the border of sensory overload, eventually you get used to it and start driving faster and faster. Afterwards, once you’re back in your normal road car, you feel like you're in slow motion.” -- Ethan Hews - LUXURIA

But this is possibly a fictional experience as searching for David McAllister from the internet yield nothing.

Anyone have some real GT3 driving experience? Would you share them with us! Thanks in advance.

jamescarruthers · Sep 17, 2020

He’s describing his whole body - not what’s through the steering wheel - so he doesn’t mean he feels all that through the steering wheel.

I’ve driven on track plenty - and the first thing that hits you is how smooth the tarmac is compared to the road.

I’ve done 140mph at the end of a straight, it doesn’t feel all that different — it feels lighter if anything.

Fireball_Ryan · Sep 17, 2020

for covering that wheel quick n easy Id suggest Plasti Dip Spray if its available in your area. (make sure to rough up the surface with 120 grit or so sandpaper first) I've done a 3D printed shift knob thusly, with about 5 coats, although I haven't put it to hard use yet.
*edit* I have to wonder if there are any restoration companies that would do a leather wrap for a reasonable price (problem is my definition of "reasonable" is pretty cheep

) I have several custom wheels I want to do - red leather vintage Lotus F1 ~12" diameter, black leather Ferrari 512 ~10.5" diameter, and some kind of alcantara version. And qty 4 of each since I have a 3 rig going on 4 setup (pandemic will be over someday... right?

)

ThomasTML · Sep 17, 2020

Fireball_Ryan said:
for covering that wheel quick n easy Id suggest Plasti Dip Spray if its available in your area. (make sure to rough up the surface with 120 grit or so sandpaper first) I've done a 3D printed shift knob thusly, with about 5 coats, although I haven't put it to hard use yet.

Thank for your recommendation. But after using it on the Simucube 2. I found that fingers protection is essential on it. I could wrap the end of the spokes with window sealing foam tape. But it look horrible without any covering on top! I am thinking of wrapping the wheel with leather myself. But it would take sometime to working out a template for the leather sheet. Anyone have any suggestion?