Community Question | Who Here Uses A Dedicated 'Sim Rig'?

[RickD]

I'm not good at taking pictures.

 

[RickD]

All that DIY merits more images and details!

Last pictures

 

[Leynad777]

That's my rig today and for the moment no clue what to improve next

 

[RaptorOne]

The more permanent mine gets - the more the missus tries to push me into the corner!! lol

 

[RickD]

All that DIY merits more images and details!

Designs made in Fusion 360
Steel and Carbon Parts laser cut
3D printer Anycubic I3 Mega

 

[Stoneracing]

Which casters did you use to bolt directly to the t-slots?

Hi

Thanks for your question - I need to look them up, but I think it were a couple of those: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0747STPBJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bent the metal plate a little and used the holes in the diagonal to screw it on. I bent it to prevent the inner frame from resting and being stiff.

In contrast to the overall construction, it is a temporary solution. More or less ... it is lasting that way for around half a year now.

The casters are screwed to the t-profile with the nuts which are also used for all the other connections. The inner frame and the rest for the steering wheel can be adjusted and fixed with levers and are resting on sliders.

Let me know about detailed pictures.

I ordered all aluminium profiles pre-cut on ebay ... it was pretty easy and I started with a rough sketch just "calculating" the length of each profile.

I do not remember the exact costs, but I used 80x40 mm profiles which may not be necessary.

Regards

 

[bondyboy]

Started like this (well no, that was probably 6 months in on my sim rig adventure)

How it's going now...

Went a bit mad with the RGB and UV lights

Left and Right chassis mode shakers, plus one for whole pedal unit and two little ones on brake and acc pedal

Bobbins!

 

[blekenbleu]

I'm not good at taking pictures.

You're forgiven.

That seems quite a long steering shaft extension:

Thinking to minimize bearing stresses in AccuForce's less substantial (stepper) motor,
I did the opposite, instead cantilevering the motor.
Fortunately, after power-on calibration, that stepper is fairly quiet in operation;
sadly and thoroughly drowned out by its controller cooling fan.

 

[Ruttman98]

Hi

Thanks for your question - I need to look them up, but I think it were a couple of those: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0747STPBJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bent the metal plate a little and used the holes in the diagonal to screw it on. I bent it to prevent the inner frame from resting and being stiff.

In contrast to the overall construction, it is a temporary solution. More or less ... it is lasting that way for around half a year now.

The casters are screwed to the t-profile with the nuts which are also used for all the other connections. The inner frame and the rest for the steering wheel can be adjusted and fixed with levers and are resting on sliders.

Let me know about detailed pictures.

I ordered all aluminium profiles pre-cut on ebay ... it was pretty easy and I started with a rough sketch just "calculating" the length of each profile.

I do not remember the exact costs, but I used 80x40 mm profiles which may not be necessary.

Regards

Thank you for the detailed reply and thank you to Bleckenblu (sp?) the link to his wood wheel.

The best casters I have found for aluminum t-slot rigs are the caster and hardware sets sold by SimLabs. Supplied with an 8mm flat socket head bolt and a quality T-nut, these Colson Series 2 modular (no pin) casters can be mounted almost anywhere along a profile slot. Although Colson is a U.S. company, I have tried repeatedly to source them here to no avail. I wound up buying two sets from Demon Tweeks but international shipping was more than the casters themselves.

TrakRacer offers a set of four heavier corner casters but they are pricey at $69/set.

 

[RickD]

You're forgiven.

That seems quite a long steering shaft extension:

Thinking to minimize bearing stresses in AccuForce's less substantial (stepper) motor,
I did the opposite, instead cantilevering the motor.
Fortunately, after power-on calibration, that stepper is fairly quiet in operation;
sadly and thoroughly drowned out by its controller cooling fan.

Obviously it puts more stress on the bearing, but my guess it will hold on long enough for me. But I'm thinking of adding an extra bearing. I have this extension because I want to be as close underneath the monitor as possible. The extra space you need is the only downside to a motion rig.

 

[blekenbleu]

I want to be as close underneath the monitor as possible.
The extra space you need is the only downside to a motion rig.

That shaft appears to be about 1-inch diameter;
those pillow block bearings are readily available.

One advantage for front-mounted AccuForce:
its uncased stepper motor is only 90mm high,
no larger than a 70mm steering wheel hub.
A disadvantage is its 14mm motor shaft diameter,
for which practically no off-the-shelf hardware is available.

 

[Stoneracing]

Thank you for the detailed reply and thank you to Bleckenblu (sp?) the link to his wood wheel.

The best casters I have found for aluminum t-slot rigs are the caster and hardware sets sold by SimLabs. Supplied with an 8mm flat socket head bolt and a quality T-nut, these Colson Series 2 modular (no pin) casters can be mounted almost anywhere along a profile slot. Although Colson is a U.S. company, I have tried repeatedly to source them here to no avail. I wound up buying two sets from Demon Tweeks but international shipping was more than the casters themselves.

TrakRacer offers a set of four heavier corner casters but they are pricey at $69/set.

Hi

I had some casters before which I returned after a few minutes ;-) These ones are a compromise ... the shop at which I bought the aluminium profiles had some casters, but - I think - at around 40 Euros / piece.

I am satisfied with the "low cost" ones and I have to say I am around 110 kilograms and the rig is around 40 kilograms in total.

Regards, Stone

 

[JimLee]

Thank you for the detailed reply and thank you to Bleckenblu (sp?) the link to his wood wheel.

The best casters I have found for aluminum t-slot rigs are the caster and hardware sets sold by SimLabs. Supplied with an 8mm flat socket head bolt and a quality T-nut, these Colson Series 2 modular (no pin) casters can be mounted almost anywhere along a profile slot. Although Colson is a U.S. company, I have tried repeatedly to source them here to no avail. I wound up buying two sets from Demon Tweeks but international shipping was more than the casters themselves.

TrakRacer offers a set of four heavier corner casters but they are pricey at $69/set.

I too, have contacted Colson US and talked to their engineering/sales dept. They told me that while the Simlab product says COLSON they believe it is a "Chinese Knock-off" since it is not constructed like theirs for the bearing, brake and wheel. However they do Make a Series 2 w/Brake with a hollow rivet (1/2" hole) which if I buy 4-6 they will be approximately $32@ plus shipping . So, I am still looking, but it appears all the US made HD Industrial Casters are quite expensive. My rig will remain stationary for a while yet.

 

[cteters]

I did something a little different by making a sim rig that is capable of operating as desk space, rather than the other way around.

 

[Triplexbee]

Permanent DIY wooden monstrosity. Wouldn't swap her for the world! Solid, cheap, flexible

Reckhorns under seat and pedal tray powered by a Nobsound.

 

[M-Bimmer]

 

[BeliacosGR]

Would love to but there are some problems..
Budget first and foremost space..plus i will need a PC dedicated to sim racing so yeah that goes to budget again i suppose

 

[knightvision]

That's my rig today and for the moment no clue what to improve next

View attachment 422622

im planning to buy the g5 also, but if im real honoust , i dont really like the seat material, textile. is it not warm? are their also leather kind of cover you can use? question 2. do you ride also openwheelers??? does it not make it weird riding with openwheelers when you sit up straight in this sit and cant adjust to lower the backside of the seat?

 

[bgil66]

Excited to get my new rig(GT Omega Art) today so I decommissioned my Playseat Challenge and removed the TSPC, shifter, CSL Elite LC and folded it up and placed into closet where it will wait for when we get a house and have a little side by side racing. Delivery is close and he pulls up and I’m excited. I see a huge box, it’s the seat. He says only one box. I say really? I go to check tracking and I should have known that each box has it’s own tracking number. The frame doesn’t arrive till tuesday lol. Guess I’m playing some shooters till then

 

[Leynad777]

im planning to buy the g5 also, but if im real honoust , i dont really like the seat material, textile. is it not warm? are their also leather kind of cover you can use? question 2. do you ride also openwheelers??? does it not make it weird riding with openwheelers when you sit up straight in this sit and cant adjust to lower the backside of the seat?

I was using a lambskin-cover with it and I doubt that seats are different in Formula cars, just the height and angle of the seat. You can use the GS-5 as low as any other seat with some clearance for the motors and I've even space for a big buttkicker underneath it. I could rise the front of the seat about 4 cm more to get a less upright driving position and if this isn't enough, there are other solutions for aluminium-profiles to angle it more.

Also my tip is to switch the back- and button-plate function in the main-settings, so the backplate is pushing while braking, not pulling. Just feels better with a harness with or without the G-Belt. The effects are certainly moderate and nothing like a real formula car or even kart, but it can't get annoying like other motion as well and can't hurt lap-times for sure. For a more extreme lateral and longitudinal effect I probably would suggest the Stage 1 or 3. It can be really violent (and annoying) if you want it and push you very hard into the harness, but than you miss the sustained g-force-effect and the hieve. The GS-5 with the G-Belt feels more like a road-car, but in a complete 6 DoF manner, that's why I don't miss anything.