Racing Seat recommendations

[Roman1987]

Hi guys,

I am currently thinking about upgrading my racing seat. I am racing with an aluminium profile racing rig from Simlab. I think it is their first ever created GT Rig. Mounted to that rig at the moment is a low budget racing seat and my main issue with it is that I get very heavy back pain issues (mainly sacroiliac joint pain) after some longer racing sessions. It feels like there is not enough stability/back support especially in moments where i need to brake heavily using my HE Pro Pedals.

Do you have any recommendations for picking up the right racing seats? Maybe you already had similiar experiences like me and found better solutions at the market.

The ones I am currently looking at are the Sabelt Racing Duo or the Sparco Sprint. Do you think they might do the job?

Cheers,
Roman

 

[Roman1987]

No recommendations anyone? Seems like I am saving some money

 

[Elaphe]

Seats are like clothes. You should try them by yourself. Some prefer semi-buckets (may be better for you because they are less stiff and can be reclined), other prefer buckets, there are seats for slim people, for fat people, made of fiber or with a tubular structure, finished in cloth, in leather or sky... It's not just a question of spending a lot of money in a good seat, but finding the right one for you. If you have problems with your back and still want a bucket seat, there are some accesories such as lumbar cushions that will help (they can be respositioned). See this model by Sparco, as an example.

 

[Petro1head]

Tilletts, very comfy and if you contact them you may bag yourself a second

 

[RCHeliguy]

I had the same issue with lower back pain with a car seat out of a wrecked VW Passat. It was great for Rally, but when I started using load cell brakes set heavier for track use, my back would start to hurt.

I ended up with an NRG Prisma. I'm 6' tall and 190lbs and it fits me well. I gambled and mail ordered it, however most people strongly recommend that you actually find a place that sells racing seats and sit in a few of them.

If you get a racing seat, it is important to get it angled back properly and get your pedals setup at the correct height with a good geometry. If you were using a seat out of a wreck like I was, chances are that you are upright and not reclined back very far. So when you finally get a shell seat angled back, your pedals will need to come up higher to feel right.


Before:

After

 

[Chrhun]

I also suggest you go and test some, the bucket seats feel quite different from regular car seats. I've got a Corbeau bucket seat, FIA approved, super solid and surprisingly - very comfortable. Compared to the NRG seat above (I've tried those), this one has much more padding on it.

I've also found that in general the "simracing" seats are not as good quality as the actual racing bucket seats.

 

[smasha]

Did anyone see the gear used by the driver who finished second at the Indy event on Iracing which Kiwi v8 supercar driver Scott McLaughlin won?

A camping chair and Logi wheel,brilliant!

He said he held his pedals up with a few blocks of wood.

So refreshing in the ultra competitive World of simracing today.

This bloke came second beating other drivers with thousands of dollars worth of gear.

I always hear you lose time using Logi gear.

Guess that myth has been blown out of the water!

At the end of the day,it’s just a video game.

If I can do 2.15 around Bathurst ,I am a lousy driver,then this sim racing stuff is child’s play compared to the real thing with the real threat of death.injury,g forces in use.

If we want true immersion we need a steel hammer set up to hit us over the head when we crash head first into a barrier.

 

[RCHeliguy]

This bloke came second beating other drivers with thousands of dollars worth of gear.

If you think THAT was impressive, there is a real Indy driver who won a race using a simple game controller!

The important question is, "Would you enjoy racing with a game controller?"

These drivers are called "Aliens" by most other drivers. Whether they obsessively drive many thousands of hours to get that skill is another question. I suspect that they have earned that skill through dedication.

Back to your comment about money and sim racing gear. As someone who has spent many thousands on gear, I can tell you that 99% of that money was spent for immersion, so I feel more like I'm in a real race car. I will NEVER even remotely spend the amount of time driving in my rig to become a good racer. I'll be lucky to some day reach mediocre.

I'm paying for the driving experience.

What I have heard some people say is that for an average driver who gets many less hours of sim time that having the extra feedback an expensive rig offers can help. From what I can tell, it does help me to feel when I'm losing traction, and it does help me to feel the wheel loading up and having a good load cell brake helps me to modulate my brakes better. Almost everything else just makes it feel more realistic to me.

 

[Ruttman98]

If you are looking at $abelt, you should be able to find a good sest in that price range. I posted this ramble for another seat inquiry recently:

Best place to get racing seats for taller and wider people?

Can anyone help point me in the right direction for vendors that stock larger/wider racing seats that are capable of being mount to rigs like the 4Play extruded aluminum rigs? This is one area I am confused on with regards to any real auto seat being usable or if I need to find seats with...

www.racedepartment.com

 

[gmkump]

Back to your comment about money and sim racing gear. As someone who has spent many thousands on gear, I can tell you that 99% of that money was spent for immersion, so I feel more like I'm in a real race car. I will NEVER even remotely spend the amount of time driving in my rig to become a good racer. I'll be lucky to some day reach mediocre.

I'm paying for the driving experience.

ABSOLUTELY! Immersion is number one, everything else is secondary. We all do this for enjoyment. I guess some just want to occupy number one spot regardless of costs, but others want the immersion. Put me on the immersion side.

RCHeliguy recommended the Prisma seat in one my threads and I took the advice, and I have not been disappointed. It was my fourth seat purchase, the Prisma was the best yet, and since I'm 63, comfort is paramount. I was able to attach the seat to a NLR GTtrack cockpit, V3 Motion Platform, and Traction Plus Platform setup. I did have to use some extra work to support the NLR GTtrack shifter mount with a 15 series extrusion, but it does the job. The seat works very well and is much more comfortable. It also supported a 6 point restraining setup which is a must for me in deciding seats to purchase.

There are so many good seats out there, and some not so good. Good luck on the choice.

 

[Roman1987]

Thanks a lot guys, great recommendations and tips!
Since my current seat is one to recline but i never really use it it seems moving on to a bucket seat is the right way to go. I am also a fan of that extra immersion you can get for our fun hobby when buying new gear, so thats a plus as well. testing some seats might not be possible for a while so I think I will do some online research again and then order one from the internet.

 

[djm68]

I went with the Corbeau FX1 Pro in the micro suede finish. It was US$400 shipped. It is really comfortable -- actually more comfortable that the very expensive OEM Porsche GT2 carbon fiber buckets I have in my track car.

FX1 Pro

Over 50 years of providing the world with the best in aftermarket Street Seats, Racing Seats, Off Road Seats, Jeep Seats, Suspension seats, Seat Brackets, Harness Belts and more.

corbeau.com

 

[Deleted member 197115]

I also suggest you go and test some, the bucket seats feel quite different from regular car seats. I've got a Corbeau bucket seat, FIA approved, super solid and surprisingly - very comfortable. Compared to the NRG seat above (I've tried those), this one has much more padding on it.

I've also found that in general the "simracing" seats are not as good quality as the actual racing bucket seats.

This is nice looking Corbeau seat, what model is that, can't find it on their web site
Corbeu makes some great, affordable seats, have FX1-Pro myself.

EDIT: never mind, found it on Australian web site, seems like US does not carry it.

 

[Chrhun]

That is not the same seat, but very similar. Mine is Corbeau Sprint System 1, I bought mine last year at great discount so I think it's been replaced with something.

I've been really impressed by it. Corbeau is not a brand I knew, but luckily I could go and test the seat. I immediately noticed the quality, as it was originally 500-600e/usd seat.

 

[Ruttman98]

I went with the Corbeau FX1 Pro in the micro suede finish. It was US$400 shipped. It is really comfortable -- actually more comfortable that the very expensive OEM Porsche GT2 carbon fiber buckets I have in my track car.

FX1 Pro

Over 50 years of providing the world with the best in aftermarket Street Seats, Racing Seats, Off Road Seats, Jeep Seats, Suspension seats, Seat Brackets, Harness Belts and more.

corbeau.com

I want to upgrade from my tubular steel Corbeau Forza to the standard size FX1. Was there a particular reason for choosing microsuede over cloth? Which vendor did you use?

 

[Deleted member 197115]

Microsuede must be nicer to the touch, fabric is tougher to wear. My guess, I only have first hands experience with the latter, 6 years in sim rig use, still like new.

 

[Deleted member 197115]

If it help, snatched this from Corbeau web site cache, seems like original page is gone

Seat Material Options
Mar 22, 2017 12:09:54 PM
If you are considering aftermarket seats, you may be realizing that there are a lot of material options which you are not familiar with when comparing to your stock seats.
Corbeau offers an array of different materials, colors, and combinations to best suite your application. We offer cloth, vinyl, suede, neoprene and leather.
We often get questions like “Which material is the most durable?” or “which one feels the best?” So hopefully we can help you narrow down your choices.
Leather

Leather typically is the most expensive material although for good reasons. It is super easy to take care of with everyday use such as spills or accidents in the vehicle. The durable hides will hold up to the constant wear and tear that seats are put through from sliding in and out of the vehicle and tougher materials rubbing against them all day. Some people even say that leather looks better as it gets used and is worn in.
Neoprene

Neoprene is a synthetic material often used for marine wet suites as it doesn’t transfer hot or cold as easily. This means when you get in your vehicle in the middle of winter or the dead of summer, the seat won’t be too cold or too hot. The common misconception about neoprene is that it is waterproof. Sadly, this isn’t true for all neoprene types. Our neoprene material is very water resistant and will absorb the water before the foam in most cases but is not waterproof. The downside to neoprene material is it does fade faster than any other material. If frequently exposed to the sun it will fade but replacement covers are available.
Suede

Suede is most known for its luxurious look and feel and our material accomplishes just that. More specifically, we use what is known as an ultrasuede or microfiber material. It has a smooth and soft feeling when rubbing your hands across it. To keep up with that high end luxurious feel, we also use our leather in the high wear areas of our seats to keep them in show quality condition. The suede is another great material for durability as it doesn’t soak up liquids and is super easy to wipe down.
Vinyl

Vinyl is most often chosen for the “most durable” seat material we offer. Why? Because it is a synthetic material designed to replicate the looks and feel of real leather for half the cost. It is a breeze to clean, doesn’t soak up liquids, and looks just as good as leather! Our vinyl is offered in a few different color choices such as black and grey. We even offer a carbon fiber vinyl which looks stunning up close and yet again, is very durable.
Cloth

Cloth comes in many different forms but in the automotive industry, a polyester blend is the most common. This material is usually the most comfortable when it comes to a sweaty back or sticky legs on a hot day because it is a porous material which allows more airflow between your body and the seat. Due to its open airflow like design, this material will accept the elements it is exposed to easier which means it does take a little more TLC to keep it clean.

 

[CC]

If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago which was the best item on my rig no doubt at all would have said the HE Sprints all day long,

recently purchased a Sparco Evo2 official FIA seat, now if you ask me again be a very hard choice, I measured my body measured all the Sparco seats everywhere, this seat when driving is rock solid even cornering I can push my shoulders back onto the seat it’s a totally different experience,

only thing I can suggest is to measure 50 times and buy once.

 

[Roman1987]

If you would have asked me 2 weeks ago which was the best item on my rig no doubt at all would have said the HE Sprints all day long,

recently purchased a Sparco Evo2 official FIA seat, now if you ask me again be a very hard choice, I measured my body measured all the Sparco seats everywhere, this seat when driving is rock solid even cornering I can push my shoulders back onto the seat it’s a totally different experience,

only thing I can suggest is to measure 50 times and buy once.

Sounds interesting. What else should I measure next to my height? Butt size ?

 

[Ruttman98]

If it help, snatched this from Corbeau web site cache, seems like original page is gone

I received the Error 404 message also; thank you for retrieving the info. I really like the red/black cloth after seeing a fellow RDer's Sparco Sprint in the same color combo. I like the idea of microsuede wearing longer, but I also don't get to use my rig very often. I have a feeling cloth will clean easier. Thanks also, Andrew for the testimonial about the cloth option holding up well.

To answer my other question, shipping is free direct from Corbeau on the black/red USD $379.99 FX1 to my KC area zip code.

New question:

I already have a Corbeau slider from a 4th generation (1993-2002) GM F -body,which I know I can with the FX1 because that seat has both side and bottom attachment points like my Corbeau Forza. I want to retain the slider because my wife is a little over 5' while I am 6'2".

I am curious whether I can bolt the side mount brackets to the slider because it would be great to be able to adjust the incline angle of the seat with alternate side mount locations.

On that note: The Corbeau side mount brackets are pricey at $139.99 MSRP. Sparco has mounts from $79 to their beefy HD units at $149.

While the Corbeau option is very attractive compared to alternatives from Sparco or OMP, it leaves food for thought. The total Corbeau FX1 cost ($518) is not that far off my ultimate seat option of the formed aluminum dual 18-degree to 23-degree layback angle adjustable Kirkey 65-series road race seat (total around $500 with very nice side Kirkey brackets) or even a whole G-seat GS-5--the base of which is a Kirkey 45-series seat--look even more appealing at $2999. The Kirkey seat cover is easily removable--a bonus for cleaning, adding more padding, ease of mounting exciter units for tactile.