Wheel deck options take into account how you’re planning to mount your wheelbase. The other thing to take into account is the wheel deck and what, if any, monitor stands you’d like included. When you’re buying, some choices are sold as a seat and rig combo, while others require that you purchase the seat separately, and thus the seat is not included in the listed price. There are now rigs made from plywood that demonstrate less flex than profile rigs which we’ll also be looking at in this buyer’s guide.Īs a point of reference, when I use the term “rig” in this article it will refer to the frame and seat – the “cockpit”. If you’re serious about sim racing and you’d like to progress over a long period of time an extruded aluminum rig is the way to go. While it might not look as pretty to the untrained eye, the experienced sim racer will immediately go for a rig like the Sim Labs and so on (all featured below). The cheapest material to prevent flex, and for extendibility, is extruded “8020” profile aluminium, a square, boxy-looking material. “Profile” – extruded Aluminum bolted together with heavy-duty t-nuts and bolts which almost completely eradicates “flex”. Flex takes away the mechanical feeling of the equipment and the feedback you get in return. If you’re considering using a direct drive wheelbase and your rig is not robust enough to handle the forces that will be exerted upon it by the wheelbase, the frame that supports the wheelbase will flex too. While I demonstrated the issues that high brake forces can create, it’s the same for your wheelbase mounting too. Generally, the more expensive the seat and the frame, the sturdier they will be, allowing for more powerful wheels and pedals. You’ll need a stiffer pedal plate if you’re adding higher-end sim racing pedals to your setup. If the answer is yes, you need to decide if you’ll want to upgrade the rig at the same time, or just buy the stiffer rig now and save the hassle later on. Without wanting to dwell too much on flex in sim racing cockpits, you do need to consider if you’re going to upgrade your pedals. A deflection test to measure the flex of a pedal base – in this case, less than 1mm at about 80kg brake pedal load But if I were using Thrustmaster or Logitech pedals, there’d be no flex at all because the brake force would be perhaps a fifth of the brake forces required for the Sprints. That’s because Sprint sim pedals can handle more load than the pedal base on this rig is designed for which, is why it’s flexing a little. The video demonstrates the problem suffice it to say I upgraded my rig shortly after upgrading the pedals. The flex of this pedal base (attached to an RSEAT RS1 cockpit) is around 4 degrees at a 25kg brake force. Note the movement of the pedal base as I apply the brakes: If you’re not sure what flex looks like, check out this video I made while recording a how-to heel and toe article. This can create what we refer to as flex, the unintended movement of the rig itself under duress. Higher-end sim racing wheelbases and pedals tend to create far higher forces (in some cases up to 30nm torque on the steering wheel and between 25 to 120kgs on the pedals). My sim racing cockpit with trolley wheels (recommended) and some LED strip lightsĪbove all other things, rigidity is crucial. When you pick your seat and frame, keep in mind the available space you have, how powerful your equipment is, and how much you want to spend. What are the best sim racing cockpits (rigs) at the moment? For the lowest priced, but very high quality, we love the rigs coming from. If you’ve just come for a quick recommendation, I’d always say check out our preferred starter cockpit, the Sim Lab GT1 Evo, and/or the pro sim racer’s choice, the P1-X. Today we’re looking at, in our opinion) which are the best sim racing cockpits to consider for your next upgrade. It is possible to buy a sim racing rig as a separate unit or as part of a cockpit bundle package with a seat, and in certain cases, other accessories too. Sim racing cockpits (or “sim racing rigs” – the chassis upon which you mount all of your racing simulator gear) come in many shapes and sizes, with a huge variety of choices in terms of build quality, strength, rigidity, and of course price. Featured image: Sim-Lab X1 Pro Sim Racing Rig by Sim-Lab
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