Buy a sim seat, or roll your own?

Hey guys,

In an effort to simply/improve my computing experience, I'm trying to get rid of my desk and go with a "sim-desk" that I will use a race seat for. Are there any good ones out that that have a wheel mount but also an easy way to put a keyboard & mouse for non-racing games & use? It also needs to hold my monitor..

I have some plans in my head that I haven't drawn out yet, but I wanted to see if an off the shelf solution existed. What are all of you guys using?

Thanks!

I've been looking around for plans I can modify to accomplish this as well. I'd love to have a great racing sim setup, but I also need it to work as a normal computer, dual monitors, keyboard, mouse, spaceball, etc.

I built mine anticipating to use it for both GT5 and iRacing. I planned on building a movable platform for the keyboard and I have a mouse pad to the right of the wheel. It would be pretty easy to add anything I want to it and there is plenty of room under the "dash" to hide the computer and all associated wires and such. It's heavy, about 90lbs. I never finished it the way I had envisioned. But it works great as it is for GT6 which is all I use it for nowdays. I may get a wild hair to go ahead and finish it and I'm planning to get a junkyard seat with sliders to mount to it but it survived the trip halfway across the country and is still kicking.

Pics just after I built it.

Here is my build thread for it. I upgreaded to a bigger flat screen since then and hidden all the wires and such. I also use a gaming headset now.

Anyway just an idea.

Thanks for the pic and the link, Nick! I think I'm going to have to do something like that, yours looks great. I was thinking about having the seat area removable for easier moving and storing clipping it in with some pins.

I diy'd one.
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/off-topic-discussion/time-to-build-a-new-racing-simulator-cockpit/43981/page1/

The plan was to build it compact enough that it could fit into the closet. And it would fit into the closet (off to the left of the photo) if it could fit through the door. (ask my wife how she feels about that) It has casters so I can wheel it over to the computer desk on the right for PC stuff if Im not running it through the TV.

of course i stopped working on it once it was functional. I still want to do a "wire tuck" and maybe it wouldnt be so bad if I could make it look nicer.

I ended up with this thing mostly because my wife didn't like the idea of me having a woodworking project and would much rather have me do other things. So she offered to get it.

Not the best construction. The seat bolts in ok but continuously works loose. It is collapsable which was a big selling point. It is otherwise perfect for gaming.

http://www.gtplanet.net/rseat-rs-evo-v3-review/

Been thinking of buildthreading one, 4x8' sheet of plywood, some 2x4's and a Black friday 32"ish flatscreen, just need to find a cheap seat (E36 M3ty APC branded ones that shouldn't even be in a street car are almost as expensive as a real certified fix back!)

Now that Mazda 6s and 3s are showing up at junkyards, I suggest you grab one of those!

just found a pair of 04 STi Seats on CL for $200, drivers is destroyed, but passengers is in great shape... (also will sell just the passenger for $150)... comes with brackets/rails

I should post pics of mine, it consists of a regular desk with a computer on it, a folding plastic table (where the wheel and shifter attach, pedal box braces underneath) and a wheeled office chair. I attached clamps to the underside of the desk and then strung them all together with rope and carabiners. This way I can switch the computer desk between regular and "sim" mode. Ghetto fabulous

Thanks for the review, Advan.. That loses the functionality of being a regular computer when needed, though.

I think I'll try to roll my own, but it'll be a month or so until I get to it.

Thanks, gents!

I have something similar to Advan. The ONLY. Issue I have is the center mount for the wheel that is between your legs gets in the way of using three peddles. I tend to do alot of left foot braking in paddle shift mode but if I go to using a clutch and the shifter the center post gets in the way of bringing my right foot across to brake when using the clutch with my left foot. I have actually considered designing one in 3d CAD that solves this problem as well as to add in more user friendly adjustments to the seating position. I was actually thinking of a power bucket seat for starters. Say from a modern sports car of some sort.

I use a Ridgid Flip-Top work stand that I lightly modified to hold the wheel at the correct angle and height. I made a scrap lumber platform for the pedal box that attaches to the stand base and flips up for storage. The stand legs fit right into the sled base of an IKEA Poang armchair from the living room. No place to mount a separate shifter, though. I'd need to work something out for that, but it might clamp to the chair arm. Overall it is comfy, solid, folds up for storage, and was less than $40 all in (minus the chair, which we already had and use every day).

In reply to WonkoTheSane:

Well it could be modified to separate more easily.

A starting point is all.

In addition to getting engaged, turning thirty, and drinking myself retarded this weekend. I put this together...

congrats on all counts, looks functional. isnt it amazing how much a sturdy stand makes it easier to use the wheel.

Thanks, it probably weighs around 75lb, so it's VERY sturdy, and yeah, it made a big difference!

Well, the accusations of Cheating are aflowing (REALLY fast nurburgring lap times in the [appropriately retarded fast] Red Bull cars are getting me kicked from rooms...) This makes driving fast EASY!

joined a Deep forest raceway room on sunday for about an hour and demolished a bunch of "inexperienced" folk in VERY fast Race only cars (see McL F1, etc) in a 500hp subaru street car. Now to build a keyboard rack and cupholder for maximum trollage...

That's awesome, Autolex! Congrats on the engagement! I just started my build this tonight, I'm going to throw up a build thread like I threatened to do earlier.

Alright, I started a build thread so hopefully someone will hold me accountable ;)