Sim Racing setup - Help

Colin_M

Colin_M

Colin_M

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14 Feb 2012
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81
Hi guys, I notice there are a few of you here into sim racing so thought i’d ask your advice.

I’m going to be building a pc for this purpose over the next week and trying to decide what equipment to get.

Unfortunately it needs to be a desk based (Ikea Karlby/Alex) rather than purpose built sim rig and i’ll be using a single 34inch monitor along with VR eventually.

As it needs to be clamped to the desk I don’t think i’ll be able to go DD so looking to get the Fanatic ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5, ClubSport Pedals V3 and Formula V2 rim.
  • I’m going to be playing on a variety of sims such as Iracing, AC and ACC, Raceroom, Dirt Rally and F1 so would I be better with a two rims such as the Formula V2 and BMW GT2?
  • Similar to the above, am I best to get the shifter and handbrake?
  • Will the pedals be fine under the desk or will I need to build some kind platform to stop them moving around?
  • Is it worth getting the brake Performance and or damper kit for the pedals?
Many thanks
 
might wanna stick this in https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/forums/gaming-peripherals.154/

basically you buy high end gear for realism and build quality. it wont make you any faster.
do your research on your wheel set up you thinking of buying. fanatec bases can be nightmares and can go wrong regular. as said do research on what you buying.
you can clamp the base to even basic desks the fanatec base clamp is very heavy.
pedals will be fine if against a wall but...this depends on what surface you on. the pedals are pretty nice tbh. probably wont move at all on carpet.
tbh what wheels have you used previously ? if you havent used anything and just diving in. i wouldnt personally go all out. id start with something less then decide if its for you. dont be put off by cheaper wheels. some of the logitech and thrustmaster wheels id rate higher than the highend stuff. you probably will be quicker on those aswell and maybe less issues.
 
I've got the fanatec csl elite f1 kit with a load cell aswell, absolutely fantastic set up.

Got it mounted on a desk and the pedals wounded on a wooden board so they are pushed against the wall, all is rock solid.

Significant saving on what you are looking at and very little difference.
 
I'd recommend a wheel stand pro if you don't want to bolt the wheel to a desk. You need to specify budget though.
To be honest the more expensive and more realistic you go the more you will not be able to get away with a desk and you will have to get a rig.
 
Colin_M said:
As it needs to be clamped to the desk I don’t think i’ll be able to go DD so looking to get the Fanatic ClubSport Wheel Base V2.5, ClubSport Pedals V3 and Formula V2 rim.
  • I’m going to be playing on a variety of sims such as Iracing, AC and ACC, Raceroom, Dirt Rally and F1 so would I be better with a two rims such as the Formula V2 and BMW GT2?
  • Similar to the above, am I best to get the shifter and handbrake?
  • Will the pedals be fine under the desk or will I need to build some kind platform to stop them moving around?
  • Is it worth getting the brake Performance and or damper kit for the pedals?
Many thanks
Click to expand...
Rim choice is more down to personal preference IMO. I've got the BMW GT and Porsche 918 rims. Don't think the Porsche rim has been off my base since I got it. Its quite a bit lighter than the BMW rim so responds quicker, feels great in the hands (no gloves required) and like all Fanatec rims has plenty of buttons on board for mapping all the in game controls. I use VR so don't look at it when driving.

The ClubSport Seq+ is a fantastic shifter. Best bit of kit they make in my opinion. Needs a solid mounting point as its a substantial bit of kit and you can really crank the force up required to shift if so desired. The ClubSport handbrake is OK, does what it says and works fine in Dirt Rally (not used it in any other games). Couldn't get it work properly through my wheelbase though (CSW v2), calibration would detect input on the axis when not in use, so went back to the USB adaptor.

CSP v3 I suspect you'll have trouble with unless mounting. Either that or you'll need to run a very light resistance on the brake to stop the front tipping up when you press it. And if you're having to run a light brake pedal the brake performance kit will be redundant. Funny I mention that as I bought the BPK with my v3's but was happy with them at stock so never tried it out, although I have used some of the lithium grease that came with kit to lubricate the throttle pedal!

All my kit is mounted to a Zalem Eve cockpit so good luck running a desk setup. This level of kit really deserves a dedicated rig.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Unfortunately the room really is too small for a dedicated rig / wheel stand so It will need to be desk mounted which I understand is always going to be a compromise.

The pedals will be on carpet so hopefully will give enough support otherwise i'll mount onto some MDF to push up against the wall.

markoboyo11 said:
I've got the fanatec csl elite f1 kit with a load cell aswell, absolutely fantastic set up.

Got it mounted on a desk and the pedals wounded on a wooden board so they are pushed against the wall, all is rock solid.

Significant saving on what you are looking at and very little difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that does look good however I'm keen to have a clutch.

MikeTheNative said:
I'd recommend a wheel stand pro if you don't want to bolt the wheel to a desk. You need to specify budget though.
To be honest the more expensive and more realistic you go the more you will not be able to get away with a desk and you will have to get a rig.
Click to expand...

Budget is around £1500.
 
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With the csl elite When you get the load cell pedal you change the old brake into a clutch with parts that come with the lc.
A lot if people prefer them to the v3s.

Seemingly the 2.5 is 8nm and csl is 6 and other than that the internals are exactly the same but price difference is massive.

Either set tho you will absolutely have to mount them to push solid against a wall, as a load cell brake will move any pedal set constantly.
 
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You'll be amazed what you can fit in a small room. I've got a full sim rig with triples on a monitor stand in about a 1500mm square space, which is in the corner of our smallest bedroom haha.

But before that, I had my G29 (which isnt to bad for a budget wheel) bolted on to my self made DIY desk (2 Ikea Alex cabinets and a oak counter top). It was very easy to bolt and unbolt the clamps to remove when not needed and the pedals just sat on carpet up against the wall skirt to stop them sliding back.

Fanatec gear is bloody brilliant as well. I'd say keep it simple to start with, then add to it if you feel it's working out and comfortable/immersive enough.
 
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A sim rig would definitely fit and trust me it's tempting but I really need a desk as well and I cant fit both! :D

I think i'll just get the wheel and pedals to start and add a shifter and handbrake in the future.
 
barmyllama said:
A decent comprise is an Obutto Revolution. It can double as a desk and is probably more compact than a desk and chair.

I had one for a couple of years and it easily sat in a room that was only 8ft square.

https://flic.kr/p/Tw4hJm
Click to expand...

Thanks barmyllama that looks great but It's going to be too much of a compromise for office work unfortunately. I'm going to be getting the Ikea Karlby worktop and Alex draws desk so It needs to be mounted to this with the ability to remove when not in use.
 
I echo above, you will be surprised little room a rig takes up, especially with VR only rig. I have mine sat in the corner right up against two sets of walls. Probably only takes up an area of 4 foot long by 1 wide.
 
You will need to mount the Fanatec pedals to an MDF board or similar, if you plan to stick to the desktop racing. They don't have a large enough foot print to be stableu unde braking, even with the load cell brake on it's lowest force settings.

I'd also say from my experience that the only desk mount wheel I've used that actually didn't move while clamped to a desk is a G25/27.

I had a T500 that was desk mounted and that would always eventually move, no matter how much I tightened the clamp. Based on that experience I didn't even attempt to clamp my Fanatec CSW V 2.5 to the desktop.
 
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That's worrying. I'm hoping that the Karlby worktop will be sturdy enough with the v2.5 and mount.

For reference the room is 6'11" x 7'2" and needs to be used as a home office as well as standard gaming and sim racing. If it was bigger I'd absolutely get a dedicated rig but it's just not practical at the moment.
 
It's not the desk you need to be concerned about. It's the amount clamping force required to stop the wheel from moving while racing.

I would often need to pinch up the clamp on my T500 as it would move slightly over time.

I did end up drilling holes in the desk and using the hard mountings on the wheel. This method can be problematic if the desk isn't solid. That's without taking into account the asthetics of holes in your desk when the wheel isn't in use.

You also need to consider the thickness of the desk verses the maximum apeture of the clamping device.
 
The clamp that you need to buy to use a fanatec 2.5 on a desk is rock solid. It will defo not move. Costs a extra 60quid tho.

Even the one that comes with the elite is extremely hard to move.
 
It's a never ending G.A.S problem with me in regards to sim racing stuff ha! I went 80/20 aluminium profile and designed a swinging arm with a wooden top so i could convert to a normal desk type situation when I play normal games or office/work stuff. My setup is in a box room as well so i don't know how big your room is.
 
My simracing progression:

Logitech G920 + Shifter = not worth the money, very toy like. Left me quite dissapointed and wanting more. Wheel rotation is very notchy, not at all like a real car. No sequential on the shifter not rim choices.

Thrustmaster TX, TH8A shifter, T3PA Pro pedals and the GT and F1 rim. Massive improvement on Logitech however the "quick release" was awkward and I made a mistake getting the pedals. Should have saved cash and just got the T3PA. Wheel rotation is smoother and almost there with feeling like a car. Moving from H to sequential on the shifter was a ball ache if you are jumping in and out of cars and like to shift authentically.

Current set up is a Fanatec elite wheel base, elite pedals with LC brake, Shifter, handbrake and BMW GT2 rim. Shortly ordering the Mclaren GT3 rim. Pricey but great kit, the shifter is fantastic, H to sequential in under 2 seconds. Quick release on the rim is fantastic. The wheel is smooth as you like and the pedals feel great. I cannot see why I would now need to upgrade pedals or a base as this doesn't feel toy like, looks great and provides good FFB and a smooth driving experience.

All the above were / are mounted in a Playseat EVO alcantara. Now not a lot of love out there but I picked it up brand new for about 50% of what it should be. I find it as sturdy as I need and has a small foot print. With the elite pedals that have each pedal being moveable side to side, I can left foot brake and heel toe without noticing the centre post. Pedal deck flex for me is non existant with no mods either.

My rig lives on the left side of my desk ( not a big desk) and I use VR so don't have to move the screen across anymore. The keyboard, mouse, monitor and office chair are middle to centre of the right of the desk. Perfect compromise of a sim rig and gaming desk set up in a box room as when the rig is slide in it comes out barely further than a chair would.
 
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