After-Action Review on my Race Sim Cockpit
Updated 2021/01/24
In Japan, according to Twitter, people who started designing and assembling a race SIM cockpit increased around August 2020. This was maybe due to the 20% discount sale of the aluminum frame shop in Japan. And in November 2020, I’m not sure why but some people posted the cockpit they assembled. So I wrote this after review on my Race Sim Cockpit below.
There’s NO Problem with Race
The CSL Elite Pedals were stiffly fixed, rigidity is enough, and the driving position is suitable for me. Nothing intervenes in my race results and lap time.
Difficult to Get ON and OFF the Cockpit
I’m really reluctant to get off the cockpit and taking the smartphone and remote controllers, etc. If I add the seat rail, this will seem to be solved. A Japanese said, if the rigidity of the seat rail is bad, it may affect your driving.
What I should have Considered
I should have had the distance between the seat and the vertical metal stay. I always feel a lack of space around my legs because, originally, the arms for the table, which fixes the FANATEC CSW V2.5, was short. If I extend the arms more, my legs could move freely and I can get on and off the cockpit easily. Additionally, I should have given a wider space, which will also improve the comfortability.
Difficult to Maintain the Pedals
I recommend you to consider the design that provides easy access to the pedals. When the screws of CSL Elite Pedals were untightened, it was tough to access the reverse side of the pedals. I had to add the 2x4 wood to elevate the cockpit like below. As one woodblock was not enough high, I add more than 1 or 2 blocks to elevate.
After I purchased the FANATEC Loadcell Kit, I reassembled the frames around pedals from the left picture to the right picture. This rearrangement improved the access to the pedals.
Additionally, I recommend again having a wider cockpit than the width of the pedals by 2 palms of the hand. The upper picture seems that there’s a space in the front. But in the backward, there’s not enough space. So, it’s very hard to tighten the screws.
The System Exstensivility Seems Bad
When I posted the picture of my cockpit, I received the below comments. Perhaps in my cockpit, the vertical frames are too short to install a metal stay for a direct drive system like the follower, Mr. Guile. The vertical frames should be raised to some extent if I use the metal stay. (The podium DD can be mounted on my original cockpit) If the vertical frame is as high as the shoulder position when sitting on the seat, I think that the following custom can be done in the future. Furthermore, if you have the possibility of using a direct drive system in the future, I recommend that you consider the width so that the direct drive mount can be shaped like this.
After setting the brake force harder, I got a problem with the cockpit’s rigidity
The seat is fixed on the frame as shown in the below picture, but when the brake is stepped on and a load is applied to the back part of the seat, the front part of the parallel top frame floats slightly (Red-arrow parts). It floats even when the screws are tightened. The reason is simple: Number and the way I use the L-shaped bracket. I have to add the bracket or consider supporting the frames from the bottom.
The detail is written here.
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I recommend checking the width of popular metal mounts even if you don’t use them.
