DIY Aluminum Race Sim Cockpit Setup for FANATEC 3/4 (Design)
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In this article, I will show the points when I made an aluminum frame cockpit.
If you want to see the assembled cockpit, please see the next page here.
My design experience with aluminum frames
・ I have a mechanical engineering degree and I like design.
・ About 10 years ago, when I was a student, I had experience in designing and assembling the aluminum frame for experimental equipment.
・ I don’t use CAD at work now.
To design the Cockpit frame, I used the software, the name “MISUMI FRAMES.”
Why I chose this software?
・By using this software, Japanese company MISUMI provided 20% discounts at that time.
・ Compared to the software of the Japanese company “SUS”, MISUMI aluminum frame software was intuitive and very easy to use.
・ The company “SUS” has a similar aluminum frame, but the software there is old and difficult to use, and at this time, even if you ordered using the software, they provided 3% discounts.
This is for the Japanese people. So I don’t recommend this to non-Japanese people.
Overall picture
There seems to be a way to extend the 40x80 vertical frames and fix the monitor on them, but for the following reasons, I decided to use another method for fixing the monitor.
1. The monitor may shake due to the FFB (Force Feed Back) on the steering wheel. → Bad for the monitor’ circuit board
・ If I install a fluffy systemm to reducing vibration to the floor, it will shake further.
・ If I extend 40x80 frams, the cost will jump up.
<Reference>The picture of the “Fluffy system” from my Twitter friends
Design and Size of my Cockpit
FANATEC CSW V2.5 Fixing method
Based on a 40x80 frame, I decided to fix the CSW V2.5 directly without using a general-purpose metal plate. I used a red L-shaped bracket (please rotate 90 degrees) to bolt the bottom of the CSW V2.5. Please note that the one hole is required a center of 40x80.
If I use two frames and 3 L-shaped brackets instead of one 40x80 and 2 L-shaped brackets, you can go without additional work (drilling a hole), but since I wanted to save the cost, I chose one 40x80 and 2 L-shape brackets and drilling one hole on the frame to fix CSW V2.5.
How I support the 40x80 table
The 40x80 frame is also fixed from the bottom side.
I chose plane L angles so that I can adjust the angle of CSW V2.5 like below. （Not “plane” angles have a projection not to rotate by themselves)
Fixing the pedal (Fanatec CSL Elite Pedal)
The angle can be adjusted in several steps. A design that seems to provide precise adjustments but actually there’s not enough degree of freedom. If you need further precise adjustment, you can buy additional 40x40 members vertically.
Fixing the Seat
At first, I was trying to use the multi-purpose metal fittings from the hardware shop as the side stay of the full bucket seat, so I designed the cockpit to be raised the seat by 40x80. However, I got a side stay after I ordered the frames. The side stay metal fittings can adjust the height and the angle of the seat, so it may be a little over-engineered.
Like the left picture, 40x80 is placed to give the seat height. The L-shaped metal fittings that fix the upper 40x80 are the plane type because the position of the hole on the full bucket seat is not horizontal to the frame. So I had to have the flexibility for assembling.
The Display Mount
As for the display, I was planning to modify the existing wooden desk a little to create a display basement. I will show you in the next article.
Aluminum frame parts price details (excluding tax)
What I regret after making the Cockpit production
・ I thought that the extruded bracket(Left item) is more beautiful than the protruding bracket(Right item)for the L-shaped bracket. The allowable load does not change. The extrusion type cost higher depending on the item.
The left item is made by Extrusion molding.
The right item is made by casting.
Please get the side stay metal for the seat. Its reduce the time wasting to search the suitable brackets.
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