advice on building cockpit needed

  • Thread starter Hajaz
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Hajaz

206
hello,
a while ago i built my own cockpit for my gtforce steeringwheel.
I wasnt quite satisfied with the results coz i found i could still get faster times with my regular DS.
Now that ive got the new gtfp wheel things have changed and ive picked up the project again :)
heres some pics
http://users.pandora.be/simonvandenbon/IM000552.JPG
http://users.pandora.be/simonvandenbon/IM000551.JPG

now, even tho everything is quite sturdy, im not sure about the angle of the wheel and the height of it.
Obviously i cant adjust the wheel hight, but i could raise the seat...
Atm its quite tireing on the arms to drive several races on it.

Any advice of some of the more experienced cockpitbuilders? :)

cheers
 
No offence but I take it you don't live with/have a girlfriend?!

Mine thinks I'm obsessed with it and I play about half an hour a day!!!!

C.
 
Hehe, yer that would be a problem wouldnt it.
its not like this thing took *that* long to build tho, i was just lucky enoug to have some mates who do welding etc at their job. The only thing i actually payed for was the wheel.
Oh and i'm not the one with 41 gold medals on prologue ;)

On a side note, does this thing wear out fast? I'm a bit worried as my last wheel had quite a but of "play" (english?) on the axis by the time i was done with it.
By that i mean u could turn the wheel a few mms in each direction without it responding/resisting
 
Hajaz
On a side note, does this thing wear out fast? I'm a bit worried as my last wheel had quite a but of "play" (english?) on the axis by the time i was done with it.
By that i mean u could turn the wheel a few mms in each direction without it responding/resisting
Click to expand...

wait untill gt4 comes out, then we'll see if it wears out or not :)
 
Why is there a vacuum cleaner tube on the second picture next to the seat!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

p.s. Nice looking setup....I'm liking the aluminum check plated base 👍

Robin :D
 
Hi Hajaz. Nice cockpit.

You can see some pics from my cockpit to figure out some new ideas for your project.

I modified the wheel and pedal angles, to make them more comfortable for my driving.

Hope it helps.

Good luck!

MARTIN
 

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Actually Hajaz.....I think that u could solve the arm strain problem by lowering the level of what the wheel actaully sits on and angle the wheel so it is more at 90 degrees (the wheel sits strait infront of you, not at an angle) If you built sides it would also be eaiser to go for longer periods of time racing cos u could rest your your body more comfortably.....

Robin
 
DAMMIT I WISH I WAS RICH!!!!!!!!!!!

Martinmaxxx very sleek professional awesome I WANT IT cockpit. 👍 Mine is a few 2x4's slapped together with a seat that hangs in the middle of my room with a 60$ 13'' tv. :(
 
evaoni
Martin, omg...that rocks!
Click to expand...

Glad you all liked it.

If it wasn´t for the FREX mods for the wheel and shifter, the cockpit project would have cost only U$S 60.00, plus a used racing seat. I built it myself in a couple of days, and it makes a huge difference for driving GT4P.

Now if I only had GT4...
 
*bows to martin*

wow that is incredible....all i have is one of those tv dinner fold out things. i think its called a table mate....but it gets the job done. ;)
 
It only cost 60 to make that!?!?!??!!!! Can you put the parts and things you bought to make it on here?? And instructions? I'd spend a week or two or even three to make that thing....no wait, I'll buy it off you for 100!!!!!

edit: Looking at it again, I'd pay upwards to 300 USD for it, and I'll even pay for the shipping if you want to ship it out!!! c'mon man!!!:drool: :drool:
 
yeah. Looks incredible Martin. I like what u did to the wheel and the gearsshifter :)
.
For me lowering the wheel is not an option, since the thing it sits on is welded from steel. I could raise the seat and the pedals tho. Or restart from scratch with wood instead of steel for the "table"
 
TriplePlay
It only cost 60 to make that!?!?!??!!!! Can you put the parts and things you bought to make it on here?? And instructions? I'd spend a week or two or even three to make that thing....no wait, I'll buy it off you for 100!!!!!

edit: Looking at it again, I'd pay upwards to 300 USD for it, and I'll even pay for the shipping if you want to ship it out!!! c'mon man!!!:drool: :drool:
Click to expand...

Tripleplay,

It is not that hard to do it yourself. I would gladly do it for you (for USD 300.00 :) :) ), but shipping charges from Argentina could be quite expensive!!

You must first draw your plans, based on your height, and seat type. Wheel height, angle and pedal position are essential. You must determine the most comfotable configuration. Try to get some references from a real car. Then you can go to a Home Depot to get the wood cut out to your plan´s measures. I assembled everything together with adhesive and screws, and covered it with some thin carpet.

Piece of cake!!

Good luck.
 
Hajaz
yeah. Looks incredible Martin. I like what u did to the wheel and the gearsshifter :)
.
For me lowering the wheel is not an option, since the thing it sits on is welded from steel. I could raise the seat and the pedals tho. Or restart from scratch with wood instead of steel for the "table"
Click to expand...

Hajaz,

The only way to make it more comfortable will be by adjusting the wheel angle, and using armrests, as someone mentioned earlier.

Maybe your friends at the welding shop can give you a hand and reweld the horizontal wheel base at a more comfortable angle. But if you do this, you may also need to increase the height of this base, as the wheel will sit lower. It may be a little complicated. That is the reason why I used wood instead of steel/iron. You can modify the rig yourself with normal tools if the result is not comfortable.

Good luck,

MARTIN

P/S : Is that a Renault seat?
 
JaNsTa00001
they hve home depot at argentina??? Cool
Nice cockpit tho
Click to expand...

They are not actually called "Home Depot" anymore, as the company sold their business in Argentina a couple of years ago. But the concept is exactly the same as the american Home Depots.
 
Nice setup. Looks like you guys have done some creative work. Me? I'm lazy. I'll just buy this:

TV-play-final%20copy.gif


Fully adjustable, light, and can fold up and be put out of the way when you're done. 👍
 
buy a cheap car, chain saw out the current steering wheel, pedals and gear stick. Stick PS2 ones in place, place a HUGE HUGE HUGE flat screen tv in front of window, arrange 7.1 speaker system around exterior of car (keep it outside so it feels even more realistic). TRAA DARRRR!!! The best set up ever,
 
pimp racer
Hey martin nice Mclaren F1 model you got there any chance that you post some pics of it?
Click to expand...

Yeah sure! I´ll take some today and post them tomorrow, ok? (I don´t have the camera´s cables with me).

By the way, it is a MINICHAMPS 1/12th scale Mclaren F1 Roadcar. I bought it several years ago, and after being discontinued, has become highly collectable (no intentions of selling mine tho). I has fully opening gullwing doors, side luggage compartments, front compartment, engine cover, silencer cover and movable rear wing. Interior is fully carpeted, and it even has cloth seat belts!! It is a work of art! I am a big Mclaren F1 fan.
 
Martinmaxx
Yeah sure! I´ll take some today and post them tomorrow, ok? (I don´t have the camera´s cables with me).

By the way, it is a MINICHAMPS 1/12th scale Mclaren F1 Roadcar. I bought it several years ago, and after being discontinued, has become highly collectable (no intentions of selling mine tho). I has fully opening gullwing doors, side luggage compartments, front compartment, engine cover, silencer cover and movable rear wing. Interior is fully carpeted, and it even has cloth seat belts!! It is a work of art! I am a big Mclaren F1 fan.
Click to expand...
Wow thanks ! cant wait.
 
i rmember i had one like that (10 yrs ago). it was a ferrari F50. I remeber the front and back compartment opens up, so does the door. The steering also works. I used to play it but one day i broke the steering wheel and probly cost like $5 today. That was one of my "I am sooo dumb" days
 
JaNsTa00001
i rmember i had one like that (10 yrs ago). it was a ferrari F50. I remeber the front and back compartment opens up, so does the door. The steering also works. I used to play it but one day i broke the steering wheel and probly cost like $5 today. That was one of my "I am sooo dumb" days
Click to expand...

You can find the 1/12 Mclaren F1 roadcar on Ebay for around 400.00/500.00 USD, or even more... not a kid´s toy right?
 
pimp racer
Hey martin nice Mclaren F1 model you got there any chance that you post some pics of it?
Click to expand...

Here are some photos. Enjoy!
 

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TriplePlay
Martin can you please post the size of the wood you used (how thick, then how wide and long) they are? I'm very unimaginative. :)
Click to expand...

TriplePlay,

Following you can find some of the main measures of my cockpit (in cm and mm):

Wood thickness : 18 mm

Main floor base : 120 x 80 cm

TV + wheel support : 40 x 80 cm (with the front part angled downwards to allow wheel to sit almost vertical), placed 77 cm above the main floor.

Seat was bolted to a base measuring : 45 x 55 cm x 28 cm high (under that base I placed the subwoofer from the 5.1 speaker system). Also, the seat+base can slide forward and backwards to allow easier access and different height drivers.

Armrest height : 55 cm

Armrest width : 12 cm

Also, on top of the main floor base, I placed a second floor 10 cm above the main one, to allow better placement of pedals and a more comfortable foot position. My pedal assy was placed at an angle between the main floor base and the rear vertical cover panel, that leaves the throttle pedal almost vertical.

Hope it helps you start your cockpit project! It is a good way to prepare ourselves for GT4...

Cheers,
 
Martinmaxx
Hajaz,

The only way to make it more comfortable will be by adjusting the wheel angle, and using armrests, as someone mentioned earlier.

Maybe your friends at the welding shop can give you a hand and reweld the horizontal wheel base at a more comfortable angle. But if you do this, you may also need to increase the height of this base, as the wheel will sit lower. It may be a little complicated. That is the reason why I used wood instead of steel/iron. You can modify the rig yourself with normal tools if the result is not comfortable.

Good luck,

MARTIN

P/S : Is that a Renault seat?
Click to expand...


yeah, i can change the wheel angle without welding tho: i'll just add a triangular piece of wood right under the board witch the wheel actually sits on. The only thing i cant change is the wheel height. I'll measure it tomorrow and see how the height compares to your setups. Like i said, Raising the seat and pedals is still an option. i'll play with it once i got the angle sorted.

Oh and the seat i used is from an old Honda Prelude. Got it from a cargraveyard. It's quite comfy, and its got this air pump thingie to adjust backsupport :cheers:

edit: btw, what height is the seat in your cockpit? (what height do u actually sit?)
 
I, like LethalChem, am too lazy to build my own cockpit ;) I just bought myself a new Playseat (www.playseats.nl). Pretty similar to the other one.

Would love to spend some time building my own cockpit at some point, though. I think what you guys are doing is really cool. Would be great to get a series of plans up for some of the best designs, when this thread continues... 👍
 
I can see one fundamental flaw with Hajaz's setup - there's a GameCube crushing that poor PS2 instead of being used as a footrest or a doorstop somewhere.

Martinmaxx - damn. You just stole that from your local arcade late one Argentinian evening didn't you? You should make and sell those if you've got some spare time.

That dude Lethalchem posted is 4th driving as Michael Schumacher - he needs more help than just a fancy seat.
 

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