Most comfortable stand or cockpit under $500?

[Blaze1620]

First off I love this community and I've searched for a few days through old post but didn't find the answer I was looking for and with such a longrunning community, some posts can be dated.

I have considered building my own but I'm notorious for biting off more than I can chew and/or afford.

My primary concern is comfort. I have 2 bulging discs in my lower lumbar. Im most comfortable with heavy lumbar support as found in my GMC Yukon. Most car seats leave me squirming so I am worried about an authentic racing seat. At the house, reclining far back with my knees bent feels best.

I am looking at many options for different reasons but no way to try them out.

I've looked at fanatec rennsport, xlerator racing stand, or wheel stand pro for setting up with my couch or chair but don't want to be locked into too upright of a position.

Evo playseat looks good but doesnt look comfortable in pics. I also just found Obutto Ozon. I like the design and it adjusts and reclines. One more option is Precise Racing Chair which looks good but I can find the least info on it.

I may be forgetting some options so let me know.

I appreciate an opinions or direction to a previous topic.
Thank u much
Ben

 

[12thgear]

You might be a great candidate for building your own cockpit since you have such specific needs. You could even hit the salvage yards and look for an actual GMC Yukon seat.

If you already have a really comfortable office or executive chair, the Wheel Stand Pro and Rennsport Wheel Stand V2 are both nice. They can both be angled closer to you as well. Just keep in mind you may need to add some ballast to the far end of the stand to keep it stable. Incidentally, ClubSport or T500 pedals would make great ballast.

 

[MoparMike]

You might be a great candidate for building your own cockpit since you have such specific needs. You could even hit the salvage yards and look for an actual GMC Yukon seat.

If you already have a really comfortable office or executive chair, the Wheel Stand Pro and Rennsport Wheel Stand V2 are both nice. They can both be angled closer to you as well. Just keep in mind you may need to add some ballast to the far end of the stand to keep it stable. Incidentally, ClubSport or T500 pedals would make great ballast.

Good advice. The OP's post is clear that comfort for his particular situation is most important. A DIY rig would be the best option. You could use a comfortable seating placement, like that of how you sit on a sofa or chair and relate that to where you would place your wheel and pedals in your rig.

When I first went to build my rig I was looking for a race style seat. What I ended up with was a seat from a Honda Accord, which has a sporty appearance, but is very comfortable. I'm glad I did it. I'm 6'1" and 230 lbs . If I had bought a small bucket seat with a race look and fixed angle my back would be in agony.

My point is that you should find a seat that is comfortable and determine where the wheel and pedals should be and build it out of whatever you can. If you have to measure the driver's side of a Yukon then do it. Unless you go overboard, you will build it for less than what a pre-made rig costs anyway. Good luck to you. Like a co-worker of mine once told me, "There ain't nothing to it, but to do it."

 

[Blaze1620]

Thanks for the feedback and the push I needed to do it myself. I really enjoy building things and it will also give me something to do while my B-spec drivers r racing. After a couple hours of healthy brain activity and sitting in every chair in the house, I've made some plans.

First off I'll build with wood. It's available, cheap, and I have saws. Wood will get me driving the soonest but is heavy so I may rebuild later using some sort of modular tubing. I started with the idea of a steel or aluminum frame but finding the right tubing at the right price will take lots of research which I can work on later. My wheel will be here tomorrow so I drew up plans and went to home depot.

I'll build an angled stand with a raised footboard for my pedals and proper vertical support connected to rectangular base. I picked out an Eames chair that will recline but has a pedestal type base to allow my stand's base to fit around snuggly. My desire for an offset shifter location is my only foreseen complication but it should be easier to figure out once the stand is built.

I'll post pics of the build. Should undo that on a new thread?

In the future I'll look into an advanced cockpit build with a Yukon seat. Does anyone know of a discussion about using a powered carseat? It would be really cool and probably easier to find than a manual seat.

Thanks and wish me luck!

 

[kris8583]

First off I'll build with wood. It's available, cheap, and I have saws. Wood will get me driving the soonest but is heavy so I may rebuild later using some sort of modular tubing.

Saws will also cut PVC pipe, its also lighter and depending on your skills may give a neater finish. My original cockpit was built using PVC pipe and was solvent welded together for strength;

I used this cockpit for racing while sat on my comfy couch. It could easily be adapted to bolt a second frame to with a appropriate seat attached for future modification. There are loads of examples on here of PVC rigs that are cheap and can be customised to your individual spec.

My cockpit all in cost around £60, with wood brackets and screws soon add up and may even end up costing more than a PVC rig would.

Just throwing ideas your way fella, either way half the fun is building the rig that suits your needs.

 

[MoparMike]

To put in a powered seat would not be too difficult, though you would need a 12v power supply to make it work. I have heard other people talk about putting one in their rig but don't remember seeing anyone actually do it, though I am sure it has been done.