My Simulator Build

[Dwayne Stocks]

Hi All,

Thought id share my simulator build. Hoping to get some ideas and maybe provide a few to others in the process.

About 10 years ago, I bought a shell with the plan of making it into a simulator, and ever since, its been sitting in the shed. I had previously cut the front off and also the back, but that's about as far as I had got. So I dusted it off a month or so ago and here is a bit of a build thread so far (photo heavy):

1. Put a sleeve over the driveshafts to keep them off the ground and allow them to free spin.
2. Built an extension for the steering column, positioned a couple of bearings on it. Added a couple of cross-members and bolted the bearings down using power steering rack brackets (see below). The idea is to mount this shaft to a logitech G27 steering wheel, but instead of using the steering wheel on the unit, will be using the real steering wheel.

3. Built the interface for the Logitech wheel.

4. Here is the steering wheel fitted.

5. Here is the gearstick sitting in place. Still have to build a base to support it though.

6. Gear Shifter is bolted in. Because the stock manual shifter is cable driven and there is no gearbox, I couldnt use the stock shifter. Looked into it, but as the shifter doesnt stick to a H pattern when there isnt a gearbox attached, there is no easy way to make it remote control the Logitech shifter unit.

7. Have got the pedals sorted. This has taken quite a bit of work and no small amount of engineering.

Happy with the accelerator pedal as that feels about right, but the clutch needs a little more resistance and the brake pedal needs a lot more.

9. Samsung 40" monitor. Windscreen is removable - just using it to stop the dust.

10. Some extra springs to stiffen up the clutch and brake and a shelf for the wheel.

11. 20 Amp regulated power supply.

12. And lights......

13. Test Drive. Drives great and appears to be stable.

14. Climate control and electric windows now working (no heat/cold obviously).

15. Built in some 150kg linear actuators into the strut towers. These actvate directly off the steering column. I havent been able to test these properly yet as I managed to burn one out due to the pressure in the springs. Have rebuilt it, but need to build in a protection circuit to reduce the throw. Also added a shelf for the PS3 and the regulated power supply.

So, what next... Need to jack into the Logitech shifter for handbrake and other buttons, which ill move to the dash. Also need to jack into the Logitech wheel to activate the paddle shifts ive built and relocate those buttons. I have a rheostat on the way for the temp gauge and need to hook up a fuel pump. The tacho/speedo will be difficult, but not impossible. Oh and have a new stereo on the way as the one im using is defective.

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Anyway, hope this has been of interest......

cheers

dstocks

 

[drandiiski]

LOL! That's some crazy **** right there

 

[Mr Latte]

Your work certainly deserves more appraise and responses, some great creativity going on.

Although I personally never quite get the idea of these projects unless they are being more to replicate a specific vehicle/car the user wants to virtually race that "same car" within the sims he plays and sticks to using a view from within the sim that works with it. For this purpose yes it makes sense.

Some previous or similar such builds have also ended up looking impressive but am I the only one that would find it rather odd sitting in a car environment with its own interior/design application within a build and racing a variation of different cars within a sim? Also odd potentially if selecting different views, from tarmac/bonnet/cockpit something many users may switch between, depending on their mood/car or indeed sim being played.

 

[Dwayne Stocks]

Your work certainly deserves more appraise and responses, some great creativity going on.

Although I personally never quite get the idea of these projects unless they are being more to replicate a specific vehicle/car the user wants to virtually race that "same car" within the sims he plays and sticks to using a view from within the sim that works with it. For this purpose yes it makes sense.

Some previous or similar such builds have also ended up looking impressive but am I the only one that would find it rather odd sitting in a car environment with its own interior/design application within a build and racing a variation of different cars within a sim? Also odd potentially if selecting different views, from tarmac/bonnet/cockpit something many users may switch between, depending on their mood/car or indeed sim being played.

Thats a fair call. The car is a Mitsubishi FTO and this is what I have set up in Gran Turismo on PS3, so it sort of fits that purpose (Im vice president of the FTO club here in Australia). It appears in 4, 5 and 6 from what im told (im using it in 6). I havent got the PC setup for it yet (thats coming), but expect ill run into those issues more on some of the PC sims as they are much more in-depth.

As for why, its more for the challenge of seeing what can be achieved. My son has just turned 13 and is looking at getting into engineering when he finishes school (I often think I should have done this instead of software development). This project has got him pretty enthusiastic, so has already succeeded.

 

[Mr Latte]

Dwayne thanks for the reply and it makes more sense (to me) now and actually nice to learn how you are getting your son involved in an interest you both can share.

 

[drandiiski]

A couple of thing I would have done differently. First the wheel – I don’t think that the G27 has the power to drive that heavy drive shaft you attached to it, so IMO it will be better to have it somehow implemented in the dashboard. Better still – use a better non-gear driven wheel or a DD one. The other big thing is the screen. I don’t have a certain idea about it, but fist get rid of the real windshield and second put is somehow closer.

Again these are just random suggestions about your project from my point of view. To be honest if I was to do something like that, I would take a totally different approach, but that’s just me. Also you have your reasons that you already mentioned – a shed project for the giggles and practical exercise. It is crazy, but still cool.

Here is the other real car sim crazy project in this forum, if you missed it - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...me-use-full-porsche-chassis-simulator.328972/

Cheers!

 

[Dwayne Stocks]

Here is the other real car sim crazy project in this forum, if you missed it - https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/thre...me-use-full-porsche-chassis-simulator.328972/

Wow. Would love some of those parts (and the knowledge to bring it together), but dont have the cash for that im afraid.

Havent had any issues with the logitech wheel yet, but the steering column extension has to put a little extra pressure on the wheel. Have done quite a few hours on it now and not broken yet, so I guess we will see. Would have liked to go for a more expensive wheel, but dont have the budget for it. Also, the advantage of the older wheel is that due tothe mods im making, a mistake is not a catastrophe. Have already killed a gear shifter with a soldering mishap.

The windshield already comes out (not glued in). I use it as a dust protector when not using the sim (Garage gets a bit dusty).

Once I hook the PC up, may try and get some of the wrap around screen thing happening. Not sure how to go about it, but it sure looks impressive in that setup you posted.

 

[Benny44]

Wow! That's pretty much all I can say

 

[Dwayne Stocks]

Have got a little further now. Modified the shifter circuit board and now all buttons have been routed to a VGA plug on I have attached. This has allowed me to hook up the real handbrake and wire up a start button in the dash. I have done the same thing with the steering wheel unit. Now all the buttons and sequential shifters are on the FTO wheel with the logitech circuit board inside. Anyway, here are some pics of the wheel:

And a couple of pics of the simulator in action. Unfortunately,the screen is a little washed out in the pics.