Seeking advice on how to stabilize wheel stand

[LasagnaSmooch]

Hello,

I'm the owner of a Pagnian next level racing wheel stand. Overall, I'm quite happy with this wheel stand. However, it does have one problem that's driving me a bit batty. There's a significant of up and down flex when grasping the steering wheel. Laterally, it's a solid stand, however, in the up down dimension it's a very different story. I've included a video illustrating the problem below:




Anyway, I was simply wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to possibly correct this issue - or at least greatly reduce it. I was thinking the best solution might be to drill a hole (on each side) through the upper table and down through the angled support arm. Then I could drop a bolt through each of these holes and hopefully tighten them off enough to provide greater stability. For example:

My only concern is that the angle of the support bar might complicate things.

If worst comes to worst I suppose I could see about hiring a metal worker to weld the sucker in place, but I thought it might make sense to check here first to possibly get suggestions from the more mechanically minded.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Punknoodle]

Replace the whole top section with something like mdf..

 

[insert coin]

The problem is at the front of the plate (where the cable of the wheel goes down): the speakers wobble the most. It does not flex where you have drawn the arrow, it flexes at the back of the wheel. Can you mount the plate to the vertical monitor poles?

 

[HoiHman]

1. Replace the top section with an MDF plate
2. Add an extra support like this


screen cap

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

Replace the whole top section with something like mdf..

Hi Punknoodle,

Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post - I really appreciate it.

Pardon my ignorance, but what does MDF stand for? Some type of metal I presume?

Thanks again.

Best,

Ryan

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

The problem is at the front of the plate (where the cable of the wheel goes down): the speakers wobble the most. It does not flex where you have drawn the arrow, it flexes at the back of the wheel. Can you mount the plate to the vertical monitor poles?

Hi insert coin,

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I'm super appreciative.

Securing it to the monitor arms is a fantastic idea, and definitely something I'll strongly consider. There are a couple of downsides to this plan however. For one, I'm pretty sure I'd have to hire a professional metal worker to really do this sort of thing properly. Not a a big deal, but it would be nice if I could just drill a couple of holes - wishful thinking probably. Also, if it required any welding, it would most likely mean I could no longer full disassemble the rig. This would obviously be a real hassle for moving, and probably wouldn't much help the resale value.

Anyway, thanks again. Like I said, it's a great idea and I'll definitely take it under consideration.

Best,

Ryan

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

1. Replace the top section with an MDF plate
2. Add an extra support like this


screen cap

Hi HoiHman,

A HUGE thanks for taking the time to respond to my post, and a second big thanks for including that very helpful photo - I truly appreciate it.

Could you fill me in on exactly what MDF is? Some sort of dense fiber board?

As for the suggested supports, I think that's a great idea and would probably solve the problem 100%. There are a couple of downsides, however. For one, I'd probably have to go to a professional metal worker to have it done properly. Not a big deal, but no as easy as drilling a couple of holes either.

Secondly, if the supports were welded into place, it would mean that I could no longer fold the stand up for transport/storage, and I wouldn't be able to adjust the height of the wheel/table anymore either. I'd really hate to lose this functionality, so unfortunately this may not be an option. Regardless, I'll definitely take your suggestion into serious consideration.

Thanks again for you help.

 

[LeMansAid]

Hi HoiHman,

A HUGE thanks for taking the time to respond to my post, and a second big thanks for including that very helpful photo - I truly appreciate it.

Could you fill me in on exactly what MDF is? Some sort of dense fiber board?

As for the suggested supports, I think that's a great idea and would probably solve the problem 100%. There are a couple of downsides, however. For one, I'd probably have to go to a professional metal worker to have it done properly. Not a big deal, but no as easy as drilling a couple of holes either.

Secondly, if the supports were welded into place, it would mean that I could no longer fold the stand up for transport/storage, and I wouldn't be able to adjust the height of the wheel/table anymore either. I'd really hate to lose this functionality, so unfortunately this may not be an option. Regardless, I'll definitely take your suggestion into serious consideration.

Thanks again for you help.

Just strengthening what's already there won't achieve much. You need some more angles. @HoiHman's got it right with the extra struts.

MDF........

The MDF isn't as necessary but the right thickness will mean that the plate itself won't flex.

You really need to create a triangle, for strength. Be it with only metal, or metal + MDF. With the right bits of metal and the right nuts and bolts (wing nuts for both if you really want it efficient), you could have it quite undo-able and have it remain retractable. If you kept the current top plate you'd ideally run a couple of support struts along the underside of it, having them join up with the other struts (1 original, the other Hoihman's) to get that triangle happening.

The use of a drill and an angle grinder would get you there.

 

[Mr Latte]

What I think would be the strongest option is to have the thin plate shelf removed and the metal cross section it attaches to either modified or replaced. To have a metal rectangle frame that would be like what you already have in a single shelf support but also bolted to the monitor/display uprights and then a cross-section between those as well. This way it creates a support that will be much more secure or even sway to the sides which I'm sure it does to some extent when you extend the height adjustable arms.

Have holes drilled in the new frame to allow for change of angle/height. This will require holes drilled in the new shelf frame (horizontally) as the distance away from the uprights would increase with height adjustment. For the monitor/tv uprights holes drilled (vertically) to maintain a level shelf with higher/lower adjustable shelf heights. This enables the new frame to still allow the adjustability and still bolt securely together. You can also get M6/M8 bolts with plastic moulded handles on ebay etc that would make tightening/loosening them easy by hand.

Then consider an MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) shelf cut and attached to the new rectangular support frame. Connecting the original metal plate on top of the MDF.

 

[super_gt]

Hi insert coin,

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond. I'm super appreciative.

Securing it to the monitor arms is a fantastic idea, and definitely something I'll strongly consider. There are a couple of downsides to this plan however. For one, I'm pretty sure I'd have to hire a professional metal worker to really do this sort of thing properly. Not a a big deal, but it would be nice if I could just drill a couple of holes - wishful thinking probably. Also, if it required any welding, it would most likely mean I could no longer full disassemble the rig. This would obviously be a real hassle for moving, and probably wouldn't much help the resale value.

Anyway, thanks again. Like I said, it's a great idea and I'll definitely take it under consideration.

Best,

Ryan

Take two of these

make four holes and put four bolts.

First drill the holes in the tv stand bolt the plate to the tv stand and then drill the upper holes in the table 👍

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

Just strengthening what's already there won't achieve much. You need some more angles. @HoiHman's got it right with the extra struts.

MDF........

The MDF isn't as necessary but the right thickness will mean that the plate itself won't flex.

You really need to create a triangle, for strength. Be it with only metal, or metal + MDF. With the right bits of metal and the right nuts and bolts (wing nuts for both if you really want it efficient), you could have it quite undo-able and have it remain retractable. If you kept the current top plate you'd ideally run a couple of support struts along the underside of it, having them join up with the other struts (1 original, the other Hoihman's) to get that triangle happening.


The use of a drill and an angle grinder would get you there.

Hi LeMansAid,

I apologize for taking so long to thank you for your very informative post. I really appreciate you filling me on MDF. I agree that a triangle would get me the kind of support I need to stabilize the top plate.

What I'm concerned about is finding some metal bars that would accept bolts - I think this might be something I'd have to go to a metal working professional for. However, I think using some wing nuts is an excellent idea as it would certainly make it easier to remove the support struts. Thanks again, I REALLY appreciate you taking the time to respond.

Best,

Ryan

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

What I think would be the strongest option is to have the thin plate shelf removed and the metal cross section it attaches to either modified or replaced. To have a metal rectangle frame that would be like what you already have in a single shelf support but also bolted to the monitor/display uprights and then a cross-section between those as well. This way it creates a support that will be much more secure or even sway to the sides which I'm sure it does to some extent when you extend the height adjustable arms.

Have holes drilled in the new frame to allow for change of angle/height. This will require holes drilled in the new shelf frame (horizontally) as the distance away from the uprights would increase with height adjustment. For the monitor/tv uprights holes drilled (vertically) to maintain a level shelf with higher/lower adjustable shelf heights. This enables the new frame to still allow the adjustability and still bolt securely together. You can also get M6/M8 bolts with plastic moulded handles on ebay etc that would make tightening/loosening them easy by hand.

Then consider an MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard) shelf cut and attached to the new rectangular support frame. Connecting the original metal plate on top of the MDF.

Hi Mr. Latte,

Thank you VERY much for your detailed and very thoughtful reply. Those are some great suggestions you've come up with. It think for overall stability your ideas are awesome, and would really do the trick. I suppose the only thing holding me back is that it's a fairly ambitious project from a technical standpoint.

Incorporating the monitor supports is an awesome idea. With this option I could perhaps extend the plate shelf enlarged somewhat, which would be an added bonus. Thanks again for the great suggestions, and I'll definitely give them some real consideration.

Best,

Ryan

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

Take two of these
View attachment 484106
make four holes and put four bolts.
View attachment 484171
First drill the holes in the tv stand bolt the plate to the tv stand and then drill the upper holes in the table 👍

Hi super_gt,

Thank you SO much for that awesome suggestion. I REALLY like your idea, it seems like a very elegant solution to my problem. Also, a HUGE thanks for taking the time to include that very helpful graphic you put together. It was super awesome of you to take the time to whip that up for me, and it really helps to clarify your explanation.

In fact, I like your suggestion so much, I think I'll go ahead and give it a shot. There are a couple of minor technical challenges I'll have to overcome. As you can see from the photo below, there's about a three inch gap between the monitor arms and the stand, so I'll have to find some fairly long metal L parts.

Additionally, the underside of the table has some metal ridges running through it, which will somewhat restrict how much the metal L parts I can bolt to it.

However, I think I can navigate my way around this challenges without too much difficulty. Thanks again for taking the time to reply, you've been an awesome help.

Best,

Ryan

 

[super_gt]

There are a couple of minor technical challenges I'll have to overcome. As you can see from the photo below, there's about a three inch gap between the monitor arms and the stand, so I'll have to find some fairly long metal L parts.

View attachment 485745

Three inches is quite long,see if you can find some L plate which is strong enough to not bend or you can use something similar to this:

Use two bolts to mount the plate to the tv stand.
Good luck 👍

 

[LasagnaSmooch]

Three inches is quite long,see if you can find some L plate which is strong enough to not bend or you can use something similar to this:
View attachment 485837
View attachment 485838
View attachment 485868
Use two bolts to mount the plate to the tv stand.
Good luck 👍

Hi super_gt,

Thanks so much for providing those awesome graphics, and I'm super sorry I've taken so long to give you a proper THANK YOU. I've had some crazy things come up that sidetracked me from the world of sim racing for a bit. Anyway, thanks again, you've been truly awesome!

Regarding my stabilization issue, I've looked at some other videos of the next level wheel stand, and it seems mine is far and way less stable than many others. This is likely the result of using an Accuforce, which is a much heavier wheel than anything logitech or thrustmaster provides, however, I've decided to contact the manufacturer just to make sure I didn't get a lemon.

If that doesn't pan out I'll go either one of two routes: I'll either take your suggestion and see about getting a super strong l-plate, or perhaps I'll just see if I can get in touch with a metal worker and have the whole thing welded for added strength. Either way, I'll sure I'll get it figured out eventually.

Thanks again for all your help, and have a great weekend!