Frame/Chassis
This is the foundation of your whole setup and the hardest thing to change later. Think of it as a one-time purchase that you’ll keep forever. If you know you want something really nice but can’t afford it right now, just wait and save up instead of buying something cheap first. Trust me, rebuilding everything when you upgrade later is a nightmare.
If you only plan to use basic stuff like steering wheel, pedals, and maybe a display unit, then simple flat rigs or tube-style frames work fine. But if you want to add tons of accessories like I did, get something with mounting rails and straight posts. It makes attaching things so much easier and you can adjust everything perfectly. If you don’t like how the rails look, you can cover them with rubber strips like I did. Plus you can add some cool colors this way. I mainly did it to keep cables tidy and dust out.
Getting Everything Positioned Right
Comfort beats everything else. Don’t just copy what you see in real race cars or other people’s builds. Everyone’s body is different so make it work for YOU. You’ll probably move stuff around a million times before it feels right, so don’t bolt everything down immediately. Start with just the seat and screens. Your eyes should line up with the middle of your main monitor. Then figure out where to put your wheel base - you want your arms bent around 90-110 degrees when holding the wheel. I like to angle the base so if you drew a line from the wheel center it would point at my chest. After that, work on the pedal position.
Pedals gave me the most trouble. I actually had to get a custom bracket made to finally get them perfect. What you’re looking for is a spot where your heel stays in the same place when you brake - this helps you be way more consistent. Your foot should feel natural both when resting and when pressing hard. Don’t make them super stiff trying to copy real cars because real cars have G-forces helping you press the pedals.
Most people lean their seat back way too much in my opinion. I keep mine almost straight up at 90 degrees because it supports my neck and lower back properly. Might look weird but it’s actually really comfortable for long racing sessions when everything else is positioned right.
Add other stuff like gear shifters one piece at a time and test them in actual games, not just sitting there. You’ll need to adjust things a lot so don’t rush it.
More About Being Comfortable
Please don’t get a racing bucket seat just because it looks cool. You don’t need crash protection, you don’t need to save weight, and you don’t need to fit in a tight cockpit. You need to be comfortable for hours without getting sore. I see posts about back pain all the time and lots of those people have bucket seats. Be smart and get something comfy that still looks decent. The only thing I’d change about mine is getting less side bolster since you don’t need it for sim racing and it just gets in the way when turning the wheel.
Random Useful Stuff
If you’re adding lots of accessories, get some cable labels. When you have 20+ USB cables plugged in it gets confusing real fast.
Get a PCIe USB card instead of a powered hub if you can. It’s cleaner and more reliable. I’ve tried several good hubs and still had issues.
Buy some ferrite rings for your cables. With lots of gear you’ll get electrical interference no matter how carefully you route things. These little rings actually help a lot.
Vibration effects are awesome. I have tactile units in each corner plus some in my pedals and even in my lumbar cushion with different effects on each one. Doesn’t make me faster but makes everything feel more real. The fan is nice too, especially during summer, though more for staying cool than immersion.