Building rig thread without having any experience

[RobertR1]

Hopefully in the future, this can serve as a reference point for others who want to get into the hobby but not really good with their hands.

As I'm not very mechanically inclined or good with tinkering, I'm hopeful that I can use this thread to get experience from the community to help me setup and optimize the kit.

I'll also use this thread to post my impressions along the way so people can reference it when making decisions.

My current setup:
i2600k @ 4.8ghz with 16GB RAM and 980ti @ 1500/8000
Rift with Assetto Corsa running 1.5 super sampling using Oculus Tray Tool
Logitech G29 wheel/pedal combo

Limitations of the logitech:
Compared to real life track driving and due to the wear and tear on the current borrowed set, the force feedback mechanisms of the wheel are very hit n miss regardless of the settings. I rely more on visual queues and audio than the FFB of the wheel to make a decision. Even without that limitation, the pedals leave a lot to be desired. The accelerator is difficult to modulate and brake feedback, esp when trail braking is challenging. This isn't much of an issue with low HP, high momentum cars such as the MX5 Club (Miata for non communists) so driving these and focusing on your line and corner speed is still doable and very exciting. However, as you move up in the HP and performance curve, the throttle sensitivity and braking finesse start to play a bigger role thus something a bit more high end might fit the bill. Disclaimer: You can get used to anything but if you got used to a logitech like setup and then tried to transfer that to a real car at pace, you'd have a lot of unlearn.

Pedals. My first purchase:
After much research, I went with the Heusinkveld Ultimate Pedals https://heusinkveld.com/products/sim-pedals/sim-pedals-ultimate/?v=79cba1185463 My reasoning over the Pro pedals was the hydraulic mechanism which is similar to how real brakes operate. After having learned painfully in the past from many different hobbies, when possible, get the best you can at the time given your budget and wants. Why? because you'll often end up there anyhow but have spent more along the way and not enjoyed it from day 1. I'll post a detailed review once I receive them and compare my laptimes and consistency against the Logitech setup so there's a real reference point.

 

[RobertR1]

Why have you used the monitor offset bolts in the accelerator pedal? The screws into those won’t be doing anything.

Ran out of the smaller bolts. Improvised.

I actually need to the move the pedals to the wider platform at the front. The narrower middle piece flex's up under brake pressure load.

 

[Furnace Inferno]

Ran out of the smaller bolts. Improvised.

I actually need to the move the pedals to the wider platform at the front. The narrower middle piece flex's up under brake pressure load.

Ah ok, fair enough, there were definitely less shorter ones but I have plenty of washers to fix that issue.

Yeh mine bends a little with Pro’s on max force but not enough to be noticeable so I’m leaving it in the stock configuration.

 

[RobertR1]

After having a full week with the new setup I wanted to share my impressions. Comparing to the Omega GT with the G29 setup isn't really fair as that's like going from a family sedan to a 911 GT3. There's no point. So my impressions are the overall experience and the immersion level with the only goal of substituting for real track driving.

The Simlabs P1 Chassis: https://sim-lab.eu/product/p1-chassis/ https://heusinkveld.com/products/sim-pedals/sim-pedals-ultimate/?v=79cba1185463
- For someone who is horrible at DIY and born with 0 engineering aptitude, this was a herculean task and one I hope never to repeat. With that said, the end product is phenomenal and rigid. I can't emphasize the stiffness of the overall chassis enough especially the front wheel mount. I wish the nuts and bolts selection was better balanced and the product sorely needs step by step instructions. My build consisted of watching youtube videos, pausing them and doing one thing at a time with the help of my wonderful coworkers. I'd love to give it a 10/10 but I have to take 1 point away for lack of instructions and .5 for the uneven mixture of bolts. Overall 8.5/10

The Simracingbay "small" MiGe 20nm motor: https://www.simracingbay.com/product/simucube-based-osw-kit-sincos-with-cm110-case/
- The depth and detail of the motor is a surprise each time I play it. I wish my real track cars had this level of feedback through the wheel! Any issue or numbness I've found has generally been with the different car models in Assetto Corsa itself. I'm debating upgrading to a 30nm so I can run "go kart" level of effort on non power assisted formula and older race cars. This is purely a personal preference thing and right now I'm researching the takeoff's between the 20nm and 30nm setup. The more surprising thing about was the ease of setup. Simucube is a lightweight but powerful application. Setting up your wheel is a 5 min process. No drivers, no boot sequences and when not in use, a simple power off button does the job. It also makes the in-game settings easier to deal with. Just turn off all the sliders! The boot time on the motor PC is a few seconds at best. Overall 10/10

The Simracingcoach GT1 wheel: https://www.simracingcoach.com/en/contenido/volante-gt1/
- This was perhaps the most surprising piece of the new setup. I came across it by accident and then sat through some funny youtube translations of a Spanish review but I had a hunch that this thing could do the job. I am highly impressed. The unit it put together really well, the magnetic shifters are a dream to use and the rim has a nice grip and width to it. There was nothing to setup either which makes integration immediate. The buttons/rotary dials are very satisfying to use with great feedback. This is important when you're in VR and can't see the wheel. I haven't used an Ascher or anything super expensive but for the price and being a VR user, I can't imagine something that would be a notable upgrade. The only thing that will wear out it is the rim from heavy usage and that's a cheap replacement that takes less than 5 mins. I'm glad I didn't invest in a quick release because I don't see a reason why I'd replace this setup. Overall 10/10.

The Heusinkveld 2 piece Ultimate pedals: https://heusinkveld.com/products/sim-pedals/sim-pedals-ultimate/?v=79cba1185463
The consistency in braking and the smoothness in the throttle is something anyone can notice within a lap or two. The pedals are extremely well built and highly adjustable. I suggest leaving them stock at first, get used to it and then make minor tweaks. With that said, I feel that the advancement in pedal technology is well behind that of the wheels, motors and chassis. Part of this is likely down the to sim manufacturers not capturing the details that would need to be passed onto the pedal manufacturers. As great as the consistency of the pedal performance is, the lack of tactile feedback is something you can't replace. I'm sure a buttkicker can add to the mix but that's not the same as native feedback into the pedal system itself. I would not be surprised if in the next 3-4 years someone wakes up and does the same for pedals as Direct Drive did for wheels. With that said and within the confines of the current limitations, you absolutely cannot blame the HE Ultimate's for any mistakes you make in braking. The progression in the throttle and brakes is just what you'd want in a real race car and the fact that you can get that lap after lap (unlike real cars!) is a dream to have. I got the 2 pedals because mounting a shifter means that my 4 and 2 year old will have it ripped off within a day or two. If there were pedals in the market that focused on native tactile feedback as I explained, I'd rate these lower but when you compare them to the competition, I doubt anyone will be returning these. Overall 10/10.

Driving experience:
I could sit here and type up all sorts of examples and experiences over the past week that have been phenomenal or how I find myself sitting there daydreaming about how I'll improve my lines in the next sessions when the kids are a sleep but those can take up many pages and I'd be surprised if many have made it this far! The best summary I can provide is this: This setup, coupled with VR (Oculus Rift) drenches me in sweat in an hour session. I'm physically worn and mentally exhausted from the concentration. *That* is what I wanted.

A lesson you learn in life and one that continues to be reinforced through life experiences; you get what you pay for. This is yet another reminder. There is nothing cheap or throwaway about this setup but I had one goal in mind when I went down this road; substitute real track driving. I'd say I'm much closer than i though I would be. If anything, I found a bargain and there's no score I can assign to that.

 

[RobertR1]

Content Manager issue. When I load up AC via content manager my controls are all messed up. My wheel goes all out of whack, other times my pedals don't map right, sometime the shifters don't work and so on. In CM itself it all looks fine and me even testing the controls in CM works perfect.

When I launch AC by itself, there are no issues. Everything works fine 100% of the time. Anyone have a clue? I'm on the latest version.

 

[Steve D]

Content Manager issue. When I load up AC via content manager my controls are all messed up. My wheel goes all out of whack, other times my pedals don't map right, sometime the shifters don't work and so on. In CM itself it all looks fine and me even testing the controls in CM works perfect.

When I launch AC by itself, there are no issues. Everything works fine 100% of the time. Anyone have a clue? I'm on the latest version.

Hi Rob,

Can't help you out mate but might be an idea to post this in the general AC section and also provide details of your specific OSW, wheel and pedal set up.

Good luck!

 

[Steve D]

Content Manager issue. When I load up AC via content manager my controls are all messed up. My wheel goes all out of whack, other times my pedals don't map right, sometime the shifters don't work and so on. In CM itself it all looks fine and me even testing the controls in CM works perfect.

When I launch AC by itself, there are no issues. Everything works fine 100% of the time. Anyone have a clue? I'm on the latest version.

Hi Rob,

I have no idea if this is related to your issue but in the most recent update to CM (34481) there is reference to a hardware lock for Simucube support in the release notes.

Maybe this has caused an issue?

If you go to Settings / Controls / Force Feedback you will see the option bottom left. (Hardware lock experimental) If you hover the cursor over it, there is a bit of an explanation.

Might purely be coincidence of course!

Also, are you powering on your OSW before launching CM? I've heard of occasional issues if done vice-versa.

 

[RobertR1]

Hi Rob,

I have no idea if this is related to your issue but in the most recent update to CM (34481) there is reference to a hardware lock for Simucube support in the release notes.

Maybe this has caused an issue?

If you go to Settings / Controls / Force Feedback you will see the option bottom left. (Hardware lock experimental) If you hover the cursor over it, there is a bit of an explanation.

Might purely be coincidence of course!

Also, are you powering on your OSW before launching CM? I've heard of occasional issues if done vice-versa.

Yeah. All looks well in CM but when the game launches, all goes south. This was on the previous versions of CM also so I think it might be a Robert issue (of which there are many!)

The new update with the hardware lock is something the Simucube guys worked out with CM (the beauty of open source!) and results have been good. I think it'll be in the official 0.11 Simucube firmware also so others can support it as well.

I think I'm going to build a new PC when the 9900 intel series and the new nvidia GPU's launch so I'll just stick with the default game launcher for now.

Be careful about CM editing ini files btw. It's a known issue that if you start making adjustment in the AC ini's (as per the email i sent you) when you go back you might see that some of the settings have been changed. There might be a workaround but since I haven't used CM much due to my issue, I haven't put much research time into it.

I'll post in the AC section and see what comes back.

 

[RobertR1]

My first go at the Nurburging ring. A recent guy's trip to the Spa GP had us headed to the Ring after the GP to run some tourist laps in a low HP Jag estate.

This was my first test to see what, if anything, from the sim world I've recently go into translated over given that I haven't tracked a car in anger in about 3 years now.

The Tourist lap setup at the ring is slick and easy to understand. Being German, they are very strict with the procedures and process which is a good thing considering the vast array of vehicles and driver abilities.

I've never been a fan of the ring on consoles with controllers because the bumps and narrowness made it unpleasant to drive. With my sim rig and my trusty 911 RSR test mule, I had about 25 or so laps total and I was pretty comfortable with lap on my rig.

Lap 1:
I left the toll gates and kept it pinned (which means nothing in this car btw!) and went through past bridge into the esses. Right away, I wasn't hesitant about where the track is, how far the next turn in, how the curbs will react and such.

This lap was still a chill lap because I wanted to be cautious to the fast cars behind, follow the rules, keep it safe and not be surprised by any vast differnces between my understanding of the track in the game vs real life.

By the end of the lap, it was clear that AC had a really well done representation. My sim lines worked, the bumps and all the other elemetns of the track were similar and most imporantly; the car reacted at certain parts of the tracks how I expected it to. This is very imporatnt as a drive to have confidence.

Lap 2:
With cobwebs shaken off, it was time to get right on it as there was no line for the next lap. The sweet smell of street brakes asking for mercy gave me a small grin and keeping the tires sweaking but not barking meant I could push the car to it's very low limit from turn to turn. I managed to pass a bunch of cars while not having to let many by which felt really good.

This further went on to cement my findings that the muscle memory I had built up from the sim regarding the lines, expectations of car behavior, elevation changes were all there. I wasn't learning, I was doing.

Lap 3:
This time I took my friend with me who on the previous day had let a local Ring taxi expert take the same car for a reference lap with him in it. In our group of friends, compliments are rare as double rainbows so when he sheepishly said that my lap was every bit as good as his, I was not only happy to hear that the sim work was paying off but that I'd hold this compliment over him for eternity.

So what does a sim teach you and what doesn't translate over:
What does translate:
- Track layout
- Surface condition (bumps, tarmac differences, curb surfaces and variation)
- Elevation
- Perspective of distance between corners
- Car behavior and balance at different parts of the track
- Muscle memory for braking, turn in, different lines for different corners

What does NOT translate:
- Weight transfer and loading up
- Any braking feedback
- Tire load build up
- Sensitive end of traction feeling
- Micro adjustments based on seat of pants feelings
- Bravery

Overall, being able to go quick right away on a demanding track I've never driven after a multi year hiatus will validates my sim investment more than any review/feeling/conversation I can have about it. It was the only reason I built it and I couldn't be happier now that I did.

The caveat remains that I was driving a relatively slow and safe vehicle so my plan is to go back next year with my Z06 and shoot for a sub 8min BTG time. If I can't do that, it's time to load up the classified section.

In the end, the ring is an amazing track and people should give it a go. Even as just a bucket list item, it's unique and completely worth it. For those reading this on here, you will certainly have an edge over those walking in there blind and even those who are not regulars. I'm happy the sim racing hobby as matured to this point.

Side note: the karting place close to the ring is cool and worth a visit. They have electric karts and a grip surface so you have to drive it properly. I was impressed with the karts having real torque on the low end. The last session ended with trading fast laps with the guy who works there. I came up short by .001 seconds on this day.

 

[RobertR1]

I'm happy to finally be done with my rig and have moved into a now place. A huge thanks to @Steve D for the brackets that allowed me to mount the NLR V3 and a big thanks to my father in law for having the skills to line it up and drill the holes. I'm back to having a proper GT position vs a SUV driver.

My goal was to find a nice corner of the house that the kids would leave alone, the wires would be out of the "pulling region" and I could still use my PC as normal for work. On the occasions I want to do some boxing VR games, I still wanted the sensors to be room scale friendly. Since I know I lot of people had to dremel their units with Sparco seats, that seat mount I have from "planted" is universal and aligned perfectly with the NLRV3 holes so no dremel work was needed. Might be on interest to others in future.

It all worked out in the end and I'm more than thrilled having done an all-in on this hobby. Looking back I'm really glad I just went for the good stuff right off the bat rather than piecemeal it together over time.

The final product: