KameTrick’s

DIY Sim Rig Guide

Table of Contents
Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Lumber Cut Reference Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Build Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Connect with Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Build Process - Detail

Assemble basic frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Add seat rail mounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Install seat and rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Install pedal mount rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Install pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Install wheel deck uprights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Prepare wheel deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Mark line for wheel deck rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Install wheel deck rails to uprghts . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Trim wheel deck rails and uprights . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Install wheel deck to rails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Optional single monitor shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Build handbrake shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Install handbrake onto shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Install handbrake and shelf to cockpit. . . . . . . . . . 15
Build shifter shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Install shifter onto shelf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Shifter install detailed view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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 Introduction
Thanks for your interest in my DIY Sim Rig! My rig is made of wood and I’m 5’10”--it will easily have enough room to fit sim drivers rang-
ing from 5’0” to 6’3” especially with an adjustable seat. This design can support a single monitor placed directly on the rig (which I’ll
cover in the instructions) and it will work great for VR. I didn’t include plans for how to make the triple monitor desk that I chose to go
with, but I feel that’s a far simpler build (basically a table with a section of the tabletop cut out) so if you can build the cockpit, you’ll have
enough skill and experience to design and assemble your own triple desk.

A related resource--these are videos I’ve previously published on YouTube that can give you a more complete idea of how the rig was
assembled:

In-depth video on the build process for my DIY wood sim cockpit

Shorter more cinematic video that shows the gist of the build

With that said, let’s jump into the build!

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 Tools
Buy Tools: consider using my affiliate links if you need to purchase any tools!

Note: I’m not including a tutorial on how to use each tool, if you’re totally new to this watch some youtube tool guides!

Saw
You’ll want either a Circular saw, Reciprocating Saw (AKA Sawzall) or Miter saw. I recommend a blade with more teeth for smoother cuts:
standard construction blades for circular/miter saws have 24-40 teeth, getting a 60 tooth blade will make your cuts much smoother
(you can also sand down the edges though)

Drill and bits

You’ll need a drill, a set of drill bits, and a set of screwdriver bits to assemble the boards.
For wood screws: get a drill bit that is slightly thinner than the shaft of your wood screws (for pilot holes)
For Bolts: get a drill bit that is the same or very slightly larger than the shaft of your bolts.

Drill pilot holes before installing wood screws. If you don’t drill pilot holes, there’s a good chance the wood will split when you put the
screws in, which can range from a poor look to impacting the rigidity of the build or making you have to redo that piece.

Sandpaper (optional)
100 to 220-grit sandpaper work well to knock down rough edges. Anything finer isn’t worth it for cheap construction lumber.

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2x4 Lumber
I recommend getting five boards. These are used for the main frame of the sim rig.

Boards come in 8 foot long sections (they’re not actually 2x4, they’re 1.5” x 3.5”)
Standard lumber sizes for Drift Friends in other countries may be different, but should stay consistent across the build: I only cut length,
always using the default board height, so its okay if this scales up or down for your countries’ standard lumber size.

2x6 Lumber
I recommend getting 1 board. This is used for the wheel deck and shifter shelf. It can also be used to build a single monitor stand on
the end of the rig if you choose (covered in build section)

Boards come in 8 foot long sections (they’re not actually 2x6, they’re 1.5” x 5.5”)
Standard lumber sizes for Drift Friends in other countries may be different, but should stay consistent across the build: I only cut length,
always using the default board height, so its okay if this scales up or down for your countries’ standard lumber size.

Tape Measure
Make marks for cutting boards to length with a tape measure

Carpenter’s Square (aka Triangle)

Use to ensure your cut lines are at 90 degree angles, a carpenter’s square/triangle can also act as a guide if using a circular saw

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Wood Screws
10x2 1/2 wood screws - use when putting two boards together side to side
10x3 wood screws - use when putting two boards together side to end

Bolts and Washers

Your sim gear will determine what size bolts and washers you need. Wood is softer and weaker than metal, so without a washer, the
bolt head will just eat into the wood (like a drill bit) and you won’t be able to get your wheel base, pedals, shifter, or handbrake to clamp
down tightly to the cockpit. The wider the washer the better, assuming it fits under your rig (bigger ones sometimes hit this design’s “shifter
shelf under brace”)

Additionally, most sim hardware is designed assuming you are

bolting it to thin and strong steel or aluminum plate--since this DIY
rig uses wood, which is much thicker, the bolts provided may be
too short to get good thread engagement into your sim gear.

I recommend bringing the supplied bolts to the hardware store,

using their bolt size checker (see image at right) or ask an associate
to help you, and buy bolts that are at least 1 inch, if not 1.5 inches
longer than what came with your hardware. If your hardware didn’t
come with washers, get one for each bolt that goes through wood.

Bolt Checker: whichever hole your bolt threads into is the

thread pitch you need: buy a longer version of that bolt!

Clamps
C-Clamp: Having one or two of these is handy to hold things together while working.
You need at least a medium size, though large ones work fine, too.

Corner Clamp: Joins wood together at a 90 degree angle. Almost every joint is a 90 for a sim rig, these make it much easier for DIY
newbies to get all their angles “close enough” without any headaches!

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Spray paint or brush paint and brush (optional, but DIY cockpits look much nicer when painted)

Assembly tip:
You’ll need to make bolt holes for your sim gear. Your wheel base will probably make this easy if it has a metal adapter mount: it can
act as a template for where to drill.

Other things like your shifter and handbrake may not have a mount. For these, one option is to thread the bolts into them far enough
to be secure and use a paint marker to paint a little circle around the allen key hole or hex head of the bolt. Then quickly position the
hardware where you want to mount it and press it down firmly. The bolts should leave 4 little circles where you’ll need to drill!

This should get at least 3 out of 4 to be spot-on. The last bolt may be a little tight and need you to slot the mounting hole slightly, but
since these fasteners use the metal threads in the shifter or handbrake themselves, it won’t matter if one of your holes is slotted: the
other 3, along with the clamping force across all 4 bolts, will keep the hardware from moving around when you use it.

You can see this technique in action in this video (Time-stamped to 4:06 in the video)

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 Lumber Cut Specs
I’ll cover this step-by-step in the build instructions (starting on the next page) but I wanted to put all the board lengths into one place
as a quick reference. There are a few pieces here that are intentionally cut too long (namely the uprights and wheel deck rails) which you
can trim down to your personal preferences when you get to that step in the build

Blue = 2x4
Teal = 2x6

Side rails (48”)

End caps (19.5”)

Option 1 Horizontal Seat Rail Runners (22.5”)

Option 2 Long-way Seat Rail Runners (18.75”)

Option 2 with Horizontal piece to bolt them to (19.5”)

Pedal mounting plates(19.5”)

Uprights for wheel (24” - will be cut to size later)

Wheel deck 2x6 (15.75”)

2x4 Rails (24” - will be cut to size later)

Table endcap and potential monitor stand to go over pedals (15.75”)

Handbrake shelf uprights (8.5”)

Handbrake shelf (16.75”
Shifter Shelf under brace (8”)
Shifter Shelf End Cap (3.5”)

Shifter Shelf (11”)

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 Build Process
1) Assemble basic frame
Cut a 2x4 in half to get two 4’ sections. Cut two 19.5” sections of 2x4. Assemble them into a rectangle, connect them side-to-end.

Side rails (48”) Side View

End caps (19.5”) Top View

2) Add seat rail mounts

Add runners for seat rails. There are two ways you could choose to do this:

Option 1) These go across the 4’ sections and are 22.5” Position these where the seat rails bolt down. If you need more room to mount
the seat rails down, use Option 2 where you can cut longer rails.

Option 2) Add a 19.5” piece between the two 4’ lengths at the right distance to mount 2 runners parallel to the long pieces. I made
these 18.75” long but it depends on the length of your seat rails.

Option A

Side rails (48”) Side View

Seat Rail Mounts (22.5”) Top View

Option B

Seat Rail Mounts (18.75”) Side View

Seat Rail End cap (19.5”) Top View

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 3) Install Seat and Rails
Use bolts and washers to install your seat. if you have adjustable rails, put it in the middle of its adjustment range so you can fine-tune it later.

Option A

Side rails (48”) Side View

Seat Rail Mounts (22.5”) Top View

Option B

Seat Rail Mounts (18.75”) Side View

Seat Rail End cap (19.5”) Top View

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 4) Install Pedal Mount Rail(s)
Put your pedal box between the long runners and sit in your seat, figure out roughly where you want your pedals to be, look at where the
mounting points are for your pedals, and add two 19.5” runners there so you can bolt them down.

Pedal mounting plates(19.5”) Top View

5) Install Pedals
Bolt your pedals to the rails. If you need extra height for a nut and bolt to sandwich your rails, you can either mount the rails part way
up the long side rails of the rig, or you can add small 2x4 squares to each corner to raise the whole rig up.
(You could also add casters which makes your rig easier to move and gives you some extra height if desired)

Pedal mounting plates(19.5”) Top View

6) Wheel Deck Uprights

Sit in your seat, hold your arms out and decide where you want your steering wheel to be. Then mark where on the long side rails you want
your uprights for the wheel deck to go. Screw two uprights to the inside of the long rails close to the seat, add two more at the end of the rig
(these are for stability, we’ll tie them together later)

Your uprights will initally be taller than needed: you’ll cut them to size later. Personally, I started with mine being 24’ each, which is one 8 foot
2x4 cut into 4 equal lengths.

Side View

Uprights for wheel (24” - will be cut to size later)

Top View

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 7) Wheel Deck Prep
2x6: cut your wheel deck to 15.75” long, and bolt your wheel base to it using bolts and washers.

Do not bolt the wheel deck to the cockpit yet--first you’ll find the height and angle you want it to be at and install rails for the deck to mount to. You’ll
want a helper for the next step.

Sit in your seat and have a friend hold the wheel deck between your vertical uprights, taking the weight of the wheelbase while you adjust it
to set the height, distance from you, and the angle you want it to be at.

A tip on seating and steering wheel positioning:

Ideally you want to be seated with your back and shoulders fully against the seat (not leaning or hunched forward), and your elbows should not
be locked when placing your wrist at the 12 o’clock position on the wheel. I aim for close to a 45 degree bend in my elbow.

Remember that this is roughly where you want your steering wheel to be. Your wheel base will be further away depending on the wheel itself
(be thoughtful if you plan to use multiple wheels, especially if one is a deep dish and the other is flat!) if you have a quick release, and if you’re run-
ning a steering shaft extension.

Measure your gear and figure out where the wheel base needs to be to put your wheel into a good position, and put your uprights there.
Don’t worry about getting this perfect, we’re building a shelf so you can fine tune the distance before screwing your wheel deck to the rest of
the cockpit.

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 8) Mark line for Rails on Upright
Most real car steering wheels are not parallel to the ground, but rise up toward the user at a slight angle, so keep that in mind. Take a look at
your wheel base as well: some wheel bases or their mounting setup puts them at an angle for you (often those optimized for desk clamp setups)
so your line may be straight like this:

Other wheel bases may not be angled, in which case your wheel deck itself can be angled, and you’ll mark your line at an angle:

Once you find a position that you like, have your friend hold the wheelbase there while you mark a line on the uprights with a pencil for
where the bottom of the wheel deck is. This line where you’ll place the top of the horizontal 2x4 rails. They will screw into the 4 uprights,
making a strong, table-like structure and become a shelf that holds the weight of your wheel deck.

9) Install Rails on Upright

Now, screw the rails into your uprights, you’ll end up with something like this:

For wheel bases that are already at an For wheel bases that mount flat
angle (most desk clamp wheelbases) (most direct drive wheelbases)

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 10) Trim Uprights and Rails to Final Length
If you have a reciprocating saw, just use it to slice off the excess. If you only have a circular or miter saw, clamp the rails to the uprights in the
correct position, mark cut lines, then unclamp the piece and cut it to size. Then screw it on.

When complete your rig will look like this:

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 11) Screw Wheel Deck to Rails
In the above images I included the wheel deck to make it more clear why the rails might need to be angled, but up until now the wheel deck
has still been loose from the rest of the cockpit. It’s time to change that: place your 2x6 wheel deck onto the 2x4 rails and sit in your seat. Slide
it forward or back on the shelves to the final distance you want it to be from you, then screw it down.

Cut another 15.75” piece to put on top of the other end of your rails: this ties all four uprights together for maximum stability.

11-1) Optional Single Monitor Shelf

If you plan to run a single monitor directly on your rig and your rails are not at 90 degrees, consider cutting the far upright higher than the rail
so it can be at a 90 degree angle. Then you can add a 2x6 to the top of it as a monitor shelf.

Ideally you want your monitor as close to your wheel as possible for the most realistic field of view and sense of speed (which this design isn’t
quite optimized for) but this is a compact option that I used before I tried VR and ultimately settled on building a triple monitor desk that my
cockpit slots into.

You could also add a shelf closer to the wheel base, that would be an improvement on what I did.
(I wasn’t going to stick with a single monitor setup for long, so I didn’t worry about optimizing this...hope this extra info helps you plan your build!)

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 12) Build Handbrake Shelf
2x4: cut two 8.5” pieces and one 16.75” piece. Bolt them together to make a shelf your handbrake can go on. Bolt your handbrake to the shelf
using the assembly tip I provided here (and in the Tools section) Consider where you want you shifter as well so these two shelves don’t get in
the way of one another!

Handbrake shelf (16.75”)

2x Handbrake shelf uprights (8.5”) Top View Side View

13) Install
Handbrake
onto Shelf
Clamp handbrake to wooden shelf using
bolts and washers
Washer

13) Install Handbrake Shelf to Cockpit

Sit in your seat and figure where--forward and back--you want your handbrake handle to be, then bolt the shelf to the long side rail of the rig
on whichever side you prefer.

A note on “pull up” vs “pull back” handbrake orientation:

I prefer the horizontal OEM style “pull up” handbrakes over the vertical “pull back” handbrakes, so that’s what my instructions include.

However, it seems most people prefer the “pull back” style. To create a mount for that handbrake orientation, I suggest you build an L or
U-shaped bracket that connects to the wheel deck upright and the side rail of the rig and mount your handbrake to that. Just make sure
that you leave access to run bolts and washers through the board, and leave room for your shifter and it’s mounting shelf.

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 14) Build Shifter Shelf
You need to build support for the shelf while also leaving space under the bolt holes for the shifter. Here’s what I did:

Sit in your seat and figure out where you want the shifter to go. Cut an 8” piece of 2x4 and bolt it to the long side rail of the rig. This will form
an “under brace” for the shelf to bolt to, that goes under the center of the shelf, leaving room on both sides to run bolts through for your
shifter. (You may need to adjust where this “under brace” is depending on the mounting holes for your shifter)

Cut a 3.5” piece of 2x6 and bolt it to the end of the 2x4 “under brace” (should be the same height as the 2x4)
This forms an “end cap” and adds more stability to the shelf when it’s all bolted together.

Finally, cut an 11” piece of 2x6 to make the shelf itself. Screw it to the “under brace” and “end cap”

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 15) Bolt Shifter to Shelf
If you don’t have a template for the shifter holes, use this assembly tip to figure out where to drill. Then run your bolts and washers through
and secure the shifter to the shelf.

15-1) Shifter Detail View

Bottom View: Mounting Hardware

Cockpit side rail (48”)

Bolts and washers install from underneath shelf, on either

side of the “under brace.”

Side View

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 Congratulations, You’re Done!
This wraps up the build!

With the experience you’ve gained completing this build, you’ll not only have a great, affordable foundation to enjoy sim racing with, but you’ll
also have the know-how and confidence to build additional mounting accessories that you might need--whether that’s for a button box, a
keyboard and mouse shelf, or new mounting points if you change hardware in the future.

This simple rig design has served me well for 5 years of sim driving, from a Logitech gear drive wheel, to a Fanatec belt drive wheel, and finally
to a 20 Nm Direct Drive wheel from VRS. It’s been one of the best “bang for buck” projects I’ve ever had in the driving simulator world. I hope
yours is the start to a lifelong journey of enjoying driving, and maybe it will even open some doors for you in the future for real motorsports.
See you on track!

-Ben aka “KameTrick”

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