Advice on a wheel stand

[Brendan Coyle]

Hey there, making a comeback after 5 years away flight simming.
I am waiting for my Thrustmaster TX to arrive and i am looking for some recommendations for a wheel stand. My desk wont take a clamp. I will be driving mainly in VR, any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Noahbet]

Hey,

Im using this Wheelstand "https://nextlevelracing.com/product...eel-stand-dd-for-direct-drive-wheels/?lang=de"

Its pretty solid and there will be a Seat upgrade. Im using it with the SC2 Pro and HE Sprints.

Simlab is going to release a 80/20 Wheelstand in 2021 what i've seen on Instagram.

 

[unpierrot]

I'm using an APEX steering wheel stand from GT Omega. Sturdy and stable, I'm very happy with it. FYI, there's no possibility to upgrade it with a seat.
I don't have a shifter attached so I can't give input about its mount position or rigidity.

APEX Steering Wheel Stand

Compatible with Logitech, Thrustmaster and Fanatec equipment. Perfect for racing on Xbox One, PS4 or PC. High quality materials, durable, adjustable and easy to store.

www.gtomega.eu

 

[maelstrom]

FYI, there's no possibility to upgrade it with a seat.

The Apex stand can be upgraded to take a seat. See:

Apex Rear Seat Frame

Take your racing experience to new levels of comfort and upgrade your Apex Wheel Stand with our new Apex Rear Seat Frame. Fully compatible with any of our Racing Seats and supports most aftermarket seats. Easy to build and attach to the Apex wheel stand, you'll be race ready in minutes!The frame...

www.gtomega.co.uk

 

[blekenbleu]

My wheel stand with AccuForce wheel and load cell brake is immediately to the right of my computer desk;
swiveling and strapping the office chair to the wheel stand with a nylon strap suffices.

 

[unpierrot]

The Apex stand can be upgraded to take a seat. See:

Apex Rear Seat Frame

Take your racing experience to new levels of comfort and upgrade your Apex Wheel Stand with our new Apex Rear Seat Frame. Fully compatible with any of our Racing Seats and supports most aftermarket seats. Easy to build and attach to the Apex wheel stand, you'll be race ready in minutes!The frame...

www.gtomega.co.uk

Thanks for the heads up. I was not aware of this new item. Previously, seat upgrade was only for classic wheel stand.

 

[An Israeli Cab Driver]

Another vote for GT Omega Apex. I'm also in VR and am using a T300 w/ T3PA Pro pedals. Stand is rigid and could easily cope with some smaller DD wheels imo. Maybe even some bigger ones.
Stand is weighty and solid af.

Gear shift attachment is a decent spot for gears (I have the SHH shifter). Depending on how your ebrake mounts it might be good alongside or not.

I bought one of those "Chinese Special" ebrakes off Amazon and the mount ends up a bit weird, putting the brake handle out in front of my gear shift. Not the stand's fault (would be the same clamped to a desk or any other stand's platform) but I thought worth a mention in case you don't already own a brake. I had the brake first so it wasn't something I got a chance to consider

I'll probably end up rigging up a small plank/plywood off the gear attachment platform to locate the ebrake better. Tho so far I've been lazy af about it... (shh, don't tell no one lol )

 

[maelstrom]

I’d also definitely recommend the Apex wheel stand. I wrote a Mini review of it here:

GT Omega Apex wheel stand review

I don't have enough space for a full cockpit so I've been using an old wheel stand with a single support strut in the centre. Although it worked well enough with my old two-pedal setup, I wanted something a little more solid that would allow me to comfortably use the T3PA pedals which came with...

www.racedepartment.com

It’s particularly good value at the moment in the GT Omega Christmas sale.

 

[MB190E]

I bought the wheelstand from Next Level Racing and love it. It’s really solidly put together.

 

[adie_the_badie]

I'll always recommend the Playseat Challenge as an alternative to a wheel stand.

Came here to recommend this. I was considering the GT Omega stand thinking I would attach the seat to make it a "true" rig in the future. However, that would require more money and a permanent space...neither is a guarantee as of now. So I pulled the trigger on a Challenge and couldn't be happier. For those considering the T-LCM pedals see (read) my experience here. I see myself having this product for many, many years, and would not hesitate to purchase another for myself or as a gift.

Just want to reassure people doing research for LC pedals that own a Playseat Challenge that these pedals will absolutely work. The velcro strap that comes with the seat to hold the pedals is all I use. I did, however, superglue a piece of the fuzzy bit of velcro onto the blank space of the strap. It has held up to about 4ish hours of racing today and is comfortably holding them up with the seat folded.

For reference, my spring combination is White-no washers-Red. I like the light preload and the hard resistance as it helps to prevent lockups for me. I find it really helpful for driving without ABS. Considering what the Playseat Challenge is, under hard braking, I can feel the chair flexing but not to a degree I'm concerned about. With my TX rumbling the frame of the chair and the creak of the Alcantara seat, it makes for a really immersive experience!

As for getting comfortable with them and the LC it only took about an hour. I went through a couple of setups (standard medium, Black-no washers-Red) until I found the combination that works best for me. The calibration tool is great and as was mentioned near the beginning of this thread needs to be set before you drive. For brake pressure, I press on the pedal as hard as I feel I will in a race then slide the adjuster until the bar flickers 98-100%. I found it again allows me to prevent lock-ups but it still happens.

I believe they are still in stock on Amazon and ordered them Thursday and received them Saturday. I finished the AC Club GT3 race about an hour ago and am completely satisfied with my purchase! I am more consistent and have a lot more fun rather than being frustrated due to inconsistent acceleration and braking. The T-LCM pedal set makes me want to drive rather than it being a chore. Also, I set a new personal best of 1:33.2 at the Red Bull Ring today!

These are from two separate topics that are a bit related to this one and is a lazy way for me to reshare my opinion.

I absolutely love my Playseat and if you're considering a $200 omega wheel stand it's worth your consideration. I leave my T-LCM pedals and TX wheel attached when folded and have had no problems moving it around my house.

Whatever decision you make @Brendan Coyle I hope you enjoy your return to sim racing and your new stand!

 

[Robert Mitchell]

I purchased the SXT V2 from Exetreme Simracing. Easy to assemble and very solid. The website states that it is strong enough for a direct drive wheel. https://extremesimracing.com/products/sxt-v2-black-edition

 

[Brendan Coyle]

thanks all

went with the apex, arrived today. got a good deal so very happy

 

[Butthurt_Saddle_sore]

I ordered an Apex stand earlier this week and it's due to arrive this Saturday. I'm looking forward to it, and in preparation I'm buying a ratchet strap from my local hardware store. This will keep my gaming chair from scooting away. This is what I am talking about...

Husky 6 ft. x 1 in. 500 lb. Retractable Ratchet (2-Pack)-55561 - The Home Depot

(Maybe a set with larger hooks. I don't know how big the tubing on the Apex stand is.)

This should be pretty rig like until I get the rest of the setup. Now I just have to find something that can mechanically raise and lower the height of an automotive seat. I am surprised there isn't anything like that coming up in my searches.

 

[blekenbleu]

I'm buying a ratchet strap from my local hardware store. This will keep my gaming chair from scooting away. This is what I am talking about...

A ratchet strap works fine for me; I wrap strap around wheel stand legs 2-3 times and just connect hooks together, rather than trying to use hooks on stand legs. My swivel chair is not a problem with wheel stand and pedals, serving dual purpose with PC desk by merely swiveling 90 degrees, saving space that would be consumed by a dedicated automotive seat. Mesh in swivel chair stays comfortable and avoids heat buildup in long sessions..

 

[Butthurt_Saddle_sore]

:Edit: I got a GT Omega Apex. I just realized I never named which wheelstand in this post. My apologies.

After getting the stand and securing my chair in place with the ratchet straps, I was able to get to know the stand.

First, having the shifter located near where a car shifter would sit, fixed 90% of my miss-shifting problems with my TH8A. It also seemed to fix the throw problem because it seems to move about as far as the shifter in my 2015 Mazda 6. Of course the feeling of the linkage is nowhere to be found, but I get along with the shifter now. I was about to replace it with something, most likely a SHH Shifter, but I can manage now.

Some may say this is a bug, but to me; feeling the FFB buck and vibrate through to the pedals, kind of added some immersion to the game. After I felt my first rumble strip under foot, I immediately went into my wheel settings and turned up nearly everything. I almost turned the canned engine vibration on, but I remembered how bad this CSR feels when it's buzzing while trying to race. So that stayed off.

I also found that all the extra screws are for mounting most of my gear. After getting the stand set up, I was about to run to the hardware store and get the nuts and bolts I would need. Good thing I tried one of the screws on my TH8A first. It would have been nice if the instructions mentioned this.

Speaking of the instructions. Take the time to separate and arrange all fasteners and washers according to sizes and types before you start assembling the stand. You'll thank yourself later. When I untied the bags the parts were in and seen how vague the instructions were, I stopped and organized all the screws, nuts, washers and tools. After that, I was only playing "match the picture" instead of trying to find each bolt and whatnot as I attempted to decipher CAD generated hieroglyphics.

Over all, the experience is more immersive than clamping my CSR wheel to the desk. The shifter is in the right place, the pedals are always centered on the wheel. I have greater control over the wheel because it is now pointed at my chest instead of my head. And It's far easier to heel & toe when using the stand especially when coordinating with my shifter. The only draw back is, setup is a lot more involving. But that is because everything is now bolted to the stand and it's pretty weighty now. But I'm still kicking myself for waiting this long to get a stand.