Full Rig-Planning Help (Motion Hardware Focus)

[The_MisFitz]

Main Purpose: Drifting in Assetto Corsa (not ACC). Intend to play Dirt Rally 2 and circuit racing in the future.

Current Hardware: T300, Fanatec Handbrake, Shifter & CSL Elite LC pedals all on a Playseat Challenge. Oculus Rift S

Planned Hardware: Solid Rig with motion functionality. DD wheel, high end pedals with haptic feedback, bass shakers (likely not buttkickers though).

Budget: Less than a drift car, around 5-6k. May increase budget and do upgrades gradually. I plan to buy as much used as possible. I know I’ll likely be limited to wheel and pedals for purchasing used though.

So I’m trying to decide between buying a cheap 350z and drifting it or building a dream rig. I’m really missing the adrenaline kick in drifting due to not really feeling anything. I know a sim rig will never simulate the adrenaline of a real car but if I can come somewhat close and not have to pay for tires, entry fees and everything else, I think it’d be worth it.

I’m really getting deep into the niche with these aspirations and I’m beyond my depth. I’m hoping to get some help with finding what hardware I should get so I can come up with a proper budget to save up for. I am relatively handy and am somewhat coherent for doing things DIY and would prefer to do so if it would save me money.

Sim Rig and motion. This is where I’m very much so out of my depth. It seems like there are a crazy amount of options, opinions and advice in the arena. Every guide I can find seems to either be sponsored, focused on a different use-case, or outdated. I’ve heard of cheap DIY options and wildly expensive Mercedes-prices motion rigs. I need to be able to fit 1 monitor and would prefer something that I can fit 3 monitors on eventually (just an an option in the future so I can use triples or VR) and the ability to mount pedals inverted like an average street car. I’ve tried to research building my own aluminum rig and it seems like it will almost always be cheaper to just buy one which i would prefer. For the motion, I would prefer to do the SFX DIY cheap option if it’s still possible but I don’t know much about the specs on motion like throw, # of actuators, etc. any help on the motion side would be greatly appreciated. I still need to do A LOT of research on this. This is where I need the most help.

I want to eventually upgrade to a DD wheel but not sure what I should get. It seems like the Fanatec DD1 is the most popular, compatible and capable base. Would this likely be the best choice?

Not sure what to get for pedals. I just want something that’s a bit better than what I have that has haptic feedback. I’ve seen ClubSport V3s and Heusinkvelds. Not sure what to get as I’m sure I won’t be competitively racing, but I’d still like a higher-end set that makes me feel a bit closer to driving a real car.

Bass shakers I can probably figure out on my own. I’m okay at wiring things up, especially with tutorials. I don’t think I want to go with buttkickers because they seem to expensive under the excuse of being turnkey. I’ve never used based shakers before but I’m thinking I’d want one at each corner of the rig and one under the seat to simulate each tire and the butt-o-meter. Not sure if this is the ideal situation but any advice on setup and parts would be appreciated as well!!

As this will likely be a gradual build, I’ll likely have to choose what to upgrade first. I’m thinking for the purpose of tackling the largest immersion points first, I’d do Rig>Shakers>Motion>Equipment. Open to arguments against this upgrade path as well.

I realize this is a very long post but I would be incredibly grateful to anyone who can help me with my dream rig plan. I’m also happy to post on other forums and such for better advice if anyone can suggest other places to look. Thank you so much for any help and I hope you all a Merry Christmas!

 

[Clover11]

I don't have experience with any motion systems but your upgrade path seems to make sense for the most part. I would caution that simulating drifting can be challenging as most motion systems don't have a lot of yaw motion. Having said that though, I would not completely agree with you that you can't get an adrenalin rush while in a sim. While in races, my heart rate will often climb over 120 BPM and I literally shake after some close fights. Maybe not everyone gets as pulled into it as me, but for some people it can feel pretty encompassing.

As for the cost of the rig, that can really very depending on where you live. Some locations it costs about the same for a kit as if you DIY, some locations can be cheaper to DIY for sure. Make sure you check shipping costs on anything you are looking at as big chunks of aluminum just cost money to ship. If you do DIY, you may want to consider going with the same width as one of the kits so you can use their wheel mounting solutions or pedal decks. I went with a SimLabs P1-X and am very happy with it. Nothing super complicated but it was well done and they included everything I needed and a few spares.

If you are thinking of doing base shakers, you should consider what seat you will use and how you will mount it. I'm no expert on this either, but it seems like ideally you can attach some to your seat. The fiberglass seats seem to transmit the feedback better then an aluminum shell.

For a DD, Fanatec does seem to sell the most. Can't disagree with you there. The SimuCube 2 line is a pretty direct competitor and there seem to be a decent number of people that have actually changed from the Fanatec Podium to the SC2. I recently bought a SC2 Pro and am very happy with it. You should check out the Accuforce 2 and the Simagic wheels which are both cheaper and offer good value. Check out button boxes and wheels too if you are thinking of a DD. They really add to the total cost and maybe where Fanatec has a bit of an edge you really get a lot of wheel for your money from them. For instance, a wireless wheel and button box for a SC2 that has the same number of functions as the Fanatec Formula V2 costs a good bit more but maybe you don't need all those extra functions and would prefer to use a OMP rally wheel that matches what you use in your car, which is easier to do with a SC2 or Accuforce V2.

With a rig, motion, bass shakers, DD wheel/button box and new pedals, I think you might find yourself over your budget. However, running costs for real cars is going to be much more even if nothing brakes. In my area, a track day costs me probably at least $400/day if everything goes well with a cheap to operate car and probably cost me more like $600 on the cars I have run the past decade. That is just in the track day entry fee, basic insurance, fuel, brake pads, brake fluid, oil change and tires. It sounds like you have had a drift car before, so you probably know the deal but the initial cost of the car is just a starting point. Also, it is real easy for us strangers to spend your money.