nShifter/Handbrake mounting

claytob · Nov 6, 2020

I'm soon to be building a new sim rig. The playseat challenge is finally getting retired after 3 years of great service.

I never moded the challenge so I've never had a shifter and handbrake. So with my Sim-Lab GT1 EVO and fanatec shifter and handbrake arrived I'm starting to plan the build. Still waiting on my Sparco R100 seat.

The question I've been asking myself is which side to mount the shifter/handbrake. I'm in the UK so real life driving the shift is on the left. However the vast majority of sim cars I drive are left hand drive or if its an old open wheeler the shift is on the right. Feels like having the shift on the wrong side to the visual cockpit would break immersion. Especially in VR.

Of course I can test with both which I'll probably end up doing. Just wondered what other left hand drive car drivers have done.

Also wonder if I'm over thinking this!

stigs2cousin · Nov 6, 2020

While i´m driving on the right (

) side of the road in Germany I would advise you to keep your normal driving position, id est levers to the left.

It takes a lot of time and work to build new fine motor skills with the other hand.
Especially when you mix it up with your real world car.

The on time I had to drive a right hand drive car in real life it was a great struggle,

So when driving "righties" my biggest problem is to place the wheels right at the wall/ curb,
as a "lefty" your have to train your vision for that.

And about IR and immersion, when your still looking around in your car you hopefully havn´t the paddock, have you?

So, keep it simple, Sonny!

MFG Carsten

claytob · Nov 6, 2020

That's a really good point about re-learning the skills to change gear with a different hand. Like you said probably best keep it simple

I also agree seems odd to me that the uk drives on a different side to almost everyone else.

GagarynGaribaldi · Nov 6, 2020

I'm in the UK and I pondered which side to fit the shifter on my rig for the same reason. I've driven left hand drives a lot when abroad and quickly get used to driving that way so was all set to mount it on the right so all matches up with the visuals.

Then I thought about it more - pootling along country roads on holidays in a rented Fiat Uno or Suzuki jeep is quite different to heel and toeing down to second as you approach the apex of the Dunlop-Kehre at 160 kph in a M1 Procar.

I fitted my shifter on the left. Annoys me that doesn't match visuals but it was the right decision.

claytob · Nov 9, 2020

Thanks for sharing your experience. I built the rig over the wknd its not finished as I'm still waiting on the seat to arrive but I have mounted the shifter and handbrake on the left. Can't wait to try it out.