Race chair

[Boby Kim]

Hi peeps,

Im going to build a new seat from aluminium profiles. My question is about the racing seat. When i look up internet i see prices ranging from 150 up to thousands of euro's.
Within the pricerange of 200 - 400 euro's what is the difference in quality? They all have adjustable back and they all come with a sled. They differ from material fake leather to syntetic. I must buy them online so i cant test it beforehand. Anyone advice?

 

[Emery]

Fabric wears out, fake leather is sweaty, real leather is expensive, vinyl will crack with age/heat, etc. Just remember that for a non-motion rig, side bolsters get in the way rather than holding you in place during high-g cornering (especially as you get older, fatter, & less flexible!). Unless you are frequently moving the rig, you also don't need to worry about minimizing the weight which would be one criteria when buying a seat for a racecar.

 

[Boby Kim]

@Emery thanks for the info. I use a regular second hand car seat but the undercarriage has been damaged so i cant put a sled underneath it....but maybe i can use the aluminum profiles to make a sled....
Back to Maycad

 

[Pär Öqvist]

Fabric wears out, fake leather is sweaty, real leather is expensive, vinyl will crack with age/heat, etc. Just remember that for a non-motion rig, side bolsters get in the way rather than holding you in place during high-g cornering (especially as you get older, fatter, & less flexible!). Unless you are frequently moving the rig, you also don't need to worry about minimizing the weight which would be one criteria when buying a seat for a racecar.

They do give support to your back though which helps even without the motion. I run so stiff brake I find this really important as you put quite some pressure on the abs on left side while braking. It can also help simulate G-forces as I at least tend to kind of lean into the corner and then I get some pressure on the outside similar to what I would get in a real car . But to tight and it can feel a bit claustrophobic when not racing.

As for fabric my cobra daytona is holding up exemplary. It was slightly tight for me when I got it but it got shaped after my body with time. Or my body got shaped by the chair I had to replace it due to a bolt for the recliner going broke after 7 years but hardly any where on the fabrics. Expensive but at least the materials used was good.

Leather may be easier to keep fresh though. I got a used BMW sport seat which is kind of a hybrid between fabrics and leather and the leather is less comfortable when racing. Not to bad unless you use shorts while racing then the legs get stuck on the leather... Didn´t really fancy the leather on my Playseat Evolution either.

You can get a really good chair for little money if you don´t need reclining. If you need a recliner that still is at least close as rigid it get expensive. But it´s really nice with an adjustable chair. My bmw sport seat I can adjust the height, the length of the lumbar supports. The tilt beside the recline. It´s not 100 % rigid but pretty good considering the functionality.