A seat for simracing

[Hyperactive]

What kind of seat is good for sim racing? I'm thinking about buying a new seat for to be used when using my pc and also playing games. I even have some ridiculous must-have specs for it:
- able to turn around (like a normal officechair)
- adjustable height and angle of the backrest
No need for wheels to move around and must not cost over hundred euros (mmm. 150€ is the highest limit, and for that price it must damnit be comfortable :fap:)

I've seen that many people have set up their own unique cockpits and staff, but i don't have the space or the enthusiasm to make one. How have other LFS addicts solved this - what kind of seats you got there?

Since I'm from Finland, I'd like to hear from other natives' opinions and places where to get these seats that can be used with wheel and pedals and also with mouse and kb!

My back is really killing me after couple of hours of playing LFS :)

[Tweaker]

I just use an executive office chair (high-back). A special seat doesn't make you remarkabley faster, or faster at all, afterall you don't experience any g-forces :). Many fast drivers either sit in a wooden chair about to fall apart, or a nicely padded chair with comfort for long races. It mostly depends on how well you are placed for your body position in terms of feet extending comfortably -- not too high, not too low.

Up to you really :)

[Hyperactive]

I was just wondering if there was some kind of office chair or something like that, that would have the needed adjustments to make it a good seat for my sim racing as well :). All I basically need is some adjustments to the back rest... As my curresnt one has only one: painful.

I know it won't make me any faster and I've seen some horrible photos where people almost sit on a wooden stick and have their wheels in 45 degrees to them... That is just painful to watch (true believers:) )But if I am ever going to drive endu races, I won't be sitting in this seat I now have.

I was thinking about going to the auto scrapyard (where they take parts off from old cars) and buy an old car seat there with its accesories to bolt it down to the frame of my current chair :). Actually this should be fairly easy, but it would be so damn ugly :spin: . Maybe buy a new seat and make it all fit to my racing set with editing the pedals to make it a barebone cockpit :)

But then this topic would have to move to the RSC cockpit forum...:weeping:

EDIT: spelling...

[tristancliffe]

I have a leather faced executive chair, which tilts, spins and rises at my command!!

The only downside (and it's not a big problem) is the arm rests. When wheel-twirling I have a tendancy to catch my elbows on them, but I only notice the soreness after the race...

[mrodgers]

I have a leather faced executive chair, which tilts, spins and rises at my command!!
Yep, same here. Though I've noticed the cushioning getting worn out more since I've found LFS.

Head over to the cockpit section of RSC and check out the PVC racing frames. This is what I want to do and finding a good seat out of a junk yard it the ticket. The best automotive stock seat I've ever encountered is either a VW Scirocco or VW GTi (same seat). They have good adjustments. You can lower the back of the seat (bottom) to get really comfortable. I'd imagine a seat from a junkyard would be fairly inexpensive.

[Hyperactive]

Maybe I start my adventure of junkyards then :)

But first to the RSC ->

thx!

[dave_w11]

I'm using the drivers seat out of a Ford Sierra and it's very comfortable and adjustable. It doesn't swizzle as I just made a small frame out of wood for it, but it shouldn't be too hard to attach it to the frame of a swizzely chair. When I tried this I ended up a lot too high though, so make sure you have a low swizzely chair to start with.

I'm also planning on using the pedals out of the Sierra, but havent got round to making those useable yet.

[nism0]

I use a Racepro car racing seat. Cost me $500NZD, i'm sure you could get one second hand for a quarter the price.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y120/xguitarist/Aut_2006.jpg
I used an office chair as the base..

[P1lot]

I use a slightly posh office chair that has all the usual adjustments.

The only modification is to lower and tilt it back, and keep it there while racing with the aid of a door-stop jammed underneath the tilt mechanism. :)

[Vain]

I own a leather-coated executive's chair. Very neat for working... it tilts, rolls, turns, raises and is extremely comfortable.
But when I compare this to a usual racing-seat the chair performs rather bad. It unintentionally changes the position, the position is too upright, the armrests hinder me, it allows me to change position in the seat, etc. Everything a racing-seat shouldn't do.

I'm planning to build a very low computer chair out of an old porsche-seat. The position should be just as low as you imagin it'd be in the FZ50.
For working this requires special changes to the working-enviroment. Writing texts is only comfortable with a cordless keyboard and I'm still working on a good place for the mouse.
So what I want to say:
Don't adjust your LFS-position to your daily work, but adjust your working-position to your racing. :)
A bit of carpentry and you're set for great racing and comfortable work.

Vain

[Hyperactive]

Hmm, maybe I should consider making my own racing/working seat then...

But first I'd need a decent chassis or something to attach the seat... Luckily I have some spare car and tractor parts, so maybe I could find some kind of lockable turning thingie between the chassis and the seat. Cast iron of course :) But first I need that seat...

And while doing it, maybe make some kind of extra button system for LFS as well (on/off switches for pit limiter, lights, emergency lights...)

[Tweaker]

Good luck with that! Post pictures of your progress if you can, would be neat to see :)

[Cue-Ball]

I use a real car seat like some of the other guys in this thread. There really is no substitute as far as I'm concerned. And I've got my setup in such a way that it hides away easily when company comes over (non-car loving company, that is). :)

Pics of my setup on page 5 or so of the "Post your LFS Rig" thread.

[Hyperactive]

There is just one problem though - welding. Neither have I the equipment or skill to put it all together. BUT, maybe I use bolts or tape :) But the seat...maybe go tomorrow and check some places...

[dave_w11]

I don't think welding's absolutely necessary. My setup so far is made entirely out of wood that was already lying around in the garage as I don't have any welding gear. It doesn't look pretty but it is very useable :) You'll have a tougher job than me as you want swizzelyness, mine's just sat on the floor (the frame that is, not the seat from the car)! I'm sure you'll manage with what's around though :thumb:

The extra switches sound like a good idea. I was tempted to use the switches and possibly steering wheel off the car I got the rest of my stuff from, but will be using it for something else shortly so had to resist! :bitehard3 It would be great to be able to find the right buttons when I wanted them though.

Buying a battered old car is probably great value for getting 'sim stuff' from. The Ford Sierra I mentioned earlier I got for £120 delivered, and the scrap man gave me £10 for it when I'd removed pretty much everything (I'm using most the other parts for something else). If you were just getting it for sim stuff though you could be less picky about the car you get and probably get something a lot cheaper or even free! I don't know how cheap old battered cars are in other parts of the world?

Things I'm using for LFS out of it:
The drivers seat.
The pedals.
A nice big spring from the boot, to be used for clutch pedal as it feels about right + cable from bonnet catch to go from pedal to spring.
Accelerator cable and throttle body, so my accelerator pedal will feel authentic :D The car had fuel injection, so I can use the throttle position sensor instead of having to try and find another pot.
Windscreen wiper motor - I'm going to try and use this to make a force feedback/pressure sensitive brake pedal. Don't know quite how well this is going to work though yet.
Could also have possibly used the steering wheel and switches if I didn't need them. I guess the force feedback would feel a bit muted through a big heavy wheel though.

Sounds like good value for all that, and I enjoyed ripping the car to bits :D



That triple monitor setup looks great Cue-Ball! Didn't know someone had actually managed to get that working.




PS I think that's the longest combination of consecutive sentences I've ever written :schwitz:

[Hyperactive]

Well, I've made a total 180 here. I just bought myself a new office chair. It has all the adjustments I need and it is quite comfortable too. But the best thing is the price, a little less than 70€ (special offer).

But maybe I'll start working with that extra switch-panel then... gotta find something to do :)

[HWX_eXcluded]

I use an OMP racing seat buckled into my raceframe, can't ask for a better driving position really :)

[huxorator]

Fat cat that is! :D

@Topic: I am pretty much happy with my adjustable office chair. Only thing I would need to think about is a way to stop it from moving / rolling on the floor. It is standing on 5 casters and therefor, I am looking for a smart & good-looking way to give it a break.

[ellis_dee]

Easiest way to do that is probably taking a piece of wood , the size like 70 cm square and cut 5 holes into in at the appropriate positions, so the rollers cant move....

[Fordman]

Could always try a CyberSeat (http://www.cyberseat.co.uk) :D

[ajp71]

Using an ENA 12-16, god knows where it came from, but it's a rickety old wooden chair. I have an office swivel chair but that's useless as it has wheels on it. I don't think there's alot to choose in chairs, I personally prefer a fixed chair, but I can't see any chair making to huge a difference. There really isn't any alternative to a cockpit to give a good driving position though unfortunatley it's often not a realistic option. Having a stable table is more important.

[Matrixi]

I bought a used 200SX seat (http://nismo.1g.fi/temp/cockpit/seat.jpg) for my cockpit project. Cost around 50 euros and found it from www.dnsf.org

I can't really recommend buying a normal office executive chair, because they tend to be so high that it feels like you are sitting in a Toyota Corolla instead of a raw racer. Also, office chairs tend to have arm rests, which will just be in the way of your arms when you rotate the wheel.

So, just get a real seat of a car, bolt it up to a old office chair, and voila! :nod:

[Hyperactive]

Well, I actually bought an office chair, but it had some manufacturing errors in it so I had to take it back :(. It was actually quite good, you could adjust very much everything...too bad it wasn't made to last. And it wasn't too high either...

Maybe I'll check again that seat project. Just got my pedals finished so maybe it's time to start a new project :thumb:

[--==Gogo==--]

How about this one: http://www.frex.com/gp/motion/motionpage1.htm
;)

I will definately buy pedals there: http://www.frex.com/gp/pedal/index.htm
No wait. Christmas is coming! ;)

[Hyperactive]

*Bump*

Just fyi, I am planning to start this project tomorrow. First I am planning to go find some cheap office chair with wheels (used one, the wheels are needed just for the practicality). Then I take a look at the chair (if I find any good ones) and take notes on what the seat should be like to fit "easily" to the base. Then to the junkyard to find a nice used Ferrari (or Porsche) seat. ;)

Let's see if it can be done :)

[Vain]

Look out for Porsche 924 or 944 seats. Those are really well made seats (100% "wow, these are great" by all I know who tried them) and these cars (unfortunately) end up in the junkyard by now.

Vain

[Hyperactive]

Damn, didn't find any good base chairs for the project today. Tomorrow again, when I have all day for it. All I could find was that plastic stuff. And that stuff isn't made to last :(

[Wuzzie]

I want a CyberSeat. :nod:

[Sticky-Micky]

i made this for under £50 :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/1003/Sticky/Bling%20Seat/341de7e5.jpg

[Hyperactive]

Today with more luck. Found this babe for 10€ (overpriced anyway), pic1. Then to the car junkyard to look for a seat. And found this, for 20€, pic1. In pic2 I have taken off all the "soft stuff".

And good news, I got my uncle persuaded to do some welding so I have lot more freedom on how I will attach the seat and the chair. (I could have welded the stuff at my uni, but I'm "a bit" lazy :p). Atm., the chair does not have wheels yet, but it has holes on its "feet" where I can attach some of my own. After this post I'll start making plans and go cutting parts so I have it all ready when the judgement day comes :smileypul

Too bad I just broke my pedals with new springs installation, so my driving experience at the moment is really encouraging me to go on with this :D

More to follow :)

[mr grady]

ages ago a mate was scrapping his nissan micra, so i had one of the front seats. i made a base from MDF, and along with my old momo wheel has given hours and hours of fun sim racing.

at work they still take the p*ss though!

[Captain Slow]

ages ago a mate was scrapping his nissan micra, so i had one of the front seats. i made a base from MDF, and along with my old momo wheel has given hours and hours of fun sim racing.

at work they still take the p*ss though!

my dad soon going to be scrapping an old ford fiesta. hmmm. :scratchch

[Hyperactive]

Update :p

Today I got the parts welded, and just few minutes ago I got it assembled. I'll post some pics tomorrow, but I say that for the price of 30€ it feels amazing. And no sqeeks or other disturbing sounds :)

My ass may finally rest in peace ;)

[wheel4hummer]

My ass may finally rest in peace ;)

My condolences to your ass.

[Hyperactive]

After 2 days of extensive testing my ass and myself agree that this has been the 4th best 30€ I've ever spent (LFS, GPL and drunken trips top it but...). It did took longer than I though because I accidentally made it too tall at first. My legs couldn't reach the floor :p. After some mind blowing massacring I got some parts cut off and it started to look better. Called my uncle, told him to stop bitching and start welding.

The result is seen in the hq pic below:

[CSU1]

I have an Idea:)
Take your old car in teh garage, put it on axel stands,remone the shocks, slap in four four hyfraulic rams, link up your wheel/pedals/gears etc.get a four inch tft screen for your rear view mirror, place a white canvas on the windscreen and driver/passenger windows, get three projectors and point em' at the screens, get some tech guru from LFS to write some app to tell the rams when to work,get a six pack from the offie,jump in put the pedal to the metal and let the good times roll baby:D

[Sticky-Micky]

After 2 days of extensive testing my ass and myself agree that this has been the 4th best 30€ I've ever spent (LFS, GPL and drunken trips top it but...). It did took longer than I though because I accidentally made it too tall at first. My legs couldn't reach the floor :p. After some mind blowing massacring I got some parts cut off and it started to look better. Called my uncle, told him to stop bitching and start welding.

The result is seen in the hq pic below:


i made mine far to tall as well :(

it killed me cutting off all the welds i had done :(

[Hyperactive]

i made mine far to tall as well :(

it killed me cutting off all the welds i had done :(

Actully it's quite good now. It is few centimeters too tall still but it is so little that it doesn't bother me. I just put a 10 cm metal box under my pedals to raise them a bit and it feel pretty much perfect :)

[ElvisArg]

Here`s my seat. I attached the g25 shifter to the seat. It feels more real.

[ImportFantasy]

Here`s my seat. I attached the g25 shifter to the seat. It feels more real.


thats a good idea!:thumb:

[Demon68]

A cheap (100 euro) race-seat from the car shop, a little aluminium and some wood makes a perfect place to play LFS.