Budget Considerations in Sim Racing
Sim racing has an endless way to spend more than your next paycheck in a flash.
Many guides will show “budget rigs”, some costing thousands, but with budget in mind what should you upgrade? Should you upgrade your wheel or your base first, What are the best budget sim racing rig upgrades?
It’s overall a very complicated question, and it’s highly situational, and depends on your goals in sim racing. Your current setup and plans long term play a massive part. There’s far more to it than just what wheel base you own.
A consideration many don’t think about are your pedals. Many pedals can be used comfortably on the floor whereas others will simply run away when you press on the brake, or are too stiff for even some lightweight cockpits.
Assessing Your Current Setup
First let’s talk about what you have. Is your desk sturdy enough for your wheel, what do you currently have?
For those who have very sturdy desks, they most likely can withstand mid range wheels such as the CSL DD and the Moza R9 without issue, and are more likely to be limited by how your pedals are mounted.
However if you simply are desiring more power than what a G29 or a Moza R3 offers. Upgrading your wheel base is far from a bad idea as you’ll get to experience many of the benefits of the new wheel off the bat.
Wheel Base vs Rig: When to Upgrade
But let’s say you’re stuck on a flimsy desk, your Logitech G29 with 2.3Nm or torque or Moza R3 is pushing it to it’s limit, and your pedals can’t be pushed against the wall, upgrading to a rig will improve your experience massively over a new wheel base.
Choosing the Right Sim Racing Rig
So what happens if you want to upgrade to a rig, what should you do, there are so many different kinds out there. So, let’s break down the primary different kinds of rigs you’ll run into.
8020/Aluminum Extrusion Rigs: The End Game
These are usually the high end, the end game type of rig you’ll commonly see in competitions and in high end builds. 8020 and Aluminum Extrusion rigs are generally considered the gold standard and offer almost endless amounts of adjustability.
Fortunately for the consumer these rigs have started to come down in price over the years as more competition enters the market and more budget friendly models have been developed.
In general quality and even mid range extrusion rigs will never have to be changed out, they are a true one and done purchase that you’ll keep as long as you intend on racing.
For budget sim racers, rigs from 6Sigma Sim Racing, Sim Lab, Trak Racer and more are all highly recommended by fellow sim racers. It is worth checking out detailed review on any profile rigs you find. Despite almost looking the same, profile rigs can vary wildly in terms of thickness of the aluminum extrusion.
Wheel Stands: Space-Efficient Rigs
These are generally the most space efficient rigs on the market, and many people would be surprised by how sturdy they can be. Companies such as Trak racer offer products such as the FS3 V2 Wheel Stand. These products are designed to put up with some seriously high torque wheelbases and feature sturdy pedal plate. For sim racer strapped for space but still wanting a high end wheel base and pedals these options can be a great fit.
However a major downside of wheel stands is the consistency. Each time you put one of these away, everything has be set it back up. As a consequence, you very rarely have the exact seating position you last raced with, meaning each session can have a minor adjustment period.
Many racers might also it difficult to find a comfortable racing position. Most wheel stands offer limited adjustability in comparison to extrusion rigs, this means racers who are extremely tall or short might have a hard time getting comfortable.
The other downside of the wheel stands isn’t necessarily the wheel stands fault, your experience can very wildly depending on your chair. If you have a chair on wheels or one with a lot of flex, you can feel like it’s constantly sliding away from the rig.
This is something that I’ve had serious issues with in my 8 years sim racing, with almost half of that time being spent on wheel stands. One issue that very rarely get’s brought up with wheel stands is braking consistency.
Depending on how sturdy your chair is and how well attached it is to the wheel stand, you might find that due to flex you unintentionally are releasing brake pressure even if you have your foot in the same position.
But let’s say high end wheelbases and pedals is not in your future, are wheel stands still for you? If you’re an immersion race strapped for space or someone wanting to get into competitive racing, wheel stands offer an affordable and solid middle ground between being a desk racer and having a full blow rig taking up half your room without compromising too much on performance.
Folding Rigs: Convenience vs Performance
Although personally I’ve only ever owned one, the GT Omega FGT Lite, these can be the most hit and miss type of rig.
For those who fit into them well and have low to mid range equipment such as the Logitech G29, and even something like a Moza R5, they can be a great option.
Unlike extrusion rigs and wheel stands, there’s no need to find a seat that matches the your wheel stand.
Everything is nicely self-contained and the driving position stays the same every time you get into it. All the while they can be hidden out of view in a closet when you don’t want to use them.
For casual racers these can be amazing options. They’re perfect for pulling up to a TV and having fun on Forza or Gran Turismo. However for those who have intentions of really pushing the limits, getting higher end equipment can be far more limiting than a stand and even a desk in some cases due to the inherent flex many of these folding stands have.
For many it can feel like they’re getting rid of these just as they started using them as the sim racing bug hits them, and the folding rigs quickly become inadequate.
Conclusion: Next Steps in Your Sim Racing Journey
Although it’s hard to account for everyone’s situation, I hope this guide sent you down the right path to enjoying your racing more than you did yesterday. Let’s keep pushing the limits together.