Universal joint

Still sourcing all the parts for my first build and the last thing on the list is the universal joint..

How big does this need to be.. (U-joint type preferred)..
As I was searching I found joint but they are all for steering columns..

As the seat is support eventually on 3 points .. 2 to the motor and I on the joint wich should be on the center of gravity.. I can imagine I don't really need a huge joint.. but can a joint like NRC7704 be good enough?!

Please share opinion.. (looking for a part in the Netherlands, or perhaps somebody in Europe has one laying around

With kind regards,

Michael

Hi @Michael Hensen, any scrap car drive shaft will do. I used a scrap landrover drive shaft. Possibly over-engineered but it won't break.

Mike

That's what I did. Found one (hundreds listed) here on eBay. Out of a Corvette. It was 30.00 US with shipping and had a brand new yoke and bearing installed.
Cut it off at spline, welded it onto my steel plates, and it's going to be great. As Mike said, car scrap yards/parts yards to can get what you want. Here, in my local, I would of had to physically find one and
take of off of the vehicle, THEN pay for it. For 30.00, I didn't have to go through that crap.

Tom

cut down driveshaft, not sure what car, but at $20, it was cheap enough to give me a pivot point, I welded a plate on one end.

My local scrap yard has the stuff already off the cars on rows of shelving, as long as the bearings are in good condition and have no play which would allow the seat to twist then you will be OK.

SeatTime,
@bsft and mine almost looked the same, BEFORE I cut my down and welded to plates and spline.
Even if the bearings are rough, many times you can take the caps off, wash the bearing out, regrease and they're like new - did that many times many moons ago when I worked with cars.

@cthiggin , I got lazy and just gave the thing a quick clean and painted it. It didnt need a new uni joint as the old one was still good.
Yours look real good though

bsft,
Man, yours looks just fine.
I'm trying to make "everything" match on my platform build.....was three years just to get started this Jan - and I guess I'm probably just going "overboard" -
I am making good progress - having real "issues" trying to source a custom spring here is US...that's the ONLY thing holding the build up right now.

Have a blessed one,

Tom

hi, I have not seen anyone suggesting this type of joints (shown in the picture). Its mainly seen underneath the tyres. I am planning to use this, is there anything wrong?

they should be fine. They are designed to hold the corner of a car, which is a lot heavier than a simulator with a person on it.

will go to a scrap yard this week, hope I will find something

Be careful with these, as if they are a ball joint they will twist and not be suitable to support a chair. The less twist you have in the universal joint under load the better motion you will get out of the sim. The first universal joint that I tried on my sim had too much play (twist) under load and I had to replace it. I think the car drive shafts shown above by bsft and cthiggin are the best to use.