Suggestions for design of adjustable simulator rig?

Hi guys, I'm new to diy simulators, but I love racing simulations and electronics, so naturally this was the next step. I'm looking at putting together a simple 2DOF rig, but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with creating one that was adjustable for different users?

I am taller than the average person, and I'd really like to be able to share the simulator experience with other people of varying heights/lengths/weights etc. Most of the designs I have seen involve a frame designed around a single driver and the dimensions fixed by a welded frame. Has anyone attempted to create a frame that could extend in length, and with a steering wheel mount that could be raised/lowered, brought forward/backward etc?

Hi Jos3ph!

I've been building my first 2dof sim about half a year now and also wanted pedal and wheel distance to be adjustable. I simply used 25x25 tube inside 30x30 tube, so it would be possible to slide wheelstand and pedal stand back and forth. Locking in place happens with bolts.

I would attach link but there is something seriously wrong with my phone, I cant attach pics or copy/paste anything

But search thread "2dof Beginner rig completed" if you want to see how I did it.

In this thread http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/dual-racing-sims-2dof.5732/ I show how I made adjustable wheel and pedal stand

These rigs look fantastic! I am specifically aiming to create one that has the wheel and pedals mounted to the chair, as I intend to use it for Oculus VR.

@noorbeast, that rig is art. I'm curious about your motor setup. Most of the rigs I've seen have the motors on the rear of the seat. Is there any difference to having them on the front like that? Does it affect the angles for pitch and roll? How did you come up with that design? Did you use CAD first?

@Jos3ph he got his inspiration from here
http://www.xsimulator.net/community/threads/desk-racer-2dof.5326/

Oh I see! That is great! Perhaps you could answer my question about the motor placement? How does it compare to motors placed at the rear? I really like the compact design!

maybe 5% less tactile vibration, but a good profile fix would sort that.

Is it possible to still get the same maximum pitch/roll angles as rear-mounted motors when using motors at the front? Is there any difference?

I am very certain that my needs will be for VR sim racing. I also would like it to be as compact as possible (like your rig), and I'd expect that I would want to upgrade it to 3DOF at some point in the future. If I were to go with the front compact design, is there anything that can be done to ensure the motors can handle the load? How does a profile (I am assuming that means simulation profile in the software?) make up the difference between front and rear mounted motors?

What I found is the distance from the pivot to the motor connection . With a rear mount motor, the motors would be about 500mm away from the pivot, thats mounting them about 15deg out and 15 deg back. Therefore I got about 8 deg total swing and sway and surge.
The desk racer , the pivot is close to the motors, but because of its design, meaning its compact, the distance of the pivot changed that . With mine it was 7 deg total for sway , and 17 deg total angle for surge. So surge is a lot more, but again, I adjusted the motion profile so the surge was less and it all felt even.
Even the "foot motor" mount full frame I had ages ago, again, distance from pivot was 700mm, but because teh motor were only 450mm apart, I got small surge and big sway motion. Again, a profile tweak sorted this out.
Over all, as long as the frame is balanced, we can help you get a motion profile set so it all feels more even.
Dave.

What kind of angles would you recommend I be aiming for? Does greater lean angles mean greater forces felt/better simulation?

@Jos3ph , thats a yes and no answer.
Let me explain,
Bigger angles depending on the frame, may require bigger motors or higher torque gearboxes to move you. Consider that.
Different cars in different games give more motion. A good motion profile will give you the immersion the most.
Dirt games, rally cars , especially newer ones are usually fairly solid and not too sway in motion. Stadium trucks give you a lot more "slosh" motion as they roll more.
Most tarmac game cars are the same, unless you drive an older vehicle in game.
The same motion profile usually does well for all cars.
Seat mover, generally 8-10 deg angle total surge and sway is a nice even amount, you are only moving yourself, not a full frame.
Full frame, Id suggest up to 12 deg angle, but even lower is fine.
My desk racer as said has more surge than sway, so it really feels the drops and hills in most games, but thats more pitch. Surge I has settled so its snappy throwing me back under gas and more settled under brakes.
Hope that helps a bit.
And can @BlazinH also please comment as to angles of throw as his sim has a LOT more all over movement than most.