Slow Start Guide
- For: you want to understand what you are buying before you buy it
- In a hurry: Quick Start Guide
1. Try before you buy
- A used Logitech G29 / G920: $100 to $150, and it resells for the same
- Or a friend's rig, or a sim racing lounge
- Goal: find out if you like it. Any wheel will tell you
2. Answer three questions
- Platform first. It limits which wheels work before budget does
3. Learn the words
| Word |
Means |
| Wheelbase |
The motor the steering wheel attaches to |
| Direct drive |
Wheel bolted straight to the motor. The standard now |
| Nm |
Wheelbase strength |
| Load cell |
A brake that reads pressure, not travel |
| Rig |
The frame that holds seat, wheel and pedals |
4. Pick a tier
- Six tiers, $200 to $18,000: Types of Setups
- Each tier page ends with an example build: parts, prices, links to buy
- Unsure between two: take the lower one. Parts carry up
5. Buy in this order
flowchart LR
A[First<br>Direct drive wheelbase] --> B[Second<br>Load cell brake] --> C[Then<br>Everything else]
- Everything else, in the usual order: rigid rig, triples or VR, shakers, belt tensioner, motion
- One thing at a time, or you cannot tell what helped
- Used market, when to buy, common regrets: Buying Smart
6. Read up on each part before you pay
- Each one has a "Where to buy" table at the bottom
7. Set it up properly
- Seating, field of view, force feedback, brake: First Setup
- The two free wins: correct field of view, force feedback that does not clip
8. Learn to drive it
- One slow car, one track, for weeks
- Consistency first, speed later
- First ranked race: after 10 clean laps in a row
- Games, costs, online basics: What to Play