The Ultimate Rig Guide

Product Information

A sim rig is a rather large commitment in terms of cost and floor space. Many sim racers will start out with a racing wheel mounted to a desk or a foldable wheel stand. But for many, this isn’t a viable long term solution. If you are looking to upgrade our equipment or sim race more often, a sim rig is the next natural step. But a limiting factor can be floor space.

However, most sim racing rigs are heavy and cumbersome to move around. So you will want to look for somewhere rather permanent to position your sim rig that has a screen directly in front. Many sim rigs do have mounting points for screens which is the ideal solution, but again, this will take up even more space! Aluminium profile vs metal tube The combination of striking looks combined with exceptional build quality and adjustability allows the NLR F-GT Elite to be one of the best 8020 sim rigs on the market. You can also opt for a stand-alone monitor mount. This will sit independently to your sim rig, and allow you to move and reposition your screens over time. The pure flexibility of this wheel stand oriented sim rig is great. In its stand-alone wheel stand form, you can fold it away when not in use, and use it with your regular office or dining chair. And when you’re ready for a full sim rig, you can expand it with a rear frame and seat. I did touch on it above, but the main things to really consider when starting to look for a sim rig are;

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High-end aluminium profile and metal tube sim rigs allow for the most high-end sim racing equipment to be mounted without any stability issues. While all-in-one rigs and more budget-friendly options will limit the type of sim racing equipment you can mount. Rigidity – Always think about the racing wheel and pedals you’re mounting, as stronger products require a sturdier sim rig.

Aluminium profile sim rigs and sim rigs constructed from a metal tube go about achieving the same result with two completely different methods. They are both extremely strong and sturdy styles of construction and will allow you to mount the best direct drive sim racing wheels and best sim pedals to them. The most professional and heavy-duty sim racing rigs are known as 8020 sim rigs and are constructed using a heavy-duty aluminium profile. These can be highly customisable and can fit almost any requirement. The strength of the aluminium profile used allows for the strongest and best performing sim racing wheels to be mounted to them. Metal tube sim rigs

The rigidity of this sim rig is incredible, but it also does what many metal tube sim rigs fail to do. And that is to allow for customisation and adaptability as you progress as a sim racer. It starts by laying the foundations: the basics of how a carp feeds - knowledge which will help you develop and tweak your rigs. This leads onto analysing hook holds – the only sign that will tell you how well your rig is performing. We cover literally every knot known to man. We showcase 20+ of the latest rigs, each featuring clear, easy-to-follow illustrations or crisp-sharp photography. We look at 'the pro's' rigs: Gaz Fareham’s Rig For A 50; Nigel Sharp’s Stiff Bottom Bait Rig; Lewis Read’s Fatal Rig and many more. We look at lead choice (why) and set-up (when). And finally we have a manual of How To’s which will only aid in ensuring you get more bites after carrying them out. A strong wheel base for example can cause some sim rigs to flex and shake under load. The main decision you should make right at the start of your sim rig shopping experience is what style of sim rig are you looking for. Below are a few key points for each style of sim rig 8020 sim rig

With all of the customisation available and the sturdiness of the 2″ chassis, this is without a doubt one of my favourite sim rigs. Every piece of the aluminium profile used to build the P1X Pro is laser-cut to ensure a precise fit. Overall, this is without a doubt one of the best 8020 sim rigs you can buy and is the go-to professional sim rig. As mentioned, a sim rig really sits at the heart of your sim racing setup. You can mount your monitor to it allowing it to be a completely stand-alone item in your room, or you can position it in front of a mounted TV or monitor. Below I’ll look at a few key areas of a sim rig that you should consider. Style of sim rig

And the best part is that this whole setup is very budget-oriented. It is the cheapest sim rig on this list and performs well above its price range. For a first delve into sim racing, this is a perfect sim rig.

One of the additional products often available with a sim rig is an additional monitor mount. These allow you to mount a wide variety of gaming monitors directly to your sim rig. A pre-drilled mounting plate will allow you to mount a wide range of racing wheels to your rig from the bottom of the wheel base. With these, you must ensure the pre-drilled positions match the mounting points of your racing wheel. Hopefully, the above options give you a good insight into the different styles of sim rigs in 2023. I’ve highlighted the best sim rigs within each category to help narrow down the selection. But it is great for sim racers to have such a wide range of different sim rigs available. One of the reasons that the Sim Lab P1X Pro is so strong is due to the large aluminium profile that is used. The P1X Pro uses 40x160mm aluminium extrusion to ensure there is no movement or rigidity. This is compared to 40x120mm and 40x80mm that a lot of other 8020 rigs use. As you grow as a sim racer, over time you may wish to add more elements to your sim rig. These could include a mount for a shifter, keyboard tray or monitor. It is hard to account for this when purchasing a sim rig, but try to keep an eye out for the potential to upgrade over time.If you are looking at buying a high-end sim rig, you will often be presented with a choice of racing wheel mounting options. If you’re using a direct drive racing wheel, this will often be front-mounted or side-mounted. Upgradability When it comes to all-in-one sim rigs, these are rigs that include everything you need to go racing. That includes a racing seat. Many of the sim rigs that I spoke about above don’t include a racing seat, making them that extra bit more expensive. The TR8 Pro is the second evolution of the widely loved TR8. This is a 2″ Industrial Strength Iron Chassis sim rig that provides a huge amount of customisation. In fact, possibly more than some 8020 sim rigs!