3D Printed DIY Video Game Racing Set Up
Introduction: 3D Printed DIY Video Game Racing Set Up
While racing games are fun, they become at least triple the fun when you have a steering wheel instead of a mouse and keyboard! We built a DIY steering wheel that can be used for your favorite racing sims. In our case, you'll watch as we make a steering wheel and pedals set up for my personal favorite racing simulator, Asseto Corsa!
Our names are <PERSON> and <PERSON> and we're both seniors who go to Irvington High School. We built this project for our Principles of Engineering class led by Ms. <PERSON>. <PERSON> is a big F1 racing fan, and we decided that making a controller would be a fun and challenging project.
One thing to mention is that while this setup utilizes both a steering wheel and pedals if you're only looking for a steering wheel controller, you don't need the pedals and can bind the throttle and the brakes to the wheel itself. The pedals are our personal preference and we recommend them because they work really well with the whole setup.
Supplies
20mm Pillow Block Bearing (x6)
Rotary Encoder (x5)
Arduino Leonardo
M8 Nuts
M8 Screws
M3 Nut/Screw/Washer Pack
Suction Cups (x4)
Wires
Electrical Tape
Heat Shrink
PLA filament
PETG filament
Buttons (x8)
Spring Damper System
M20 Threaded Rod
M20 Hex Nuts
Limit Switch
Soldering Tools
Prusa Mini
Prusa Mk3s+
LulzBot Cura
Step 1: CAD
This design will consist of two main assemblies: the Steering Wheel and the Pedal Base. All assemblies were created in Fusion 360.
The wooden parts and the 3d printed parts have been distinguished clearly when designing, and have labels that will help with the identification of the parts, as some of them look quite similar.
The following parts have been created in CAD and added to their respective assemblies:
Steering Wheel:
Steering Wheel Handles
Steering Wheel Brackets
Steering Wheel Body
Axle
Potentiometer Holder
The top cover of the steering wheel
Support walls for the steering wheel (2 total)
Pedals + Pedal Base
Pedals
Throttle Base
Brake Base
Potentiometer Holder
Throttle and Brake Holder
Rod Holder
The base for both the brake and the throttle.
The brake and the throttle (4 parts total)
The linkage pieces for the brake and throttle to the potentiometers (2 total)
Various other parts such as the potentiometers, buttons, and bearings have also been modeled to assist with the creation of the design.
Step 2: 3D Printing
One thing to mention is that while this setup utilizes both a steering wheel and pedals if you're looking for a steering wheel controller only, you don't need the pedals, especially if you already have pre-bought ones from Fanatec. 949
The pedals we're going to make use of the same principles they do. The pedals we make are our personal preference and we recommend them because they work really well with the whole setup.
The first step in this entire process is to 3D print the necessary parts. The parts we will be printing include:
Steering Wheel:
Steering Wheel Handles
Steering Wheel Brackets
Steering Wheel Body
Axle
Potentiometer Holder
Pedals + Pedal Base
Pedals
Throttle Base
Brake Base
Potentiometer Holder
Throttle and Brake Holder
Rod Holder
While it may seem like a lot, many of these parts are very small and take up a little printing material only. All these parts are printed in PETG, with a few exceptions. We recommend printing your test prints in PLA and your final prints in PETG. You can print these parts in the color of your choice, and make them as aesthetically pleasing as you like!
Here's a brief explanation of what each part will be used for.
Steering Wheel Prints
Steering Wheel Handles - These will attach to the top of the steering wheel body with a screw.
Steering Wheel Brackets - These brackets will be used to hold the two pieces of wood that hold the steering wheel up. For now, you can keep these aside.
Steering Wheel Body - The body will contain the two limit switches that will be used as shifters for our wheel. It will also be used to attach the handles and the wood covering with the buttons.
Axle - The axle will be connected to our potentiometer and will help relay the input to the Arduino. 226