How to Set Up Your Sim Racing Cockpit

Learn how to set up your sim racing cockpit step-by-step like a pro. Optimize seat, wheel, pedals, monitor, FOV, audio, and force feedback so your rig feels realistic, comfortable, and competitive every time you drive at home on any platform or game.

How to Set Up Your Sim Racing Cockpit

Setting up a sim racing cockpit correctly is less about mimicking the look of a race car and more about mimicking the ergonomics. A proper setup prevents injury, reduces fatigue, and—most importantly—makes you faster and more consistent by relying on muscle memory rather than visual cues.

This guide follows the “Golden Order of Operations”: Seat $\rightarrow$ Pedals $\rightarrow$ Wheel $\rightarrow$ Monitor.

Phase 1: The Seat (The Foundation)

You cannot set up your wheel or pedals until your seat is fixed. If you move your seat later, you ruin the geometry of everything else.

• The Goal: A stable, consistent position where your lower back is supported.

• Angle: For a GT-style setup (most common), angle the seat back slightly (approx. 100°–110°). You should not be hunched forward, nor lying down flat.

• Height: If your rig allows, tilt the entire seat base backward slightly. This cradles your hips and prevents you from sliding forward under heavy braking.

Phase 2: The Pedals

Adjust your pedals before your steering wheel. Your legs are stronger than your arms but less adaptable; get them comfortable first.

• Distance: Slide the pedals (or your seat) until you can fully depress the brake and clutch (if applicable) while keeping a slight bend in your knee.

  • The Check: If your leg locks out straight when you brake, the pedals are too far. If your knees hit the underside of a desk/wheel deck, they are too close.

• Height: Ideally, your heels should be level with or slightly below your hips. If your pedals are too high, you will feel circulation cut off in your thighs.

Phase 3: The Steering Wheel

Now that your body is fixed, bring the wheel to you.

• Height: The center of the steering wheel hub should point at your neck or collarbone.

  • Common Mistake: Most beginners set the wheel too low (aiming at the stomach). This forces you to use your small shoulder muscles rather than your large back muscles (lats) to turn.

• Distance (The Wrist Test):

  1. Sit fully back in your seat.

  2. Extend your arms straight out over the top of the steering wheel rim.

  3. Your wrists should rest comfortably on the top of the rim without your shoulders leaving the seat.

  4. When you grip the wheel at 9 and 3 o’clock, your elbows should be bent at approximately 90°–100°.

Phase 4: The Monitor (Field of View)

This is the single biggest “free speed” upgrade available. Correct monitor placement improves your sense of speed and spatial awareness.

• Height: The center of the screen (vertical center) should be exactly at eye level.

• Distance: As close as physically possible.

  • Why? The closer the screen, the wider your peripheral vision. If possible, the monitor should sit directly behind the steering wheel motor base (sometimes even between the wheel rim and the base).

• Field of View (FOV):

  • Don’t guess. Use a FOV Calculator (available online). You input your screen size and distance from your eyes, and it gives you a mathematical angle (e.g., 54°).

  • The Adjustment: Input this number into your sim software (iRacing, ACC, etc.). It might feel “zoomed in” at first, but your braking points will become much more consistent because distances will finally look realistic.

Quick Troubleshooting: The “Desk Racer”

If you don’t have a dedicated rig and use an office chair, you face unique challenges.

1. Stop the Roll: Put your chair wheels in “caster cups” or use old shoes/straps to tether the chair to the desk. You cannot brake consistently if your chair rolls backward.

2. Pedal Slip: If your pedals slide on the carpet, put a yoga mat under them or brace them against the wall using a wooden block.

3. Monitor Arm: If clamping a wheel blocks your monitor stand, invest in a VESA monitor arm to pull the screen closer to your face, right behind the wheel rim.

Summary Checklist

Component	Posture Check
Seat	Back supported, no sliding under braking.
Legs	Knees slightly bent when pedals are 100% depressed.
Arms	Wrists touch top of wheel rim when arms extended; shoulders touching seat.
Eyes	Looking directly at the vertical center of the screen.