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Stigler Racing
Formula-style DIY sim racing wheel
Carbon-fiber structure, grips shaped for my hands, Arduino controls, and a SimHub touchscreen — documented open for builders to experiment and improve.
What is Stigler Racing?
A Formula-style wheel shaped for my hands — controls within thumb reach, without changing grip mid-race.
Stigler Racing is a DIY formula-style sim racing wheel project by Patrick Stigler. It combines a CNC-machined carbon-fiber structural plate, 3D-printed ergonomic grips, Arduino-based buttons and rotary controls, a touchscreen SimHub dashboard, RGB shift lights, and clutch/shift paddles. Design files and firmware are shared under CC BY-NC 4.0.
Commercial Formula wheels were expensive, and I wanted grips and control layouts matched to my own hands. It is not a plug-and-play product, but open for anyone to explore, remix, and improve.
Features
What the documented prototype versions explored.
- CNC-cut carbon-fiber structural plate for low rotating mass
- 3D-printed grips from clay impressions and iPhone 3D scans
- Push buttons plus mode rotary switches and thumb rotary encoders
- Clutch and shift paddles — from printed magnetic prototypes to Fanatec mechanisms
- SimHub-synced RGB LED shift lights
- Touchscreen telemetry dashboard with Arduino firmware
- Published STL, DXF, STEP files and wheel/display firmware on GitHub
Project
Open hardware docs, CAD, and firmware — the next leap is a proper PCB.
The formula-style-simracing-wheel repository documents experimental revisions: 3D-print parts (STL), carbon-plate DXF cuts, STEP assembly, firmware for wheel and display, wiring references, photos, and silent demo clips. Buttons, rotaries, paddles, RGB lights, and SimHub sync work as a DIY build. There is no complete assembly guide or verified revision-to-file map yet.
The next major reliability step would be a custom PCB instead of hand-wired connections — that board does not exist in the published version. A future VR-focused revision would likely drop the display and LED lights and emphasize robust inputs. Full engineering decisions, costs, and test limitations are on the Engineering page and in the GitHub case study.
FAQ
Short answers for builders and AI search.
Is the Stigler Racing wheel open source?
Original project material is shared on GitHub under Creative Commons BY-NC 4.0 for non-commercial use with attribution. You may study, remix, and build personally. Third-party designs, firmware dependencies, and brand assets may have separate terms — software licensing in particular should be checked before reuse. Commercial licensing of original content can be discussed separately.
Does it work with SimHub?
Yes. The prototype’s RGB shift lights and touchscreen dashboard were designed to sync with SimHub for telemetry and shift cues. A silent demonstration clip of the assembled wheel and SimHub telemetry is linked from the GitHub repository.
Is 20 Nm a safe torque rating?
No. Twenty newton-metres was a simplified Fusion 360 design/simulation target for a future direct-drive upgrade — not a physically verified or certified safe operating limit. The wheel was later used with a direct-drive wheelbase in roughly the 10 Nm class. That practical use is not equivalent to comprehensive strength validation.
How were the grips designed?
Grip geometry started from modeling-clay hand impressions, then iPhone 3D scanning, CAD cleanup, and iterative 3D prints with button-reach tests. The goal was personalized ergonomics so common Formula controls stay reachable without releasing the wheel.
Is it a finished retail product?
No. Stigler Racing is a DIY open-hardware prototype. Expect to 3D-print parts, machine or cut the carbon plate, solder electronics, and flash firmware yourself. There is no complete assembly guide; parts may need manual fitting. Requirements include an FDM printer, basic electronics skills, and time for adaptation and verification.
What hardware stack does it use?
Two Arduino-based controllers, a USB hub, switches and encoders, a supported touchscreen, and RGB lighting — currently hand-wired rather than on a dedicated PCB. Mechanical structure is a flat CNC carbon-fiber plate with 3D-printed grips and housings; later revisions integrated purchased Fanatec shifter mechanisms after testing printed magnetic paddles.
Support
Help keep the build moving.
If you enjoy the project, you can support future builds on Ko-fi — or contribute code, CAD, and docs on GitHub.