I wasn’t happy with the clamps on the Logitech G27 and was looking for a better way of securing my wheel to the desk, but it needed to be removable. None of the premade solutions I could find really suited driving at a desk, so I came up with this.

The end result grips the desk securely, and using the hard mount bolts on the G27 Wheel and Shifter mean that they will not come loose from the mounting plate.

Im sure you could adapt this mount for other racing wheels.

Step 1: Material Required

ply, 12mm x 1200mm x 400mm sheet
4x M6 20mm long bolts for the Wheel and Shifter hard mounts. (Note: Bolt length maximum is: Ply Thickness + 15mm)
4x M6 60mm long bolts (note Assembly Step 1)
4x M6 round cap nuts
2x M6 nuts
2x M6 wing nuts
12x M6 washers
4x M6 spring washers

G27 desk mount a3.pdf
Download

Step 2: Cut and Drill the Panels

1) Measure the thickness of your desk top, make sure there isn’t a rail under the desk that will clash with the underside of the mount.

My desk is 19mm thick. Make sure you get the right bolt lengths, you will need: (Ply Thickness x2) + Desk thickness. The 4x M6 bolts need to be at least 10mm longer than this number: In my case: (12mm x2) + 19mm = 44mm

2) mark out and cut the ply according to the template. You may want to reposition the shifter to a location. Note that the cut outs in the middle of the Top and Bottom panels are to allow access to the connectors for power, the shifter and pedals. If you have large fingers, consider making these larger!

3) For the Logitech G27 Wheel it is critical that the hard mount holes are 126mm from the front of the top panel, and 68mm wide.

4) For the Logitech G27 Shifter it is critical that the hard mount holes are 36mm from the front of the top panel, and 82mm wide.

5) Drill the hard mount holes 8mm diameter

6) Countersink the Wheel and Shifter hard mount holes on the underside of the top panel. This is to make sure the surface which sits on the desk is smooth, with no bolt heads poking out to scratch up your desk top.

Step 3: Assembly

7) The front holes are used to bolt through the top panel, a middle ‘packing’ piece of ply the same thickness as your desk, and the bottom panel.
8) The middle holes are go through the top and bottom panels, and will have the bolts with wing nuts; this provides the clamping action to secure the mount to the desk.
9) Line up the top and bottom panels at the front. Clamp them together and drill 8mm holes through both so the holes line up.
10) Use the top panel as a guide to drill through the middle packing piece.
11) Countersink the front and middle holes on the upper side of the top panel. This is to ensure the wheel sits on a flat surface.
12) Insert the front and middle bolts with washers in the top panel, bolts should point to the floor
13) Place the wheel and shifter on the Top panel, and bolt them down with the 20mm M6 bolts, using a washer and spring washer. You can tighten the front clamps that Logitech provide on the wheel and shifter onto the front of the top panel.
14) Insert the middle piece on the front bolts
15) Add the bottom panel, inserting the front bolts and the middle bolts
16) Add washers to the front bolts, and tighten the nuts finger tight. Put a M6 cap on the end of each bolt.
17) Add washers and wing nuts to the middle bolts, don’t tighten yet. Put a M6 cap on the end of each bolt.

Step 4:

18) Assembly is now complete!

Before we continue: Logitech – WTF is the deal with burying the connectors under the wheel?! Don’t do it again! Seriously, the designer who put the grill on the front of the wheel (which I cant frickin see when im driving!) obviously never had to regularly plug in or unplug the wheel… (my next project is to remote mount the connectors)

Step 5:

19) plug in the Shifter, Pedals and Power. It's fiddly… (did I mention my next project is to remote mount the connectors)

20) slide the wheel mount onto the desk, and tighten the wing nuts to clamp the mount to the desk!

21) Experience your racing sim of choice with the confidence that your wheel won’t come off the desk when you hit that last apex for victory, or the shifter won’t end up in your hand after quick down shift to snatch first!

GLA, take it easy in T1!
Steve.

Dev_random at sector30 dot com
July 2012