How to make a DIY Load Cell Pedals

Would you like to make your own DIY Load Cell Pedals for your Sim Racing Setup ? You are in the right place ;).

This tutorial provides step-by-step instructions to help you build high-quality and customizable 3D Printed Sim Racing Pedals.

Here is what I will help you achieve:

The building of this pedal is quite easy. If you love crafts and DIY, you will have a great time making it.

DIY Load Cell Pedals: Required Parts

To get started, you will need to print these parts:

Recommendations for printing 3D solid parts

The Screws

Screws for 3D Printed Version [PDF]

Electronics and Springs

Note that you only need one of a single Arduino board and not three (if you use this solution).

Everything is ready, we will now move on to the assembly.

First step, you need to look at this video:

Shopping list of your DIY Load Cell Pedals

• Throttle Spring [Quantity 1] [Option: Length: 90mm, Diameter: 20mm]
• Brake Spring [Quantity 1] [Option: Length 30mm, Diameter 20mm]
• Clutch Spring [Quantity 1] [Option: Length: 90mm, Diameter: 20mm]
• Bushing/Elastomers [Quantity: 2 minimum] [Option: 85A or/and 90A]
• P260 potentiometer [Quantity: 2]
• Potentiometers alternative [Quantity: 2] [Option: 10k Ohm]
• Brake Loadcell [Quantity: 1] [Option: 120kg]
• DiyMore Arduino Leonardo board [Quantity: 1] Note: only with HX711 Loadcell Amplifier
• Micro USB cable for DiyMore Arduino Leonardo board  [Quantity: 1] [Option: 3m] 
• Arduino Pro Micro [Quantity: 1] [Option: Mini USB 3-6V] Note: only with HX711 Loadcell Amplifier
• Mini USB cable for Arduino Pro Micro board 
• HX711 Amplifier (Option: Standard Board)
• Alternative Sparkfun HX711 Loadcell Amplifier [Quantity: 1]
• Leobodnar BU0836-LC 12-bit [Quantity: 1]
• Leobodnar LC-USB 16-bit [Quantity: 1]

Throttle and Clutch of the DIY Load Cell Pedals

The throttle and clutch are similar, so you can use this section to mount both pedals.

STEP 1: Fixed Part assembly

Building guide:

We are going to assemble the fixed part of the Throttle pedal.

Mount the M6x40 spacer of the stop.

STEP 2: Mobile Part assembly

Building guide:

You need to mount the foot rest on the mobile part.

You can adjust the plate by moving it from the top to the bottom.

Mount the female rod end:

STEP 3: Mobile and fixed part assembly

Now, we can assemble the mobile part to the fixed part.

STEP 4: Spring mounting

It’s the time to mount the spring support part.

Then, you must mount the spring on its support and in the female rodend.

STEP 5: Fixing the stop

You will now mount the stop which will maintain your mobile part at a right angle. You must first insert it, and then fix a screw to hold it.

Feel free to use a rubber band to reduce noise and/or slightly adjust the pedal angle.

STEP 6: Fixing the potentiometer

To finish the pedal, we will mount the potentiometer.

You must screw the first lever onto the threaded hole in the mobile part, and remember to use 2 or 3 washers.

Then, mount the second lever. You will of course have to use a lock nut to manage the tightening.

This is what your pedal should look like:

Now, we will mount the potentiometer. You need to place it from the inside of the fixed part, and use the nut and the washer to fix it from the outside part.

Fix the lever on the potentiometer with a small M3x10 screw. A threaded hole is provided for this purpose.

Don’t forget that a hole is available if you want to take the potentiometer wire out of the fixed part, this is useful if you want to optimize your cable management.

Your throttle pedal is complete! You can mount the clutch pedal or move to the brake pedal. I remind you that the throttle is similar to the clutch pedal.

DIY Load Cell Pedals Brake

STEP 1: Fixed part of the Brake Load Cell Pedals

Building guide:

As with the throttle/clutch pedal, we will start by mounting the stopper.

Next, mount the load cell. You must start by inserting the load cell wire into the hole provided for this purpose.

Fix the load cell with two M6 screws.

Assemble the brake spring support.

There are two different brake spring supports, one is assembled from several parts (the one used for this tutorial) and the other forms a single part (the file name is Brake Spring support – Quantity 1 – Recommended Infill 100%.stl).

Both can be used without problem, but the one used in this tutorial is more resistant to pressure.

Let’s get back to our sheep! Now, all you have to do is attach this part to the load cell.

The assembly of the fixed part is now complete. We will move on to the mobile part.

STEP 2: Mobile part of the Brake Load Cell Pedals

Building guide:

As for the Throttle/Clutch, we will start by fixing the foot plate and the female rodend.

STEP 3: Brake mobile and fixed part assembly

We are now ready to mount the mobile part into the fixed brake part.

STEP 4: Springs and bushings mounting

Mount the M8x170 screw, your bushings and your spring.

STEP 5: Brake pedal stop

To finish this DIY Load Cell Brake Pedal, we are going to mount the stopper. The attachment is similar to the throttle/clutch pedal.

Congratulation! Your Brake pedal is complete.

Your DIY Load Cell Pedals is mounted, we need now to make the soldering.

Soldering of your 3D Printed Sim Racing Pedals

You have two solutions for soldering: the Arduino Pro Micro/Leonardo board, or a plug and play card like Leobodnar/DSD.

Everything you need to know about the electronic part of the pedals is in this video:

And for the calibration of the pedals, you need to see this video:

The pedal in the video is made of stainless steel, but the calibration is exactly the same as on the 3D printed pedals.

Recurring problems and their solutions

First of all, I invite you to carefully check your soldering, as well as the installation of the Joystick and HX711 libraries (if you use Arduino).

Issue: I got an error message when compiling my Arduino sketch.

• Use another USB cable (a data transfer cable)
• Change the USB port
• Connect the USB board directly to the PC
• Make sure you have chosen the right PORT and the right Board in the Arduino software (“Tools” menu ).

Issue: My load cell pressure is reversed

Edit the line in your Arduino sketch, you need to remove the – just before scale

Issue: I have a dead zone when pressing my load cell

Slightly adjust the tightness of the four M6 lock nuts which support the load cell at the bottom.

Adjusting your DIY Load Cell Pedals

You can make many adjustments to your pedals (hardness, stop, height, etc.).

Here is the documentation for the settings.

Setup of the DIY Load Cell Brake Pedal

Setup of the Throttle/Clutch pedal

DIY Load Cell Pedals: admire your masterpiece

Congratulations! Your 3D Printed Sim Racing Pedals is complete, you can now play with it in your favorites games. 😉

The CAD files: DIY Sim Racing Pedals.

I hope you enjoyed this project, and that you had a good time building this pedals. If you have any questions or issues while making this DIY Load Cell Pedals, you can post in the comment section, I will help you as soon as possible.

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