What Mounting Bolts Do I Need?

For many drivers, using a Fanatec Direct Drive Base with a table clamp is the most practical way to get into sim racing. The ClubSport DD Table Clamp is incredibly strong and rigid, assuming you have a solid table to support it. But once you’ve tasted proper force feedback, hard mounting is clearly the superior solution.

A solid rig does more than just hold your gear in place. It gives you consistency. Sitting in the same driving position every time builds muscle memory, sharpens braking points, and makes long sessions far more comfortable.

Pedals are just as important. Yes, they can live on the floor, but they need to be braced against a wall or somehow tied to your seat to avoid slippage. Most Fanatec pedals use high performance load cell sensors on the brake axis, measuring force, not travel, and you can train your muscle memory faster if they are calibrated to require a high amount of pedal effort. Hard mounting the pedals becomes essential, keeping everything planted, giving you confidence to apply strong and accurate inputs.

The same logic applies to shifters and handbrakes. When they are rigidly mounted, every input feels more direct and more satisfying.

A common question is "why do Fanatec products not ship with mounting bolts?"

Sim rigs come in all shapes and constructions. Some use thick steel plates, others aluminum profiles, others custom wooden decks. Mounting surface thickness can vary wildly, so there is no single bolt length that makes sense for everyone. Including a generic set of bolts in Direct Drive Base or Pedal packages would be the wrong length for many users, and this is critical.

This part matters more than it sounds.

Bolt length is calculated by adding two measurements together: the depth of the mounting hole in the product, plus the thickness of your mounting surface.

If the bolt is longer than that combined distance, you could damage the internal threads or components - potentially an expensive mistake.

If the bolt is too short and only engages a few threads, you risk failure under load. With the forces involved with direct drive and load cell pedals, that is not something to gamble on.

The mounting hole depth for every Fanatec product is listed in its Quick Guide. Measure the depth of your rig’s mounting plate, add the two numbers together, then select the nearest appropriate bolt length.

Proper hard mounting on a solid rig transforms the driving experience. A rigid base, secure pedals, and firmly mounted peripherals turn your sim rig into a cohesive machine rather than a collection of parts.