Buying a 40160 Sim-Racing Cockpit from China (I paid $450 with delivery)

Last updated: July 2026. Prices and delivery costs depend heavily on destination, configuration and the date.

This guide is based on my own experience of ordering an aluminium-profile sim rig directly from China. I needed a high-quality rig for a serious setup with heavy equipment and for a motion system. You can see current version of my rig on Instagram or YouTube.

MY ORDER AT A GLANCE

• Profile: 40160 aluminium
• Cockpit: $375
• DDP shipping (customs, taxes etc. included) to Thailand: $75
• Total price: about $450
• Purchased: 2025
• Production: approximately 1–2 weeks
• Delivery (to Thailand): approximately 1 week

This was excellent value. However most buyers do not need 40160 profiles, though: 4080 cockpit is much cheaper ($245 + shipping) and it’s good enough for a conventional sim-racing setup.

Real cost and shipping

I ordered a black 40160 cockpit from this Alibaba supplier in 2025. The cockpit cost $375, plus $75 for DDP shipping to Thailand. DDP means Delivered Duty Paid: taxes, customs clearance and door-to-door delivery were included. A comparable cockpit cost 2-3 times more locally; even the aluminium profiles alone were much more expensive than importing the complete rig (it includes all screws, washers, t-nuts, wheel/pedals bracket). Production took roughly one to two weeks, followed by about one week in transit. I have since ordered additional and custom-made parts from the same supplier.

Shipping varies significantly. My DDP shipment to Thailand cost $75. A July 2026 quotation to Warsaw was approximately $186 by sea, with an estimated delivery time of about 45 days. Always request a destination-specific DDP quote—the shipping price displayed on the product page is not accurate. Keep in mind that large domestic shipments can also be very expensive.

Shipping can be a substantial part of the total cost. If you already know that you need seat brackets, trays, spare fasteners or other accessories, buying them in the same shipment may be considerably cheaper than ordering them separately! My packages arrived faster than it was estimated, but Thailand is relatively close to China. Buyers in Europe or North America should expect longer transit times, especially for sea freight.

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4080 or 40160?

A larger profile is not automatically the better purchase. Choose according to the hardware and forces your cockpit must support.

	4080	40160
Price	$245 + shipping	$375+ shipping
Best for	Most conventional setups	Even heavy equipment with advanced motion system
Weight	Lower	About 70 kg
Rigidity	Enough for most sim-racers	Maximum
My recommendation	Best value for most people	Choose it when your equipment genuinely requires it

BTW. A 40120 cockpit is a useful middle ground: stronger than 4080, less expensive and lighter than 40160, and still suitable for many serious motion rigs.

My recommended configuration

I chose this 40160 model because I planned to add heavy equipment and 6DOF motion system with belt tensioner, force feedback joysticks etc. It has been an excellent choice for that purpose:

This kind of cockpit (with wheel column at 90° angle) is not the best looking, but it’s the most useful (angled columns need a lot of work to adjust anything). This kind of wheel base bracket allows to install almost any wheel base. I have this version:

It’s over 10mm/0.4in thick and I was using it with Cammus C5 and Simagic Alpha Evo Ultra. But if you need a different bracket, you can tell them and they will replace it. For example for something like this:

Another wheel-deck option:

If you prefer angled wheel uprights, those cockpits are also available:

Keep in mind that changing the wheel-upright position on this style of cockpit may also require readjusting the pedal position, gearbox, seat distance etc.

Essential and optional accessories

Essential for most builds

Seat brackets and slider

Seat brackets are essential for adjusting the seat angle. If your seat mounts from the bottom rather than the sides, the brackets can be installed upside down, as I did. You can order the brackets alone or with a seat slider, but check whether your seat already includes one. Optional accessories

Adjustable rotating keyboard tray

Mouse tray

PC or console shelf

Monitor stand — Optional (multiple configurations are available)

Many other monitor-stand configurations are available. Send the supplier a reference image and your required dimensions; they can usually make a custom version.

How to request a quote

Because Alibaba is focused on selling custom parts, often in many units, for big brands, you will need to talk with the supplier on Alibaba’s chat and explain what you want to buy. If you find something interesting on Alibaba, keep in mind that prices are very approximate - the same looking part for a cheap 4080 and for 40160 cockpit can look the same, but have a different price, because bracket for 40160 can be more thick etc. So the easiest way is go to the cockpit page, start a chat, and tell that you want to order 1 cockpit. To make it easier, I prepared a package of photos which you can send, to explain what kind of parts you want. The best brackets to connect 40160 profiles are these (4pcs):

The most universal T-nuts are roll-in version:

They can be installed or removed even when the end of the profile—and therefore the T-slot—is inaccessible.

Message template for the supplier

Copy this into Alibaba chat and replace the text in brackets:

Hello, I would like a quotation for one cockpit delivered to [city, country].

Configuration:

• [4080 / 40120 / 40160] aluminium profiles
• [Black / Silver / Other] color
• Wheel bracket for [wheelbase model]
• Seat brackets (with or without slider)
• [keyboard tray / mouse tray / monitor stand / other accessories]
• Spare brackets, roll-in T-nuts, bolts and washers

Ask for a final price with DDP shipping, production time, estimated delivery time. Before ordering they will give you complete parts list.