How to Mount a Monitor Stand to an 8020 Sim Rig

Quick answer

Mount your monitor stand to an 8020 rig by attaching the stand's mounting plates to the rig's upright or horizontal 8mm T-slot profiles with T-nuts, aligning the plates so the monitor's center matches your eye line, and tightening in stages. Keep the monitor as low and as close to the wheelbase as your field of view allows, and check for flex before you fully torque the bolts.

An 8020 monitor stand mount is one of the few sim rig upgrades that changes how you drive rather than just how the rig looks. Get the geometry right and your eyes track the apex naturally; get it wrong and you spend every lap fighting a monitor that sits too high, too far away, or visibly sags under its own weight.

The good news is that aluminum profile rigs are forgiving. The 8mm T-slot gives you near-infinite adjustment, so the job is less about drilling and more about planning the order of operations. This guide walks through the process in the order that avoids rework, with the common mistakes to check at each stage.

Before you start: what you need and what to decide

You need the monitor stand, the monitor and its VESA plate, a set of M8 T-nuts and bolts sized for your rig's extrusion, an Allen key set, a tape measure, and a spirit level. A second person helps when you lift the monitor into place, but it is not mandatory if you mount the stand first and add the screen afterward.

Decide two numbers before you touch a bolt: your eye height when seated in the cockpit, and the distance from your eyes to the wheel rim. Those two measurements determine where the stand's mounting plates land on the profile. If you skip this and mount by eye, you will almost always end up with the screen too high.

• Checkpoint: sit in the rig with your wheel and pedals in place and mark your eye line on the wall or a temporary reference before mounting anything.

Step 1: Position the stand's mounting plates on the profile

Slide the stand's mounting plates onto the rig's upright or horizontal 8mm T-slot profiles without tightening. Most cockpit-mounted stands attach to the front uprights or to a horizontal cross member, and the plate holes are slotted so you can fine-tune height and depth after the fact.

Common mistake: tightening the first bolt before the second plate is in position. That locks the stand at an angle and makes it much harder to square the two sides. Leave everything finger-tight until both plates are on the profile and the stand is roughly level.

• Checkpoint: the stand should slide freely along the profile at this stage. If it binds, the T-nuts are rotated or the wrong size.

Step 2: Set the height and depth using your eye line

With the plates loose, raise or lower the stand until the monitor's VESA center sits at or slightly below your seated eye line. For most sim racing setups, the bottom of the screen should sit just above the wheelbase, with the top edge roughly level with your eyebrows. This keeps the horizon in the upper third of the screen, which is where your eyes naturally rest.

For depth, bring the screen as close as your wheel and hands allow without contact. Closer is better for field of view, but you need clearance for your knuckles during quick steering inputs. If your rig uses a direct drive wheelbase, check that the stand does not interfere with the wheelbase mount or its cables.

• Common mistake: setting the height with the monitor already attached. The weight pulls the stand down slightly, so your final position ends up lower than intended.

Step 3: Square the stand and tighten in stages

Once the position is right, tighten the four main bolts in a cross pattern, a little at a time, rather than fully torquing one corner. This keeps the plates parallel and prevents the stand from twisting on the profile. Use a spirit level across the top of the stand's horizontal bar to confirm it is level left to right.

Checkpoint: after tightening, push gently on the top of the stand. A small amount of movement is normal, but if you see the plates shifting on the profile, your T-nuts are not seated in the slot correctly. Loosen, reseat, and tighten again.

• Do not over-torque M8 bolts into aluminum extrusion. Firm pressure with a standard Allen key is enough; stripping the slot is a much bigger problem than a slightly loose bolt.

Step 4: Attach the monitor and set the final angle

Mount the monitor to the stand's VESA plate before lifting it onto the stand if the plate is removable, or lift the monitor and align it with the stand's mounting holes if not. Two people make this safer, especially with larger screens. Hand-tighten the VESA bolts first, then adjust the tilt so the screen faces you squarely.

A monitor that tilts down toward your eyes reduces glare and keeps the image perpendicular to your view. If your stand has a tilt adjustment, set it after the monitor is mounted so you can judge the angle from your actual seating position, not standing beside the rig.

• Checkpoint: sit in the cockpit and look at the center of the screen. If you have to look up or crane your neck, lower the stand before you do anything else.

Step 5: Check for flex and cable management

With everything mounted, grip the top of the stand and apply gentle pressure forward and back. Some flex is expected on a single upright design, but excessive movement means the mounting plates need to be closer together or the bolts need another pass. If your rig has a horizontal cross member, using it as an additional anchor point dramatically reduces sway.

Route the monitor's power and display cables along the profile with adhesive clips or velcro straps, leaving a small service loop at the monitor end. Cables that hang under tension will eventually pull on the connector, and a loose display cable is one of the most common causes of intermittent black screens mid-race.

• Common mistake: cable-tieing the display cable tight against the profile. Leave slack so the connector is not carrying the cable's weight.

Mounting sequence at a glance

1. Measure your eye line first: Sit in the rig with your wheel and pedals set up, and mark where your eyes fall. This number drives every other decision. Checkpoint: if you cannot state your eye height in millimeters, do not start mounting.
2. Fit the plates loose on the 8mm T-slot: Slide both mounting plates onto the profile with T-nuts finger-tight. Do not tighten one side before the other is in place. Common mistake: cross-threading a T-nut by forcing it into a misaligned slot.
3. Set height and depth, then square the stand: Adjust until the VESA center sits at or slightly below eye line, then tighten the four main bolts in a cross pattern. Checkpoint: a spirit level across the top bar should read level before you move on.
4. Mount the monitor and set tilt from the seat: Attach the screen to the VESA plate, hand-tighten, then sit down and adjust tilt so the screen faces you squarely. Common mistake: setting tilt while standing, which usually leaves the screen angled down too far.
5. Flex-test and manage cables: Push gently on the top of the stand to check for movement, then route cables with slack at the monitor end. Checkpoint: if the stand shifts on the profile, reseat the T-nuts before racing.

Parts that make this job easier

• Cockpit-Mounted Single Monitor Stand for Sim Racing and Flight Simulation: Aluminium single monitor stand designed for sim racing, flight simulation, truck simulators, and driving simulator setups, cockpit-mounted for high-performance environments. Because it mounts to the cockpit rather than the floor, it moves with your rig and keeps the screen at a consistent distance, which is exactly what you want when you are setting eye line and depth.
• Handbrake Mount for TRX Simulators: Mounts a handbrake to the left or right side of the Alpine Racing TRX and is compatible with any aluminium profile featuring an 8mm T-slot. If you are already working on an 8020 rig, this is a good example of how the same 8mm T-slot system lets you add peripheral mounts without drilling or adapters.
• TR-One Oversized Shifter Mount for BDH, Prosim, Simworx, Jinx Shifters and more: Fully adjustable and pre-drilled oversized shifter mount for 8mm slotted aluminium extrusion, giving a larger, more rigid mounting surface for bigger or heavier shifter units. Heavier peripherals need more mounting surface area to stay rigid. The same principle applies to monitor stands: wider plates and more contact with the profile mean less flex.

Mounting a monitor stand to an 8020 rig is mostly about order of operations: measure your eye line, fit the plates loose, set height and depth, square and tighten, then attach the screen and check for flex. Take your time on the first three steps and the rest is straightforward. If you are adding peripherals at the same time, the same 8mm T-slot system handles handbrakes, shifters, and flight mounts without any drilling.