Suspension

Suspension is one of the most critical parts of a racing team. Suspension assists in transferring power from the engine to the ground, soak up most of the bumps, the vehicle hits that occur, and changes the handling dynamics of the vehicle.

What We Do

Baja: Because Baja SAE is limited to a specific model Brigs and Stratton engine, the suspension plays a big role in the efficiency of power transfer from the engine to the wheels. The suspension system of a vehicle is also the majority responsible for soaking up all the bumps the vehicle hits and must adapt for the speed at which those bumps are hit. The Baja suspension team works with the overall geometry of our vehicle to provide optimal bump (suspension system contracted) and droop (suspension system extended) conditions, steering, and speed.

Formula: Suspension is the mechanism that allows the vehicle's tires to have the largest amount of contact with the ground as the car experiences forces. In motorsports, it is crucial to have a good suspension design as any action the car takes will adjust the relationship between the tire’s contact patch and the road. For racing competitions, the suspension has a large role over body roll, ride height, as well as the responsiveness of the car in relation to driver inputs. In-road vehicle’s comfort as well as feedback from the road is taken into account for a comfortable driving experience.

Application

Baja: Our Baja suspension system is fully independent utilizing a double a-arm system in the front, and a five-link adjustable system in the rear. Each corner is independently sprung with adjustable shock absorbers.

Formula: We determine the suspension kinematics and design all components related to the suspension of the car such as uprights, rockers, and control arms. Researching tire data provided by the FSAE Tire Test Consortium assists with optimal tire selection. Additionally, the Suspension team is tasked with ordering and assembling the wheels. As a sub-team, we are tasked with the responsibility of designing and verifying the design of the suspension, which consists of designing the uprights, rockers, and control arms of the suspension. The sub-team is also responsible for selecting the optimum tire compound as well as tire and rim sizes to accommodate the braking.