Projects · Motorsport

Baja SAE off-road race vehicle

2nd / 100overall at Midnight Mayhem, Louisville KY, as team driver

$30Kraised in sponsorships

30+students recruited and led

5races across five years

Western Baja SAE race car catching air at a winter competition

Who

Five years on Western's Baja SAE team: composites member, then steering and suspension lead, then Team Captain directing 5 subsystem leads and a roster of 30+ students. Team driver throughout, with $30K raised in sponsorships.

What

An all-wheel-drive off-road race car and the team's best result on record: 2nd of 100 overall at Midnight Mayhem in Louisville, Kentucky, with me driving.

How

Double-wishbone front and trailing-link rear suspension developed in SolidWorks with FEA validation. Front and rear knuckles machined in-house, the rear carrying the CVT axle through a double-row self-aligning bearing. CNC milling, turning, TIG and MIG welding, laser cutting, 3D printing, and member workshops to build the bench strength.

CAD model of the rear knuckle mounted in the trailing-link rear suspension — Rear knuckle CAD. CVT axle carried through a double-row self-aligning bearing.

FEA von Mises stress plot of the machined knuckle — Knuckle FEA, von Mises stress.

GD&T detail drawing of the knuckle bearing bore with tight tolerances — GD&T detail, knuckle bearing bore.

Machining a suspension component on a lathe in the Western student shop — Knuckle machining. Front and rear machined in-house.

Western Baja SAE team members posing with the muddy race car at competition — Team at competition. 30+ students, five subsystem leads.

Links and press

Western Engineering: 2nd place at Midnight Mayhem
Western Baja SAE team

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