Mini Baja Midwest

An SAE College Team Competition

Prepared by:

2008 SAE Mini Baja Team Florida Institute of Technology 150 W. University Blvd. Melbourne, FL 32901

Mini Baja Midwest.................................................................................................................1 Background:...........................................................................................................................3 Objectives:..............................................................................................................................4 Team Roster and main responsibilities for this report:..........................................................5 Team Organization:................................................................................................................5 Components / Subsystems:.....................................................................................................5 Chassis and Body:..............................................................................................................6 Power Train:.......................................................................................................................9 Top Speed:....................................................................................................................15 Steering:...........................................................................................................................16 Suspension:.......................................................................................................................17 Brakes:..............................................................................................................................21 Budget:.................................................................................................................................22 Timeline:..............................................................................................................................24 Conclusion:...........................................................................................................................24 Appendix A: References.....................................................................................................25 Appendix B: Competition Rules, Constraints, and Regulations.........................................26 Competition Rules:...........................................................................................................26 Constraints and Regulations:............................................................................................27 Appendix C: Scored Events................................................................................................29 Scored Events:......................................................................................................................29 Static Events 300 POINTS............................................................................................29 Design Report 100 POINTS......................................................................................29 Design Evaluation 150 POINTS...............................................................................29 Cost 50 POINTS........................................................................................................30 Cost Report 10 POINTS............................................................................................30 Prototype Cost 40 POINTS.......................................................................................30 Acceleration 75 POINTS..........................................................................................31 Traction (Chain Pulling) 75 POINTS.........................................................................31 Maneuverability 75 POINTS....................................................................................32 l.....................................................................................................................................32 Mud Bog (Specialty) 75 POINTS.............................................................................33 Durability 400 POINTS............................................................................................33 Appendix D: Design Timeline 33

Background:
The SAE Mini Baja competition originated at the University of South Carolina in 1976, under the direction of Dr. John F. Stevens. Since that time, the Mini Baja Series has grown to become a premier engineering design series for university teams throughout the country. Mini Baja is comprised of three regional competitions that expose students to real life engineering design processes: East, West, and Midwest. The students are to design and build an off road vehicle that can withstand rugged outdoor terrain. The object of the competition is to provide SAE student members with a challenging project that involves the planning and manufacturing tasks found when introducing a new product to the consumer industrial market. Teams compete against one another to have their design accepted for manufacture by a fictitious firm. Students must function as a team to design, build, test, promote, and race a vehicle within the limits of the rules, but also to generate financial support for their project and manage their educational priorities. Each team will compete using a 10 horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine that will be donated by Briggs and Stratton Corporation. The engine is not to be altered in any way, which will create a more competitive competition. Florida Tech has entered the Mini Baja Midwest Competition five times, in which the car must compete in dynamic tests such as acceleration, top-speed, hill climb, jumping, and weight pulling. Our first year of competition, 1997, we ranked 38 th place out of 130 entries overall, and won first place for structural integrity. Florida Tech entered again in 1998 and ranked 26th overall with placements in the top five for top speed, hill climb, and acceleration. In 2002, we registered but were only judged on our report because we were unable to bring the car to competition. The car made it to competition in 2003, but was only allowed to participate in the static categories because of minor safety problems. The current 2007 car is in the building stage with a high potential of doing well at the Rochester Institute of Technology Midwest competition. This team is giving us a good foundation to learn from. Our goal for 2008 is to design and manufacture an efficient, award-winning machine.

Objectives:
The objective of the Mini Baja is to apply our knowledge gained in class and put it into practice. This project will give us an insight on the engineering design process and will allow us to refine our technical skills learned in classes. Communication between team members as well as between different design teams within the group is essential for a successful project. Team members must also know how to balance schoolwork, the Mini Baja, and personal responsibilities. The primary goal for this competition is to abide by all the regulations set forth by SAE. This is a necessary step as it will ensure the safety of the driver and will prevent our vehicle from being disqualified. A goal for the team is to design and produce an easy to drive manual transmission vehicle with a fully independent suspension. Frame design and fender panels will also be designed to give the vehicle an aggressive appearance. Construction costs will be kept low in order to stay competitive in the marketplace and testing of our vehicle before competition is a must.

Team Roster and main responsibilities for this report:

Kenneth Mandeville (Team Leader) Frame/Chassis, suspension and editing Paul Bunkers - Steering Jeremy Shenker Drive train (shifting mechanism) Chad Phelps Suspension, chassis and editing Jesse Soto Drive train and Brakes Craig Wilkinson Drive train (top speed and Acceleration)

Team Organization:
T e a m L e a d e r: K e n M a n d e v i l le M a n u fa c t u r in g : E v e ry o n e C h a s s is : K e n M a n d e v i l le C h a d P h e lp s C r a ig W ilk in s o n D e s ig n T e a m s F u n d in g : E v e ry o n e D r iv e t r a in g J e re m y S ch e n k e r J e s s e S o to P a u l B u n k e rs

S te e rin g a n d B r a k in g J e re m y S ch e n k e r J e s s e S o to P a u l B u n k e rs

S u s p e n s io n K e n M a n d e v i l le C h a d P h e lp s C r a ig W ilk in s o n

Components / Subsystems:
Chassis and Body Power Train Suspension Steering and Braking

Chassis and Body:

The chassis is the backbone of the Mini-Baja, it must support all the cars subassemblies as well as protect the driver. The chassis design is crucial to the success of the project because if the chassis fails, that puts the baja and the driver at tremendous risk. The rules give a lot of restraints on chassis design for obvious safety reasons, so the key will be to choosing the right material. There are three basic factors that will determine the material we use for the chassis: strength, weight, and cost. Thus, we need to pick a material with a high strength-to-weight ratio. Below are the material rules:
31.5 Roll Cage & Bracing Materials The material used for the required roll cage components specified in 31.2.1 must, at minimum, be: (A) Circular steel tubing with an outside diameter of 2.5 cm (1 inch) and a wall thickness of 3.05 mm (.120 inch) and a carbon content of at least .18. OR (B) Steel members with at least equal bending stiffness and bending strength to 1018 steel having a circular cross section with a 2.5 cm (1 inch) OD and a wall thickness of 3.05 mm (.120 inch). NOTE: The use of alloy steel does not allow the wall thickness to be thinner than 1.57 mm (.062 inch). The bending stiffness and bending strength have to be calculated about an axis that gives the lowest value. Bending stiffness is proportional by the EI product and bending strength is given by the value of SyI/c, (for 1018 steel the values are; Sy = 370 Mpa (53.7 ksi) E = 205 GPa (29,700 ksi)).

Many previous teams have used 1.25 OD with 0.095 wall thickness chromoly steel. This size gives superior bending strength while keeping the weight lower than the 1inch OD with 0.125 wall thickness. We are going to conduct our own research to choosing the best material. Our choice of material is limited to steel by the rules, so we will focus our research on the best steel and dimension to use. This years 2007 Mini-Baja team found that most ATV builders use 4130 chromoly. With their research they found that it has the greatest ultimate and yield tensile strength, the highest modulus of elasticity, while still having low density compared to other steel. We will use last years research as a starting point for our own in coming up with the best material choice to meet our three design criteria: strength, weight and cost. A factor last years team looked into was whether to use square or round tubes. The rules specify to use round 1018 steel tubing for the chassis. Round tubing is lighter than

7 square because smaller gauge sizes can be used to handle the same stress as a wider square tube. Round tubing is harder to manufacture but out performs the square tubing. It is still early to decide the type of material we are going to use for the chassis but we are using a form of chromoly steel in round tubing. Table 1 seen below displays some basic values comparing 4130-chromoly steel and 1018-steel. 4130 Chromoly 1018 Steel

Yield strength 108440 kpsi 55100 kpsi Modulus of Elasticity 29700 kpsi 29000 kpsi Bulk Modulus 20300 kpsi 20300 kpsi Density 0.284 lb/in 0.284 lb/in Elongation to break 25.1% 16 % [Table 1: 4130 Chromoly vs. 1018 Steel. [Reference 6]] The purpose of the Mini Baja frame is to provide a rigid base for the rest of the components to attach to. In order to function properly the suspension needs a firm structure, the drive train must also be held stiffly so that proper clearances are maintained. The roll cage also will need a firm structure to aid it in protecting the driver in the event of a rollover or collision. To ensure that our frame can fulfill these specifications we must estimate the forces that it will be subjected to under these conditions. The suspension forces are explained in our suspension section, and a slow rollover will not be much more than our car weight. The frame must be designed to withstand these forces. To estimate an impact force we used the below equation:
Wnet = Wnet 1 1 2 mv 2 mvinitial final 2 2 = f d

This equation states that the change in kinetic energy is equal to the net work done, and the work needed to stop the car is equal to the force times the distance. So using the estimated values below we estimate an impact force of approximately 10,000 pounds. [Reference 4]

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1 2 f d = mvinitial 2 d = 3inches m =13.22 sluggs = 425 pounds vinitail =13.5mph f =10364 pounds

The frame does not need to survive this crash so long as it protects the driver in this situation. However the mounting for the safety harness does have to survive this crash. The drivers change in acceleration during this crash will create the most stress on these mounts. Thin walled tubing, which we hope to use, performs very well in compression and tension, but not as well in bending. Our shock mounts will undergo almost all of the suspension forces. These forces are shown below in figure 1. In this figure the loads due to the suspension are in green and the reaction forces in red. The shock mount should be triangulated to distribute the force among other beams instead of just one. The same goes for our engine/drive train mounts. Those mounts need to be stiff enough to withstand the vibration and torque an engine will output.

[Figure 1: Loads and reaction forces on suspension. (C. Phelps)]

Power Train:
A power train is an assembly of gears and associated parts by which power from the engine is transmitted to a driving axle, the tires, and finally the ground. Briggs and Stratton provides us with an engine that has a maximum output of 10-hp, and a rev limiter at 3800rpm. As per the rules of the competition, the engine cannot be modified in any way. This restriction causes the design emphasis to be placed on the choice of transmission. For the transmission we have several options; A manual transmission (4 or 5 speed): this system would allow the driver to select the right gear from the available gears allowing more control over the vehicle. This is seen on most manual cars with a standard H pattern. A sequential transmission: this is similar to the manual transmission, but the H pattern is eliminated and replaced with a different shifting pattern. For example in a race car, the motion of the shift lever is either push forward to up-shift or pull backward to downshift. These transmissions are usually found in either motorcycles or all terrain vehicles. A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) Automatic transmission: A CVT consists of 2 variable pulleys and a belt. The most common type of CVT operates on a pulley system that allows an infinite variability between highest and lowest gears with no discrete steps or shifts. As mentioned above, the CVT has three basic components: 1. A high-power metal or rubber belt 2. A variable-input "driving" pulley 3. An output "driven" pulley The pulleys are torque sensitive; when more torque is needed such as during a steep hill climb situation, the transmission automatically downshifts to provide more torque. When moving on a long flat terrain not much torque is required, so the transmission shifts to a higher gear, giving the wheels more speed as necessary.

10 The power and torque curve of the Briggs & Stratton 10 hp OHV Intek Model 205432 Type 0036-e1 engine that we plan to use is displayed on the next page in Figure 2. In past years the mini baja has used a CVT transmission, which keeps the engine at peak power. The CVT works well with a lightweight low torque vehicle under a light load. When the load is significant or when the belts are wet they tend to slip resulting in power loss. With two of our dynamic events putting a heavy load on the engine and transmission and one of those events possibly getting our belts wet a CVT doesnt seem to be the best choice. The team is also interested in conducting research to see if the advantages of the CVT discussed above are offset by the inherent drive train inefficiency of the belt and pulley system necessary in a CVT. Since the engine only produces 10-hp at the rpm it is limited to, minimizing drive train loss is important.

Gearbox

Figure 2: Mini-Baja with motorcycle Gearbox [Picture taken by Marcus Maldonado] This is where we would like to put our gearbox, directly beneath the engine, with the engine mounted on top of it.

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12 [Figure 3: Plot of horsepower and torque of the engine used in the competition. Reference 1.]

CVT Advantages vs. Disadvantages Eliminates Shift locks Smoother ride Keeps the vehicle in optimum power range Less driver error Belt slips under heavy and wet conditions Durability in belts Boring to drive More friction More rotating mass [Table 2: Advantages and Disadvantages of a CVT.]

As stated from the rules of the competition: 10.2 Competition Goals

Each teams goal is to design and build a prototype of a rugged, single seat, off-road recreational vehicle intended for sale to the non-professional weekend off-road enthusiast. The vehicle must be safe, easily transported, easily maintained and fun to drive. It should be able to negotiate rough terrain in all types of weather without damage.

We feel that an off-road enthusiast would consider a manual transmission more fun to drive over a CVT. Therefore we plan to use a sequential manual transmission because it has better acceleration from a standing start. This will give the off- road enthusiast more of a thrill of driving. This transmission will also not suffer from poor acceleration if the transmission is wet, as a CVT would. This will also allow the driver to select the right gear for the different obstacles. For example a driver can keep the transmission in a low gear if a low speed maneuver is necessary. We also hope that using a well designed transmission will give us more points in the competition for originality because almost all of the teams are using a CVT system due to its simplicity to design around. The decision to go with a manual transmission leads to further design complications. This is because the clutch pedal will need to be installed in an area, which is already tight with just gas and brake pedals. It also adds an additional requirement of the driver during the already hectic competition. That would require special driving techniques such as heel-toe shifting where the driver uses one foot to step on the brake to slow the car while at the same

13 time stepping on the gas to rev match the engine with the cars speed. The other foot would then be operating the clutch. Being a vehicle for off road enthusiasts we expect that potential customers may not possess the skills required for operating three pedals at once. That is why we came up with a design for the shifter that will operate the clutch automatically when the driver up shifts and downshifts. This design is made possible because we are using a sequential manual gearbox (SMG) from a motorcycle, which only has back and forth movement to shift instead of the standard H pattern on automotive manual transmissions. How does it work? The shift arm follows a linear cam so that as it moves fore and aft from center, it also moves inward (towards the driver). This inward movement will operate the clutch, disengaging the transmission from the engine, allowing for a shift to take place. When the driver releases the shifter, a spring holds it against the cam so that the clutch re-engages the engine and transmission. To start moving from a stop, the driver will shift into first and ease the shifter forward (the shift pattern on SMGs is 1 st is down, N, 2nd, 3rd, 4th are up) to slowly engage the clutch, while stepping on the gas. The design also allows the driver to feather the clutch if they have the need, by simply pushing the shifter towards them. The clutch linkage will be a cable, as it will need movement, the shift linkage will be a rod linkage as it will only move fore and aft.

[Figure 4: Shifter Mechanism (J. Schenker)]

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Acceleration:
The acceleration event tests how fast the vehicle can accelerate either 100 or 150 feet. When the signal is given, the driver will attempt to travel the 100 or 150 feet faster than the other teams. If the acceleration time is more than twice that of the fastest car, then the score will not be counted. The points for this event are scored as follows: Acceleration score = 60 or 75 x [(T longest T yours)/(T longest T shortest)] T shortest is the fastest time by any team T longest is either (a.) the slowest time by any team, or (b.) 2.5 times the fastest time whichever is the shorter interval T yours is your teams best time In 2006, the winning acceleration time was 5.91 seconds, which was roughly one whole second faster than most of the other vehicles. Out teams goal will be to achieve 7.0 seconds in this event, which will put us in the top 30 percent in the acceleration event. Since our vehicle will be using a manual transmission instead of a CVT, our acceleration time will be negatively effected because of shift delay from the driver. The manual transmission is also at a disadvantage due to the more complicated launching of a manual transmission compared to a CVT. The manual transmission will benefit our vehicle more in the traction, hill climb and chain pulling. We can enhance acceleration by reducing the weight of our vehicle.

Top Speed:
The vehicle will achieve a top speed of roughly 40 miles per hour. By achieving an above average top speed, we will benefit most in the endurance race. Where the vehicle lacks in acceleration, it will make up in top speed.

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Steering:
The steering system is a vital and crucial component in any vehicle. It was decided early that the steering system needed to be the best but also small. With these restrictions in mind we have decided on a rack and pinion style steering system. The rack and pinion style has many has many benefits. First, the rack and pinion isnt sloppy at the center point and gives the drive a large range of motion. Second, the rack and pinion provides a large degree of feedback and allows the driver to feel the ground. Third, the rack and pinion places the pivot points of the steering system near the pivot points of the suspension system which greatly reducing bump steer. Finally, the rack and pinion unit is very compact and fits more easily into the front frame. Looking at online pictures and past years designs we have notice a lack of space in the cockpit down by the drivers feet. This lack of space causes this area to be widened to allow the pedals, drivers feet and steering column which in turn makes the A arm shorter to keep within the width restrictions. We decided to put a bend in the steering column and putting the rack and pinion steering behind the pedals. Moving the rack and pinion steering behind the pedals (figure 5) will mean that the tie rods will connect to the front of the steering knuckle unlike past years. Doing this will hopefully allow us to cut the area needed for the pedals and steering column in half. This will happen because the driver will not need to rap their feet and legs around the steering column. Moving the tie rods will cause a problem because the tie rods are no longer protected by the cars body and suspension. We plan to fix this by making the lower arm wide and beefy. We also hope to tuck the tie rod as close to the center point on the steering knuckle. The calculations below were made assuming use of a 12mm rod. This is the rod that teams have used in the past. The equations below come from reference 5.

Steering Analysis: Tube Rod moment of inertia: 4 4

I = 64

(D

) = 64 ((.75in)

(.634in) 4 ) = .0076in 4

Tube Rod cross-sectional area:

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2 ( D 2 d 2 ) = ( (.75in ) (.634in) 2 = .126in 2 4 4 Solid Rod moment: D 4 (.472in ) 4 I = = = .0024in 4 64 64 Solid Rod cross-sectional area: D 2 (.472in) 2 A= = = .175in 2 4 64
A=

Max bending moment allowed by rods: I (63100 psi )(.0024in 4 )

M = c = .236in

= 642lb in

Figure 5: A picture of the rack and pinion steering which is place such that the tie rods are mounted on the front of the steering knuckle. This also shows that the A arms can protect the tie rods if they are mounted in this configuration. (http://www.powersportsmax.com)

Suspension:
A good suspension is vital to the performance of an off-road vehicle. The suspension must keep the tires on the ground at all times to ensure optimal traction and grip as the vehicle transverses rough terrain. An additional purpose of the suspension is to isolate the shocks associated with traveling over rough terrain from the body of the vehicle, thus sparing the driver. This is particularly important for our design, as the driver must be able to drive the car for extended periods of time during the endurance race. A four-wheel independent suspension

17 is the optimal arrangement, allowing each wheel to move independently from the others, as the wheels experience varying obstacles, something that occurs quite often in an off-road environment. Therefore it is common to see independent suspension systems for maximum performance oriented vehicles. We intend to use a multi-link suspension system, as this system is advantageous in allowing the vehicle to flex more as it adjusts to keep the wheels planted. An example of a four-link suspension setup that is similar to what we intend to design for our vehicle can be seen in the picture below.

[Figure 6: Four-link off-road independent rear suspension. Reference #2.] Another key element to our suspension will be the shock absorbers. The shocks we intend to use are Fox AirShox, as air shocks provide numerous benefits. The most obvious of which is weight savings, as they require no heavy steel springs. Additionally, as demonstrated in the graph below in Figure 5, air shocks are able to provide progressive force rather than the linear force of a standard coil spring. This helps prevent the shock/suspension from bottoming out, which can be hard on the suspension components, as well as the occupant of the vehicle. Using air as the spring also makes tuning the suspension to different driving conditions easier, as the pressure in the shocks can be adjusted, changing their force

18 and compression characteristics. This will also enable us to take into account the weight of different drivers as we fine-tune the handling of the vehicle.

[Figure 7: Force vs. Travel comparing a Fox AirShox to a standard coil-over spring. Reference # 3.]

The shock loads that the suspension will have to deal with have been estimated in the following table. The mini baja was estimated to weigh 625-lbs. The force of gravity used in this estimation was 32.2-(ft/s^2), and the travel of the shocks was used as the deflection of the suspension, which is 1-ft (12-inches).

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Height of drop(ft) Impact Force (lbf) Kenetic Energy (lb*ft) 10 6230.650155 6230.650155 9 5607.585139 5607.585139 8 4984.520124 4984.520124 7 4361.455108 4361.455108 6 3738.390093 3738.390093 5 3115.325077 3115.325077 4 2492.260062 2492.260062 3 1869.195046 1869.195046 2 1869.195046 1869.195046 1 1869.195046 1869.195046

Time (s) Impact Velocity (ft/s) 0.786889 25.33784111 0.746509 24.03758667 0.703815 22.66285405 0.658359 21.19915881 0.609522 19.62660733 0.556415 17.91655927 0.497673 16.02505778 0.430997 13.87810713 0.351908 11.33142702 0.248836 8.012528889

[Table 3: Impact force generated by the vehicle falling variety of heights]

from a

Where Hd is the height of the drop, v i is the Impact Velocity, KE is the Kinetic Energy which must be absorbed, Fi is the Impact Force, m is the mass of the vehicle, and S is the displacement of the shock (travel)

[Equations reference # 4.] The lateral loads that the suspension would be subjected to were also estimated. For the lateral forces, a coefficient of friction for asphalt was used, as this will exert more forces on the wheels than when the vehicle is on a more slippery surface such as dirt or mud. The coefficient of friction used was 1.2. The wheel may have the entire weight of the vehicle exerted on it in some extreme cases, so as a conservative estimate; 625-lbs was chosen as the maximum normal force applied to a single wheel.
F = Fn

The friction equation was used. F = (1.2) * (625)

F = 750lbf

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Thus the maximum lateral load applied to the suspension is 750lbf, while the maximum shock load applied to the suspension from the vehicle undergoing a 10ft drops is
6231-lbs.

The shock load per wheel is therefore 1560lbf for a 10 ft drop. We do not expect

such large drops in the competition we will be attending however.

Brakes:
SAE has outlined various requirements for the braking system of the competition mini Baja. The braking system must be a hydraulic system with all braking controlled from a single-foot mechanism. The braking system must be able to lock all four wheels in static and dynamic conditions, on paved and unpaved surfaces. SAE requires that the system contain two independent hydraulic systems, each with their own fluid reserves (Figure 10). A brake light with lens meeting or exceeding SAE standards is also mandated and must be independent of the kill switch. With all required components the braking system must be able to completely stop the vehicle from thirty miles per hour in 49.2 feet.

Figure 8: Diagram of Braking Forces [Ref SAE Road Show II]

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Figure 9: Diagram for a Single Disk Brake [Ref SAE Road Show II]
F r Aw 2 ( Rp f ) R Am

Above is the equation used to find the stopping force for each disk brake on the Mini-Baja. This force will have to equal the F1 (Figure 8) force so all the wheels will lock to pass the braking requirements of SAE.

Figure 10: Four Disk Brake setup that will be used on our vehicle [SAE Road show II]

Budget:
The following budget report is an estimation based on the current mini baja team. It is divided amongst the following five categories: Power train, the steering and brakes, the chassis and body, the ergonomics and suspension, and miscellaneous. Each subsystem is further broken down to the parts that it consists of along with its estimated price. Please note this is only a preliminary financial plan, the exact costs have not yet been investigated. Fundraising will be an ongoing task and we plan to have most of our expenses paid for by the sponsors that we acquire.

22 Power Train Engine Electrical System Transmission Steering and Brakes Steering Assembly Master Cylinders Brake Discs Pedal Assembly Brake Lines/Fittings Wheels/Tires Bearings Axle/Hubs Chassis and Body Chromoly Rod Ends Bolts and Washers Ergonomics and Suspension Seat Shocks Miscellaneous Tools Maintenance Supplies Metal Stock Team Uniforms Spare Parts Travel Expenses $500 $200 $200 $150 $1000 $1200 $150 $800 $800 $150 $100 $500 $200 $200 $150 $150 $750 $450 $350 $150* $100 $600

Total $8850 * Shipping

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Timeline:

Fundraising July August

Fall Semester 2007 Spring Semester 2008

September October November December January February March April May

June

Research/Design

Manufacturing Test Drive/Redesign

Competition

Figure 6: Timeline (A more detailed design timeline can be found in appendix D)

Conclusion:
Our main goal for this project is to fund, design and build an off-road Mini Baja vehicle with a unique transmission. Once built, we will take it to the SAE Mini Baja Midwest competition. Our job for the competition is to convince a hypothetical company that our design is superior and it could be beneficial if introduced to the market. In addition, we hope to have fun and keep the project interesting. This project will provide real world experience that we will be able to take with us as we move in to industry work. We will increase our level of communication skills as well as our teamwork skills.

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Appendix A: References
Primary References:
1. Briggs and Stratton website. <www.briggsracing.com> 2. The Buggy Shop <thebuggyshop.50megs.com>

3. Fox Racing Fox AirShox manual.

<http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_tech_center/owners_manuals/04_ATV_Manu

al.pdf> 4. Hibbler, Russel C. Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics, 10th edition. Prentice Hall; 10 edition (November 11, 2003)
5. Ferdinand P. Beer, Mechanics of Materials, Fourth Edition. MC Graw Hill; fourth edition (2006) 6. Material Library <www.matweb.com>

Other References:
Mark, Wan. "Different Types of Chassis." Autozine. 2000. Autozine Technical School. 21 Mar. 2006 <http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/chassis/tech_chassis.htm>. Xlr8 Gs-R. "Diy Front Strut Bar." Road Racing/Autocross. 20 Sept. 2002. 21 Mar. 2006 <http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=845799&page=2>. "Chromoly Tube." Lethal Concepts. 21 Mar. 2006 <http://www.lethalconcepts.com/tube_chromoly.php>. "Frame Design." Factory Five Racing. 27 Mar. 2006 <http://www.factoryfive.com/table/ffrkits/roadster/specs/frame.html>. http://www.sae.org/students/mbrules.pdf http://www.baja.wisc.edu/ http://www.hoffcocomet.com/comet/aftermarket-torque-converters.asp#700

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Appendix B: Competition Rules, Constraints, and Regulations

Competition Rules:
1) The following is an overview of rules imposed on competing teams by SAE. For the official and full version of these rules please see the SAE website under Student Competitions. 2) Teams, team members as individuals, faculty advisors and other representatives of a registered university who are present on-site at a competition are considered to be participating in the competition from the time they arrive at the event site until they depart the site at the conclusion of the competition or earlier by withdrawing. 3) Team members must be enrolled as degree seeking undergraduate or graduate students in a college or university 4) Team members must be members of at least one of the following societies: (1) SAE, (2) SAE Australasia, (3) SAE Brasil, (4) ATA or (5) IMechE. 5) Team members must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. 6) Team members who will drive a competition vehicle at any time during a competition must hold a valid, government issued drivers license. 7) The vehicle and associated documentation must be conceived, designed and fabricated by the team members without direct involvement from professional engineers, faculty or professionals in the off-road and racing communities. 8) Vehicles that have competed in a Mini Baja competition during a previous year may be entered in this years events only if: (1) the vehicle has been substantially modified

26 since its previous competition and (2) the modified vehicle meets all of the current years rules. 9) Teams must register for each Mini Baja competition they intend to enter by the deadline given in the Action Deadlines listed in the Appendix. 10) The vehicle design should be attractive to consumers because of its visual appearance, performance, reliability and ease of operation and maintenance. 11) The vehicle must have four (4) or more wheels not in a straight line. 12) The vehicle must be capable of safe operation over rough land terrain including obstructions such as rocks, sand, jumps, logs, steep inclines, mud and shallow water in any or all combinations and in any type of weather including rain, snow and ice. 13) Required engine: Briggs & Stratton 10 hp OHV Intek Model 205432 Type 0036-e1

Constraints and Regulations:

The constraints and regulations governing the Mini Baja Midwest project were prepared to enable an acceptable level of vehicle safety while maintaining fair competition environment among teams. A more detailed list of the constraints and regulations governing the Mini Baja competition can be found on the SAEs website under Student Competitions Mini Baja Midwest. Below is a compiled list of the most important constraints and regulations. 1. Roll cages are regulated to insure the safety and sound structure of the vehicle in the event of a crash. Configurations, materials, bolt connections, welds, and clearances must be followed. 2. Requirements such as firewall, engine location, exhaust, shielding, kill switches, throttle and fire extinguishers must be met. 3. Configurations for the drivers restraints must be followed.

27 4. Other subassemblies such as the breaking system, fuel system, steering, and suspension, have specified limitations as well that can be found on the web site mentioned above. 5. The only fuel permitted is a grade of automotive gasoline consisting of hydrocarbon compounds. The gasoline may contain anti-oxidants, metal deactivators, corrosion inhibitors, or lead alkyl compounds such as tetra-ethyl lead. The addition of nitrogen bearing additives, or additives designed to liberate oxygen is strictly prohibited. 6. Workmanship regulations on items such as fasteners, lock wire, and welds must be adhered to. 7. Safety from power train guards and other similar mechanisms must be used. 8. The driver must have proper personal protection such as helmet, goggles, support collar, and the required type of clothing. 9. All governors must remain stock and must not be tampered with or altered in any way. 10. Other rules and procedures that must be followed are attendance of driver meetings, pre-inspections, pit rules, refueling, general team behavior, and safety. Any protests for violations must be addressed to the National Technical Inspectors of the Mini Baja competition.

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Appendix C: Scored Events Scored Events:

The scored events for the Mini Baja Midwest competition are grouped into two categories (1) Static Events worth a maximum of 300 points and (2) Dynamic events which are worth 700 points.

Static Events 300 POINTS

Design Report 100 POINTS
The design report is a technical paper detailing all stages of the design process it is a maximum of ten (10) pages long excluding the cover page. An optional four (4) pages of charts, graphics and photographs may be included in the report but must contain no other text but captions.

Design Evaluation 150 POINTS

Designs will be evaluated at the event site on the first full day of the competition. Cars are expected to be presented in a finished condition and any incomplete section may receive a reduced score or zero points for any area that the judges are unable to evaluate. Judges also have the right to refuse to evaluate incomplete reports. Team members are expected to be able to answer any questions on the rationale behind their design decisions. The areas scored are as follows: 1) Originality and innovation 35 points 2) Suspension and brake system 25 points 3) Power train 15 points 4) Structural design 15 points 5) Craftsmanship 15 points 6) Operator Comfort 15 points

29 7) Feasibility for mass production 15 points 8) Serviceability 15 points

Cost 50 POINTS
The cost events are scored separately by judges but should be treated as one event with two parts.

Cost Report 10 POINTS

This event covers costs for the vehicle. It should include receipts, price tags, invoices, online prices, and other documentation. It is a means to verify the actual cost of the vehicle and is divided into subsystems. The cost report is an accurate and honest report of the cost of all materials, labor and fabrication. The time taken to assemble these parts is also reported. Judges will correct all times and costs that they believe to be lower than expected and cannot be justified in the report.

Prototype Cost 40 POINTS

During this event the team is presented with the judges correction of the cost of producing their vehicle. The prototype cost score is given depending on a teams corrected vehicle cost when compared to the least expensive corrected cost and the most expensive corrected cost for a vehicle in the competition.

Prototype cost = 40 x [(Max Cost Your Cost)/(Max Cost Lowest Cost)]

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Dynamic Events 700 POINTS:

Acceleration 75 POINTS
This event determines the acceleration capability of the vehicle. Each team gets two attempts along either a 100 or 150-foot flat course and the better of the two runs will be scored. A false or stalled start will be required to be run again and if repeated will result in disqualification, include running off the course will also result in disqualification. Top speed is determined at the end of the acceleration run. It is captured by a speed trap or other acceptable methods. Teams with a time that is more than twice the time of the fastest team will not be scored. Acceleration score = 75 x [(Tlongest Tyours)/(Tlongest Tshortest)]

Traction (Chain Pulling) 75 POINTS

The event organized for the 2006 Mid West competition is a pulling event. The vehicle will straddle a chain attached to a sled and attempt to pull it. Each team gets two attempts. When forward motion has stopped, the distance that the vehicle covered is measured and the furthest distance wins. However, there may be a set distance determined that all vehicles must pull and the run is timed.

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Maneuverability 75 POINTS
This event tests the vehicles suspension handling and steering. The vehicle must maneuver around logs, rocks, tight turns, over ground clearance obstacles, jumps and along inclines among other obstacles. To receive a score a vehicle must complete the course by not exceeding two and a half times that of the fastest vehicle. Two runs are allowed and the best time after penalties are assessed will be used for scoring. Penalties include moving a pylon, deliberate course violations, and false starts.

The Honda Hot Lap Maneuverability (Tentative)

Figure 1: Midwest Maneuverability Course (Sae.org)

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Mud Bog (Specialty) 75 POINTS

This event demonstrates the vehicles low speed power, suspension, and traction. Each vehicle makes two attempts to travel down a 20-degree incline into and across a 24 meter long pit of mud and up a 20 degree incline at the other end. Each vehicle is timed and a full run is when the front tires of the car passes the top of the far incline. If vehicle goes off course or rolls over it will disqualified. If the vehicle is unable to complete the course the distance that it has covered will be scored. Otherwise the time taken to cross the obstacle will be used.

Figure 2: Polaris Mud Bog (Sae.org)

Durability 400 POINTS

The vehicles will participate in an endurance course where a single lap is approximately 1.4 miles. During the endurance event if a vehicle is pulled through an obstacle, they will be towed back to the pits which will bypass the lap counter. This will be a progressive course where approximately 10 obstacles will be used at the beginning of the event and then one obstacle (increasing in difficulty) will be added every 15 minutes until all obstacles are open. One or two more obstacles are anticipated.