Analysis
Requirements:
The design and racing requirements are stated in the Electrathon America Handbook 2018/2019. The completed vehicle will adhere to these rules and regulation, as well as participate in a race. In addition to these are the following requirements:
· Suspension components weigh less than 20 lbs.
· Maximum 3” of suspension travel
· Must support the overall weight of 350 lbs.
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Design Issue:
The design issue at hand was to create new front suspension for the vehicle. The requirements of the suspension handling the 350 lbs vehicle weight and weighing less than 10 lbs per side led to the analyses. The outcomes of the analyses were the a-arm, shock and spring selection, shock mounting brackets. Additionally, all of the materials for the manufactured parts and the appropriate mounting hardware.
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Calculated Parameters:
The parameters were calculated using the methods discussed in section 2.5 Description of Analysis. It was determined that the a-arm, bottom shock mount, and bolts will be made out of 6061 aluminum. This material is a good selection because it is strong enough for the application, lightweight, low cost, and readily available. The arm will be bolted to the frame with 1/4”-20 X 2.5” X 3/4” bolts and 1/4”-20 nuts. The shock will be bolted to the shock mounts with 5/16”-18 X 1.5” X 7/8” bolts and 5/16”-18 nuts. The bottom shock mount will be welded to the a-arm. The location of the mounting is fixed and cannot be moved due to the design of the mount to slot around the a-arm.
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Best Practices:
As found in the Mott book, a safety factor of 2.5 was selected to use throughout the project. This was selected based on the provided safety factors commonly used in industry.