OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY

SAE Baja
Midterm Report

Frame
Dan DAmico
Curtis May
Greg Schaffran

Suspension
Peter Morabito
Michael Paliga
Brian Ross

Drivetrain
Kenneth Elliot
Patrick Mooney
Dylan Quinn

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Elmustafa

Table of Contents
Section

Page
0

#
List of
Figures
....ii
Abstract
.iii
Introduction
.1
Background
..1
BackgroundDrivetrain
.2
Methods & ResultsDrivetrain.
..2-5
DiscussionDrivetrain
5-7
BackgroundSuspension
.7-8
MethodsSuspension
.9
ResultsSuspension
.9
DiscussionSuspension
.9-10
BackgroundFrame
.10
MethodsFrame
.10-11
ResultsFrame
.11
DiscussionFrame
.....11-13
Appendix
A
....14-20
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Appendix
B
.21
References
..........................22

List of Figures
Figure
#

Page

Figure 1. Gear Train Model

..4
Figure 2. Differential

.5
Figure 3. Double Reduction Gear Schematic
..5
Figure 4. CVT Image

..6
Figure 5. Camber Diagram

...7
Figure 6. Castor Diagram
.
.7
Figure 7. Toe Diagram

.8
Figure 8. Roll and Steering Behavior

.8
Figure 9. SAE Axes Terminology

8
Figure 10. ODU, Cornell, and Oregon State SAE Bajas
..12

Abstract
The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Baja senior design project enables students to gain
real world experience in the design, analysis, and manufacture of a vehicular product.
Specifically, our team has been organized into frame, drivetrain, and suspension subgroups to
allow a thorough and original design of all major components. The frame team will be
responsible for the creation of a new frame design that must be concurrent with all SAE
competition rules. Special consideration will be given to weight and cost reduction. The
suspension team will focus primarily on the rear suspension. A reliable trailing arm design will
be utilized for rear suspension applications, while the front suspension will consist of a standard
double A- arm setup. The drivetrain team will design a double reduction gearbox, with an
emphasis on efficiency and weight reduction. The transmission will be a continuously varying
transmission (CVT). The purpose of this project is to design a SAE Baja vehicle from scratch so
that this design can be utilized in the 2014 SAE Baja Competition.

Introduction
The SAE Baja senior design project is a semester long project intended to allow senior
mechanical engineering students to design an off-road vehicle for competition. This project
allows students to apply engineering theories and concepts that have been presented to them in
previous courses. The purpose of this project is to further the design, manufacturing, teamwork
and communication skills of the team members to prepare them for working in industry. The
team has been divided into three subdivisions in order to design all the main aspects of the
vehicle. The subgroups are: the drivetrain team, suspension team, and frame team.
The drivetrain team will focus on designing a more efficient powertrain design. This will
be achieved by replacing the existing chain driven system with a gearbox. A gearbox will greatly
improve the vehicles reliability and efficiently as well as reduce the overall weight of the car.
The gearbox will be paired with a CVT transmission to provide a range of gear ratios to improve
the vehicles maximum torque and top speed.
The suspension team will develop a more reliable and predicable suspension system. The
front suspension will consist of a double A-arm set up, similar to previous years, to function with
the new frame design. The rear suspension will consist of a four link trailing arm set up to allow
for dynamic camber and the greatest possible suspension travel. This will be more reliable than
last years design and should provide the same steering and suspension capabilities.
The frame team will focus on producing a frame that is lighter than last years frame.
This team has focused on shortening the frame so that less material is used and a smaller turning
radius can be achieved. Additionally, this team has been working to provide the optimum
suspension mounting points and rear end of the frame to accommodate the drivetrain and
suspension teams needs.

Background
The first Mini Baja competition started in 1976 at the University of South Carolina with
only 10 teams. Now more than 30 years later, the competition is formally known as Baja SAE
and has expanded into 3 sub-regions: East, Midwest, and West. The Baja SAE competition has
even grown into an international affair with competitions in Brazil, Korea, and South Africa.
This years competition will be in Rochester, New York. The competition will include
five dynamic events: Acceleration, Hill Climb, Maneuverability, Suspension & Traction, and
Endurance. These events will put each vehicle through an intense test of performance and
durability. The teams will also be judged on the vehicles styling and cost report.
This competition is used to simulate real world engineering design projects and their
related challenges, therefore, the purpose of the project is for each team to design, build, test,
promote, and race an off-road vehicle that can survive the punishment dished out by each event,
while keeping costs low and making it aesthetically pleasing.

Background- Drivetrain
The SAE BAJA 2013 rule book specifies that all teams shall use a Briggs & Stratton
1450 series engine (Figure A.1). This engine produces a peak of 14.50 ft lbs of torque as shown
in Figure A.2 and is rated at ~10 horsepower. The engine is tuned at competition by Briggs &
Stratton technicians to insure that every team is running the specified engine without
modifications at 3600 rpm. This is a single cylinder four stroke engine that is fed from a
carburetor and manual choke. The only modification allowed to the engine at competition is a
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remote intake that must be specifically ordered from Briggs & Stratton and installed according to
their instructions.
The transmission we have chosen to pair with this engine is at Continuously Varying
Transmission (CVT). This transmission is a variable diameter pulley system where the sheaves
primary and secondary pulleys move in and out thus changing diameter and gear ratio. Figure
A.3 demonstrates the extremes of the gear ratios that the CVT will travel through. CVTs are
ideal for the SAE Baja competition because the CVT adjusts to provide the best ratio depending
on the speed of the input and output shafts thus providing max torque when needed and adjusting
to the top speed ratio when needed. This type of CVT is adjustable with a system of springs and
brass weights to allow tuning for specific events allowing for top speed or lower end torque bias.

Methods & Results Drivetrain

One of the primary goals of the powertrain team is to develop a fixed ratio gearbox
design to compliment the performance of the Briggs & Stratton engine and Gaged CVT system.
The gearbox will be optimized to provide maximum vehicle performance throughout the range
of events incorporated in the SAE Baja competition. The gearbox design process consists of
three major areas:
Gear train and differential design
Bearing and Shaft design
Gearbox Housing design
Each of these areas requires vastly different design methods in order to produce a gearbox that
will enhance the performance of the Baja vehicle.
Gear train and differential design is crucial to the reliability of the gearbox and represents
a large amount of the calculations thus far in the project. A precise overall reduction ratio is
required in order to achieve the acceptable performance out of the whole drivetrain system. This
can be seen in Figure A.4. The most challenging event in the competition for the powertrain
team is the hill climb. At the Rochester venue the hill is 36-37 degrees, the steepest of all the
locations the Baja competition takes place at. The vehicle must produce enough torque with the
chosen ratio to propel the vehicle up the incline from a stop with a margin of safety. Based on
this, a conservative incline angle of 40 degrees was determined as well as an overestimated
vehicle weight.

In order to overcome the incline a minimum gearbox ratio of 7.7551:1 coupled with the
initial CVT reduction is required. Based on this calculation it was decided that an 8.0:1 ratio
would be chosen. This provides a max torque at the wheels of 446.6 lb-ft with the initial CVT
ratio. In order to provide a margin of error the incline angle, vehicle weight, engine torque
output and chosen reduction ratio were all conservatively estimated.
A total safety factor for the drive ratio of the vehicle as required on the hill climb competition
was calculated to be 1.277, as seen in Figure A.5. This acts as a buffer to account for parasitic
loss due to friction and rotating mass in the driveline, as well as surface conditions and traction
issues on the hill.
The final drive ratio of the car throughout the band of CVT manipulation is key to
success at all of the events at the SAE Baja competition. The 8.0:1 gearbox ratio should provide
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good results in the hill climb and acceleration events, but it must also allow for a competitive top
speed for the endurance race. The Briggs & Stratton engine is tuned at competition to have an
RPM limit of 3600. Based on achieving this RPM, a theoretical top speed of 35.7 MPH was
determined and can be seen in Figure A.6. This should allow the ODU car to keep up with
similarly funded teams on the faster sections of the course, as well as provide good low end
power in the technical portions.
There are many constraints in gear train sizing and selection. The gear combinations must
achieve many design characteristics:
Desired reduction ratio (8.0:1)
Maintain compactness of the overall design
Allow for housing of the selected differential
Maintain reliability under heavy use
Spur style gears will provide the most efficient transfer of power as well as the simplest
bearing and support design due to the lack of lateral forces. They are also significantly cheaper
than comparable helical gears and there is a larger, more available selection of size and pitch
combinations. The gears being used will have a modern pressure angle of 20 degrees and a pitch
of 12. The gear train will be split into two reductions in order to save space in the overall size of
the gearbox. A single reduction box would require a very large spur gear to compliment the
pinion gear in order to achieve the desired ratio.

Stage 1 Reduction: (2.0:1)

Gear Train

o Pitch = 12, Press Angle = 20

Pinion Gear: 20 Teeth
- Dp = 1.6667
Spur Gear: 40 Teeth
- Dp = 3.3333

Stage 2 Reduction: (4.0:1)

o Pitch = 12, Press Angle = 20
Pinion Gear: 20 Teeth
- Dp = 1.6667
Spur Gear: 80 Teeth
- Dp = 6.6667

In order to aid in the selection of gears in

the train a table of potential combinations was
created. Included were available face widths, bore sizes and pitches. To ensure the chosen gear
combinations would work well together, interference was calculated for each selection based on
the following equation where K=1 for full teeth engagement and m=ratio. The selection of gears
mesh without interference based on the results. Using the equation below a gear selection table
can be made. This table is shown in TableA.1.
Np = (2K/(1+2m)*sin20 deg)*(m+ sqrt(m^2 + (1+2m)*sin20 deg)
To determine the strength and reliability of the gear setup the following calculation
methods were employed for each of the gears:
Lewis Bending Stress
Barth Velocity Factor
Lewis Safety Factor
Barth Factor of Safety
AGMA Stress and Strength
Based on the calculations that are shown in Figure A7, a gear material of AISI 1020 was
selected. This material provides an adequate safety factor, is readily available and easily
machinable. The performance to cost ratio is also very high.

A differential will be housed in the large output gear in the gearbox. The differential will
allow for more maneuverability and better handling characteristics in the endurance competition
by allowing a bias between the rear drive axles. The large gear will have to be machined to
secure the differential.
4

After gear selection and calculation is complete a

bearing and shaft system and housing will be developed. The
shafts will rely on a shoulder coupled with snap rings to secure
the gears in a lateral direction. A standard keyway will mate the
gears to the shaft rotationally. The shafts will also contain
shoulders to house bearings. The gearbox housing will be split
horizontally into two sections along the centerline of the
bearings allowing for access and support.

Discussion - Drivetrain
The bajas drivetrain will undergo a number of upgrades this year. The objective of this
years gearbox design is to create a two-stage, double reduction gearbox. This type of gearbox
will replace the belt drive system used in the previous car. The new vehicle will not have an
updated transmission; however, a differential will be incorporated into the gearbox design. These
modifications will hopefully enhance the performance of ODUs baja vehicle at competition.
In order to achieve success and compete in not only a few, but all of the events at the
competition, a more versatile gearbox design was chosen. After reviewing the types of events
that the vehicle will likely encounter; a gearbox ratio of 8:1 was decided upon. A large reduction
ratio was chosen to correspond with an emphasis toward acceleration rather than top speed. Also,
the large ratio will be more adequate for completing the hill climb course. Spur gears will be
used throughout the gearbox because they are more efficient and simpler to manufacture
compared to helical gears. A two-stage compound gear train like the one in Fig. 13-28 below,
shows a design similar to the one that will be integrated in this years baja design.

In the quest for excellence, a decision was made to incorporate a more advanced design
that includes a differential. A differential was added to the design to increase the vehicles
maneuverability. It will allow for the wheels to rotate at different speeds when making turns.
This should allow the car to excel in certain, more technical, events. The addition of a differential
will definitely benefit the vehicles maneuverability, especially since it lacks a reverse drive
operation.
The transmission was chosen to be a Gaged GX-9 continuously variable transmission
5

(CVT). This type of transmission will be able to transmit power at optimal efficiency while
maximizing performance. It accomplishes this by being able to shift smoothly and continuously
through an infinite number of gear ratios within a given range of 3.85:1 initial drive to 0.9:1 final
drive. A picture of the Gaged GX-9 CVT without the belt is shown below. This system also
removes the need for a clutch as the belt slips allowing the engine to spin freely when the
secondary shaft is held.

The powertrain design of this years vehicle has some similarities but more differences
when compared with previous vehicles. This years gearbox is radically different than last years
design because issues that arose at competition were discovered and corrected. A gear driven
setup was chosen in order to adhere to the complaints of the previous team about the added
weight and noise of a chain drive. Difficulties in maneuverability in previous vehicles created a
need to add a differential to the design. In doing so, the new car will be able to move more
quickly in and out of turns. Both this year and last years teams have the same transmission. No
problems were detected by the previous team so the same CVT will be used again.
Several limitations of this study are present and effect the possible conclusions that could
be made. It is hard to say how effective the gearbox design actually is because the powertrain
will not be physically tested at competition until next year. Although the project has limitations,
its future implications create a meaningful assignment. Future teams will be able to analyze the
performance and durability of past designs and make modifications and improvements to them.
This type of project allows for ODUs baja SAE vehicle to progress with each generation.

Suspension - Background
The Bajas suspension design has shown a marked progression through the years. The
6

suspension has evolved from utilizing parallel double wishbone coil-over systems of unequal
length on both the front and rear to unequal double wishbone systems on the front, and a trailing
arm setup on the rear. The trailing arm rear suspension is advantageous in that it imbues greater
platform stability and, as an added bonus, dynamic kinematic properties, such as toe and camber.
Dynamically, criterion pertaining to toe, camber, castor, track width, wheelbase, weight transfer,
roll center, and suspension travel are crucial elements of a successful suspension design.
According to the textbook Race Car Vehicle Dynamics, camber is defined as the angle
between a tilted wheel plane and the vertical [11]. It is one of three terms used to describe a
suspensions alignment. The camber angle, , can have negative or positive orientations, where
camber is considered positive if the top of the wheel leans outward, and negative if the top of the
wheel leans inward. The figure below serves as a visual representation of positive and negative
camber. If a vehicles wheels are properly cambered, a beneficial thrust force is produced. This
thrust force, aptly named camber thrust, contributes a lateral force in the direction of the tires
tilt. In other words, it ensures stability by pulling the bottom of the tire in the same direction the
top is leaning.

Castor, or the angle in side elevation of the kingpin axis with respect to the vertical plane,
is another stability oriented kinematic property. The chief benefit of castor is that it is responsible
for a steering centric restoring force, meaning that the amount of castor affects how the steering
feels and the amount of effort required to turn the wheel. The figure to the right above depicts
positive castor.
Toe is the final parameter used to describe a vehicles alignment. From Boschs
Automotive Handbook, toe specifies the degree to which non-parallel front wheels are closer
together at the front than at the rear [12]. Tire wear is heavily dependent on toe distances. The
figures below shows what is meant by a toe-in alignment setup.

The roll center has a significant impact on a suspensions steering response; moreover,
7

there is a direct correlation between roll center location and oversteer, understeer, or neutral steer
suspension behavior. In the book Tune To Win, author Carroll Smith defines the roll center as a
point, in the transverse plane of the axles, about which the sprung mass of that end of the vehicle
will roll under the influence of centrifugal force, where the sprung mass is the portion of the
vehicles total mass that is supported by the suspension springs [13]. Furthermore, vehicles
designed to understeer will require more steering input, whereas vehicles inclined to oversteer
will require less steering input. Vehicles equipped with a tinge of oversteer are ideally suited for
applications that demand maneuverability. The slight oversteer enables maximum agility while
maintaining a forgiving nature, thus would be perfect for Baja applications. The right side figure
above shows how varying the inclination of the roll axis affects steering behavior.
Wheelbase is the longitudinal distance from the center of the front wheel hub to the
center of the rear hub. Similarly, track width is the lateral length from wheel centerlines. The
length of the wheelbase is of utmost importance when considering weight transfer and the
vehicles center of gravity (CG). From a performance perspective, the center of gravity must
remain as low as possible.
The figure below summarizes the SAE axes terminology and serves as a snapshot for
many of the aforementioned dynamics and definitions.

Methods - Suspension
The suspension design has been broken down into two sections: front and rear. Mounting
points of the suspension on the frame and hubs are used for suspension analysis. These points
can be interpreted by suspension analysis software; a commonly used one is Optimum K
(OptimumG, Denver, CO, USA). The front suspension mounting points were pulled off of the
design from last year using a solid works drawing. The points were then imported into the
analysis software. From there test points can be used to get desired results. The design for the
rear suspension has been researched and geometry has been decided on. Future designing
consists of finding the optimum mounting points for the desired dynamics of the suspension. It
will involve a trial and error type analysis in order to find the optimum solution.

Results - Suspension
The front suspension has been modeled in Optimum K and was then put through a series
of different simulations. The simulations are comprised of adjusting heave, roll, pitch and
steering. Once the parameters are set for the run the simulation is played and an excel
spreadsheet is developed with the results. These results will help in analyzing whether or not the
8

suspension will be able to withstand the design requirements of the Baja. A final run through has
not yet been developed for the front suspension but the program has been studied to do so.

Discussion - Suspension
The suspension design of the 2014 ODU Baja will remain largely unchanged with respect
to the 2012 Baja car. Polaris RZR wheel hubs and parts from a Honda 400EX ATV will continue
to be utilized. However, the rear trailing arm must be redesigned such that dynamic toe is
eliminated. Theoretically, dynamic toe is a great idea because it enables a certain amount of rear
steering and is inherently agile. Unfortunately, the rear trailing arm system was not durable and
the design was not rewarded at competition, so for greater simplicity, the link that controls
dynamic toe must be eliminated. A new trailing arm setup must be designed and analyzed to
meet this goal. The front suspension setup is being finalized and has been used to train the group
on the proper use of OptimumKinematics suspension analysis software. The center of gravity for
the 2012 Baja car was calculated using rudimentary materials and the results are included in
Figure A.10 The center of gravity was found to lie approximately 10 inches above the axial
center, and can be shortened by using lower mounting locations.
Additionally, Fox Float Racing Shocks have been selected over re-using the Custom
Works Shocks of previous years. The Float Racing Shock is an air shock that offers superior cost
effectiveness. A pair of Fox Float Shocks cost $521.25 and the Custom Works Shocks cost
approximately $859 per pair. Figure A.8 and Figure A.9 serve as a verification of similar
performance envelopes, so the compromise on behalf of cost will not severely impact
performance. Qualitatively, compression and rebound force versus velocity curves are highly
linear. Linear damping rates are acceptable, and one can see how the shock copes with the
transition from minor to major undulations.
Work is currently revolving around the front A-arms. The A-arms must be drawn is
SolidWorks and subjected to stress analyses. The team must also simultaneously begin design
and analysis work on the rear trailing arm.

Background - Frame
The SAE Baja has a large list of minimum requirements for frame design. These
regulations must be met in order to ensure design integrity and driver safety. The purpose of the
frame is to provide a protected space from which the driver can control the car. All of the frame
requirements in the rule book have been set to ensure the driver will be as safe as possible in the
event of an accident. The firewall is in place in case of a problem with the engine or drivetrain to
protect the driver from fire or flying shrapnel. In the event of the car rolling over the roll cage is
designed to withstand the weight of the car and keep the operator from being crushed. Sidebars
provide support in case of a side impact and the nose section is designed to hold up in the event
of a front end collision.
Previous years frames were large, heavy and over engineered. There was far too much
material. Frames of past years have weighed around 330 lbs where as another other school's
entire car weighed 306lbs. While the past two years have been essentially the same design, the
SAE rules require the entire vehicle to be at least 50% different if the same design has been
previously used consecutively. The aim of this year's frame design is to reduce the overall weight
and size of the car while meeting this difference requirement.
9

Methods - Frame
The first step in the design was selecting a suitable material. These are the minimum
material specifications required by SAE. The metals were analyzed for their strength to weight
ratio as well as their cost. The material chosen was 4130 chromoly steel.
The initial steps in designing the frame was getting boundary dimensions form the SAE
Baja rules. These minimum dimensions maintain a certain degree of safety for all drivers and
ensuring that the vehicle is rigid enough.
The firewall was the first feature designed. It was angled to the maximum tilt of 20
degrees from vertical to decrease the air resistance and maximize available space for the engine
and transmission as low on the frame as possible. The design was such to give a lateral breadth
of 29 inches at 27 inches above the seat bottom as required in the SAE rulebook (SAE
RULEBOOK). Diagonal bracing members were added no more than 5 inches from the end
horizontal members of the firewall.
Working forward, the front end was designed according to suspension mounting points
predetermined by the suspension team. Members were drawn to accommodate the double A
arms of the front suspension as well as a shock mounting point. Also in consideration was
leaving space for the brake reservoirs. Consideration was also made for length for a driver's legs,
leaving 44 inches between the seat bottom and the front most point on the car.
The roll cage was designed by simply connecting the roll cage to the highest point on the
front end. Consideration was made for minimum head clearance for driver safety. The horizontal
portion of the roll cage was designed to maintain a 41 inch vertical clearance and a 12 inch
forward clearance from the rear seat bottom.
The vehicle's rear end was designed with consideration for the engine size and
orientation. Gearbox and suspension mounting points were also considered. Only a tentative
design is complete. The design will be finalized on completion of the gearbox and suspension
designs. Further work is needed once the gearbox design is finalized and the suspension
mounting points are decided.
This finalizes the initial design. PATRAN analysis is needed to determine if this
preliminary design is sufficient. Rollover and collision analysis will be performed. The design
will be strengthened where necessary and members may be removed to save weight if the design
can maintain a sufficient safety factor without them.

Results - Frame
The design of the frame is nearly complete. The firewall, front end, and roll cage have all
been completed along with a tentative design for the rear end. Every member was designed with
reducing vehicle weight in mind. The roll cage has also been designed to minimize vehicle
weight and reduce overall chassis flex while cornering. The length of the vehicle was reduced by
eight inches in comparison to last year's design for a shorter wheelbase, more precise handling,
and reduced weight. This will also help with driver comfort, as last year's car left the driver with
legs full extended. We selected 4130 'Chromoly' steel tubing with an outside diameter of 1 inch
and wall thickness of 0.12 inches for all of the frame members [6][1]. This steel was chosen over
other options such as 1020 steel or 1026 steel because 4130 has the highest strength to weight
ratio [2][3][4][5]. Chromoly steel is also within the budget and more readily available than other
types [1].
10

Future work includes finalization of the rear end design based on gearbox and suspension
design and finite element analysis in MSC PATRAN. Testing must be done for rollover as well as
front, side and rear collision testing. Members will be added should the design fail or removed
should it prove to have a very large safety factor.

Discussion - Frame
The goal for the frame team is to reduce the size and weight of the frame without
compromising structural integrity or performance of the vehicle. Size is a big factor in the weight
difference between Old Dominions 2012 vehicle and the top competitors. Old Dominions frame
was considerably larger than the other top competitors who favored a more compact vehicle. It
can be seen in Figure 10 the length differences between the Old Dominion University, Oregon
State, and Cornell vehicles. The driver of ODUs Mini Baja has his legs almost fully extended
and the steering column juts out a considerable distance. Both Cornells and Oregon States
drivers have their knees bent and the steering column barely juts out from the front end.

Figure 10. Old Dominion mini Baja [9]

(top left), Oregon State University mini
Baja [10] (top right), Cornell University
mini Baja [10] (bottom).

This large ODU Baja design was a result of

concerns about the required driver clearances and exit time. These other teams have shown that
all the required clearances and the exit test can be met while designing a smaller vehicle. The
length and width of the car are the main focuses for reducing the frame size. Height will also be
examined, but it is not believed to have as much room for reduction. Another possibility is the
presence of redundant members built into previous frame designs. Identifying any members that
are structurally unnecessary will help optimize the design. It is important that the power to
weight ratio is improved so that the team can be more competitive in events such as acceleration,
hill climb, maneuverability, and endurance.
There are not many results yet seeing as how the frame design is still in development, but
some preliminary conclusions can be drawn as to what can be expected. A reduction in frame
weight, when compared to the 2012 ODU Mini Baja, can be expected due to several reductions
11

in frame dimensions and changes in member configuration. These improvements will also
increase the handling of the vehicle. Reduced weight and increased handling will allow for better
performance in competitions where past performances can be improved. At this time the frame
weight reduction is unknown, but will be available after the final design is put into SolidWorks
(Dassault Systemes Soildworks Corp., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA) and a mass analysis is
conducted. The structural integrity of the car will be maintained as the design is similar to the
previous vehicle. A finite element analysis will be performed in PATRAN once the final frame
design is completed. One conclusion that can be drawn is which particular material the frame
will be used in construction. The frame will be constructed with chromoly 4130 steel due to its
high strength to weight ratio and good weldability [1]. It was used for past Old Dominion cars
and is the popular steel of choice for many other competing teams.
The past Old Dominion University Mini Bajas have mostly placed in the middle of the
pack in terms of competition ranking. Last June the team took 55th place out of 102 ranked
teams. It is important to examine the previous Mini Baja to identify parts of the design that are
not performing as well as they should. Potential areas of improvement can be identified by
comparing Old Dominions 2012 car to other top performing schools. One of the main concerns
is the overall weight of the vehicle. Last year the ODU car weighed 479 pounds compared to the
3rd place car from Cornell at 306 pounds [8]. The Old Dominion frame alone weighed about 330
pounds, meaning Cornells total car was around 24 pounds lighter than the ODU frame. Table
A.2 displays the event scores for the top four competitors and Old Dominion University from the
SAE Wisconsin 2012 competition. The events where Old Dominions performances were much
lower depended on high power to weight ratios. A lighter weight vehicle will improve the
performances in acceleration, pulling, and endurance the most.
The Baja SAE rulebook lays out many of the specifications that the designed vehicle
must stay within in order to be considered eligible for competition. The maximum allowable
width is 64in at the widest point of the car, wheels included [6]. With the suspension staying
mostly unchanged, the car will fall well within the maximum allowable width. While there is no
limit to the length, SAE suggests a maximum length of 108in [6]. The current design sits at
74.5in and is unlikely to change very much. The roll cage has been designed around the template
driver that is supplied in the rule book. The first step in the design was to record all specification
requirements to ensure that all were met. Barring any changes to the 2014 rule book, the
designed Mini Baja will be fully eligible for the competition.
There are quite a few limitations to how much the design can be improved and
performance enhanced, some are within control and some outside of it. Money is one limitation
that cannot be helped very much. The school is unlikely to drastically change the budget allotted
to the Mini Baja team which leaves sponsors as the only other source of income. Without a
dedicated marketing team and more impressive competition record it is unlikely that the income
from sponsors will change much. This leaves the team without many of the advantages that
better funded schools have, such as dedicated machine shops and the ability to manufacture parts
from carbon fiber. These allow teams with such facilities and budgets to have large advantages
over other teams.
A limitation that can be controlled is the transfer of designs and information from one
years design team to the next. This would be a great advantage in being able to perform
necessary modifications to improve a design instead of starting a new one from scratch. However
for this to have any effect the shop team actually needs to construct the vehicle that the design
team drew plans for. There has been little communication between the shop team and the design
12

team in previous years. This has led to design teams that have failed to meet the proper
requirements and shop teams that have decided to design their own Mini Baja. This is less than
optimal and results in little design information being passed on to the next years design team. It
would be very beneficial for the faculty advisor to facilitate communication between the two
teams and emphasize the passage of design information.

Appendix A

Figure A.1 Engine.

Figure A.2 CVT Diagram.

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Factor of Safety (Reduction Ratio)

Top Speed Calculations

Values: Estimate / actual

Gear
(8.0SPEED
/ 7.7551)
= 1.0326
3600 RPM
MaxRatio:
ENGINE
216,000
ROT/HOUR
Vehicle
0.9:1 FINAL
CVT Weight:
RATIO (650 lbs / 600 lbs) = 1.0833
Incline
Angle:
TIRE RADIUS
= 1.0
FT (40 deg / 37.5 deg) = 1.0667
Torque:
(15 lb-ftRatio
max
14
lb-ft
avg)
TIRE ROLLOUT:
(2)*(1.0
FT) =/(X)
6.28319
FEET= 1.0714
Minimum
to
Overcome
Incline Angle
Total
= (1.0326)*(1.0833)*(1.0667)*(1.0714)
DISTANCE
PERFS
ROTENG
= (6.28319 FT) / (0.9*8.0) = 0.872665 FT/ROTENG
----->Total
Safety
Factor
= 1.2772
(216,000
ROT/HR)*(0.872665
FT/ROT)
= 188,496
FT/HR
Engine
torque:
14 lb-ft
(188,496
FT/HR)*[(1
MILE)
/
(5280
FT)]
=
35.699
MPH
Cvt Ratio (initial): 3.85:1
----->TOP
3600 RPM
= feet
35.7 MPH
TireSPEED
rolling@
diameter:
1.0
[Vehicle wt]*[Sin(incline angle)] = Repelling Weight
[650 lbs]*[Sin(40 degrees)] = 418 lbs
Repelling wt = (tire radius)*(CVT ratio)*(engine tq)*(X min)
418 lbs = (1.0 ft)*(3.85)*(14 lb-ft)*(X min)
----->Xmin= 7.7551

Figure A.3 Torque Curve.

Figure A.4 Factor of Safety Calculations.

Figure A.5 Top Speed Calculations.

Figure A.6 Minimum Gear Ratio.

14

Table A.1 Gear Specifications for Reduction Ratio.

Figure A.7 Loads, Stresses, and Safety Factor Calculations.

Figure A.8 Shock Compression Behavior.

15

Figure A.9 Shock Rebound Behavior

Figure A.10 Baja Center of Gravity Calculations

Rank

School
Overall (1000)

Universite
Laval
913.77

2
Oregon
State
University
896.63

Cornell
University
893.62

EDTS
880.21

55
Old
Dominion
University
530.74

16

Overall Dynamic
(300)
Overall Static (300)
Cost (100)
Design (200)
Acceleration (60)
Land
Maneuverability (60)
Mud Bog (60)
Pulling (60)
Suspension &
Traction (60)
Endurance Race
(400)

266.59
245.18
90.80
154.38
60.00

256.18
236.45
74.45
162.00
51.72

232.58
258.04
83.54
174.50
53.95

227.13
252.08
80.45
171.63
47.92

185.54
183.04
71.29
111.75
32.24

60.00
50.04
36.55

58.06
60.00
30.31

56.44
46.34
22.29

54.04
34.91
36.11

48.06
43.22
15.16

60.00

56.09

53.56

54.15

46.86

402.00
404.00
403.00
401.00
162.16
Table A.1 Score Breakdown of Top Four Schools Compared to Results for ODU Mini Baja Team [7].

Appendix B

17

Figure B.1 Current Gantt Chart.

References

[1] 4130 Alloy Tube Round [Online]. Available:

http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?
id=250&step=2
[2] Aerospace Specifications: AISI 4130 Steel [Online]. Available:
http://asm.matweb.com/search/SpecificMaterial.asp?bassnum=m4130r
[3] ASTM a513 alloys 1020 [Online]. Available:
http://www.onlinemetals.com/alloycat.cfm?alloy=A513
[4] a513 Type 5 Steel Tube DOM [Online]. Available:
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfmid=283&step=2
[5] OnlineMetals Guide to Steel [Online]. Available:
http://www.onlinemetals.com/steelguide.cfm
[6] 2013 Collegiate Design Series: Baja SAE Series Rules, SAE International,
Warrendale, PA, pp. 19-32.

18

[7]

Baja SAE Results. SAE International. Available:

http://students.sae.org/competitions/bajasae/results/
[8] Cornell Baja: The Cars. Cornell University. Available:
http://baja.mae.cornell.edu/about.php
[9] ODU Baja. ODU Baja Facebook Page. Available:
http://www.facebook.com/ODUBaja/photos_stream
[10] Baja SAE Oregon. Baja SAE Oregon 2012 Competition. Available:
http://www.facebook.com/BajaSaeOregon/photos_stream
[11] Milliken, W. F., & Milliken, D. L., Race Car Vehicle Dynamics. Warrendale: Society of
Automotive
Engineers, Inc., 1995.
[12] Smith, Carroll, Tune To Win. Rolling Hills Estates, CA: Carroll Smith Consulting
Incorporated, 1978.
Automotive Handbook, 2nd ed., Bosch, Stuttgart, GmbH, 1986, pp. 480-481.

19