Chassis Progress 12/09

Since the last update, the chassis has been completed, with only small mounts left to be added. The finished chassis came together just after Christmas, then suspension and engine mounts were added. The complete frame weighed in at 30kg, with mounts, an decrease of 8kg over last year.
The process of welding the chassis continued, with a number of different jigs being used:

With the frame complete, the suspension mounts had to be added. These were set at angles specified by the suspension team and welded to the frame.

And then engine mounts.

The next stage for us is to paint the chassis once the final mounting points are on, and then assemble the car

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Suspension

The suspension team have been working hard over the past term and are keeping the momentum going through into the New Year with the first components emerging in the workshop having been manufactured.

Having only two team members working on the suspension this year has meant a lot of time has been taken up by research and design work early on. The two of us have gone on to break down the components between us and give feedback on each other’s designs interlinking with the chassis team and the driver controls team to determine mounting points and geometry.

Independent unequal length double a-arm suspension has been designed for the new build, focusing on weight reduction where there is potential for a lot of improvement over previous teams steel designs.

Recent arrival of carbon fibre tubes mean it won’t be long before complete wishbones, steering rods and pull/push rod arms are ready to be tested. The final touches are also being made to upright designs which are due to follow shortly.