ASME RC Baja Challenge: Suspension and Steering

Hunter W. Jacobson, Central Washington University

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Abstract

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) usually hosts an RC Baja challenge each year, testing a RC car in three events: slalom, acceleration and Baja. Although ASME will not be holding an event this year, CWU will be holding a similar event with three RC Baja car teams from CWU. The RC car that is tested in these events is designed and manufactured typically in teams of two. The RC car that each team submits must be able to complete these events while also remaining competitive. One part of great importance for the RC car is the suspension and steering. This portion of the project focuses on the design, manufacturing, and assembly of the steering and suspension of the RC Baja car, while the other portion of the project focuses on the drivetrain. The RC car for this year features internal-spring shocks that reduce the overall size and profile of the suspension while keeping the performance that is expected of a RC car. The steering system for this year’s RC car is a standard bell-crank design that was salvaged from an older RC car. The design of the RC car, which was modeled in SolidWorks and verified with finite element analysis (FEA), shows that the suspension will be able to withstand a drop from 2 feet onto one wheel, a front-end impact when the RC car is traveling at 25 miles per hour, and be able turn with a turning radius of 45 inches.