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Design and fabrication of BAJA SAE India all terrain vehicle

Conference Paper · June 2012

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 Design and fabrication of BAJA SAE India all terrain vehicle

Pankaj Tomar*, Anupama Madiyan, Surabhi Sharma, Charul Chadha & Shobhita
Gangwani

MAE Department (I.G.I.T), Guru Gobind Singh Indraprashta University, Delhi

*Corresponding Author: pankaj_12343@rediffmail.com

Abstract
Baja SAE is an intercollegiate competition to design, fabricate, and race a small, single
passenger, off-road vehicle powered by a 10 HP, Briggs & Stratton 4-Stroke petrol engine
and to bring students into a real world engineering scenario and have these students to work in
teams and to compete in the tests and races against other teams of students. The purpose of the
present paper is to optimize the design of a vehicle on the basis of hill climb, rock crawl,
acceleration, maneuverability and endurance on land as well as in muddy terrain and to
fabricate the vehicle in compliance with SAE guidelines. The engine capacity cannot be
changed as per the guidelines of SAE therefore the vehicle performance depends merely on
power train mechanism and light weight of vehicle and driver. Vehicle ‘Andromeda’ is
fabricated and a brief presentation of roll cage analysis, engine power train, suspension
system, braking system and steering system shall be presented by the authors in the paper.

Keywords: Roll cage analysis, suspension system, steering, power train and braking system

1. Introduction
The main purpose of this paper is to put across the designing aspects of the BAJA vehicle
developed by Team-Yantriki 2012. The vehicle (Fig. 1) was designed using computer-aided
modeling, resulting in a safe, high-performance vehicle for off-road competition, with light
weight and high strength characteristics. Being the heart of an ATV, major emphasis has been
put on the designing of Chassis and Suspension. Detailed vehicle specifications and
important calculations have been provided wherever necessary. Team Yantriki 2012 has
emphasized on each and every minute technical aspect of the BAJA vehicle. This paper
presents an overview of the technical details of the vehicle so developed. Considerations have
also been made to minimize the cost, wherever possible, but not at the expense of
compromising on the design safety and performance. Chassis design and fine tuning of all
subsystems to the chassis for smooth functioning of the vehicle have been one of the prime
considerations of the team. Driver safety is an important concern in the design of the vehicle
and the rollcage is the primary protection for the driver. To ensure driver safety the rollcage
must be structurally robust against any type of possible collisions with another vehicle during
the final endurance race.
 Fig. 1: Andromeda
2. Roll cage
The main purpose of the rollcage is to provide adequate space to the driver and design for
driver ergonomics and safety as per the BAJA SAE INDIA rule book [1]. In addition to
protect the driver [2-3], the roll cage is designed to look visually pleasing (Fig. 2). Therefore,
the roll cage should be light in weight, compact, rigid but not compromising the ergonomic
requirements of the driver. The rules enforce the practicality of the designs ensuring the
safety of the driver. The material suggested in the BAJA rulebook is AISI 1018. The rule for
rollcage pipes states that it should have minimum diameter of 1 inch and a minimum
thickness of 3mm. If we are not using AISI 1018, then we have to select the material such
that it should have bending strength and bending stiffness at least equal to those of AISI
1018. Different materials [4] are considered for the rollcage such as AISI 1020, ASTM 4130
including AISI 1018. But 4130 is very expensive and its availability in India is very rare and
AISI 1020 does not have good strength and the machining properties and AISI 1018 also
have issues of availability. That’s why ASTM A 106 was selected which has good bending
strength, cost efficient, easy availability and good machinablilty. Three materials were
considered for the chassis based on rules set and the ease of procurement, ASTM 106 Grade
A, B and C. A comparative study of their cost and property was undertaken to firm up the
selection. Finalizing Grade A would have led to using bigger OD to satisfy the minimum B
stiff and B strength constraint, thus leading to an increase in weight, whereas going
ahead with Grade C would have proved to be too costly. Therefore it was decided to use
ASTM A 106 Grade B, having an OD of 1.05 inch and thickness 3 mm for RRH, RHO,
FBM, and LC and for LFS, SIM, FAB, and FLC an OD of 1.05inch and thickness 2mm
was decided. Aluminum was chosen as the material for body panels for its light weight and
easy availability. A PVC model is shown in Fig. 3.

All the tubing members in the cockpit are securely layered with shock absorbing foam
to protect the driver during an event. The roll cage was manufactured keeping in mind
the maximum driver comfort and safety. Fire extinguisher (Rating: ISI: 18849) has been
provided with easily detachable mounting. The remaining standard safety equipment,
including two kill switches have been placed for easy access and use, as well as maximum
optimization of their functions during an emergency. Apart from this arm restrains, neck
collar, motor-cross type helmet have also been procured of the given ratings in the rule book.
Fig.2: Isometric view of roll cage Fig. 3: PVC model of roll cage

3.0 Engine power train

Briggs & Stratton 10 hp model number-205432 is mounted and transmission system consists
of various devices that help in transmitting power from the engine through the drive shaft to
the live axle of an automobile. Gears, brakes, clutch, fluid drive and other auto transmission
parts work together for transforming the speed ratio between the engine and wheels of a
vehicle. The transmission system incorporates various components, which are attached to the
back of the engine, and used for distributing the power from the engine to the drive wheels.
Maruti 800 transmission systems have been selected which was coupled using chain and
sprocket with the Briggs and Stratton engine. The power from the transaxle to the wheels is
transmitted through Maruti 800 half-shafts and re-fabricated as per the axle ratio and fixation
requirements and gear ration is given in Table 1 with various speed of the vehicle.

Gears Gear ratios Speed (Km/hour)

1st 3.585 8.888
2nd 2.166 23.655
3rd 1.333 38.443
4th 0.900 56.940
Gear Reduction ratio by
1.933
sprockets
Final Drive 4.351
Reverse Gear 3.363 15.238

Table 1: Speeds at different gear of the vehicle

4.0 Suspension system

Suspension systems serve a dual purpose, contributing to the vehicle's road
holding/handling capacity and reduce shock loads that act on the car when operating under
dynamic conditions. It must provide enough wheel travel to dampen the impacts imposed on
the vehicle. The main focus of the suspension team was to create an overall good performing
suspension system that could perform in all terrains equally. An Independent type of
suspension was chosen for both front and rear because of better ride quality and handling, due
to lower unsprung weight and the ability of each wheel to address the road undisturbed by
activities of the other wheel on the vehicle. Double wishbone with unequal and non parallel
A-arms was selected for both front and rear because it allows huge control on parameters like
camber angle, caster angle, toe, roll center height, scrub radius, etc., So the kinematics of the
suspension can be tuned easily and wheel motion can be optimized. The static ride height for
the vehicle was designed to be 12 inches in rear and 11 inches in front. This height was
chosen for a combination of desirable ground clearance while maintaining a low center of
gravity. This combination was necessary to keep this off-road vehicle versatile in all terrain.
The ground clearance gives the vehicle the ability to overcome high rocks, hills, and bumps.
The lower center of gravity will give it an ability to handle better in tight maneuvering
situations at high rates of speed.

A positive scrub radius of 2 inches was chosen. Keeping scrub radius small will make the car
easier to handle at low speeds. It also reduces the risk, that a loss of traction on one front
wheel during braking causes the other tire to change direction. The kingpin inclination was
designed to be 12 degrees. This value was achieved after optimizing wheel assembly space
constraints and trying to achieve an optimum positive value of KPI which tends to return the
wheel to the straight ahead position. A positive caster of 4 degrees was set to achieve self-
centering action of steering, which affects the vehicle’s straight line stability. A positive
camber of 2 degrees was set to enable steering wheel return and enhance straight-ahead
stability. The rapid movement of roll centers when the system experiences small
displacements can lead to stability problems with the vehicle. The pivot points of wishbones
and shock absorber on the chassis were defined after a thorough analysis of roll center
movement on Lotus suspension analyzer software. Upper arm length was calculated to be
21.53 inches and lower arm length was calculated to be 23.33 inches. A front suspension
static geometry designed on Lotus suspension Analyzer is given in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4: Front suspension system

The rear suspension was more difficult to design, on the basis that the drive-train components
needed to be integrated into it. Kingpin offset was kept 6 inches to allow for sufficient wheel
assembly space. Camber, Caster and toe angle values were all set zero. A careful and
thorough analysis of roll center movement was done on Lotus Suspension analyzer and the
pivot points of wishbones and shock absorbers were set to minimize the roll center movement
in order to improvise the stability of the vehicle. The upper arm length was calculated to 9.74
inches and lower arm length was calculated to be 15 inches. A rear suspension static
geometry designed on Lotus suspension Analyzer is given in Fig. 5.

Fig. 5: Rear suspension system

Anti dive describes the amount the front of the vehicle dives under braking. As the brakes are
applied, weight is transferred to the front and this forces the front of the vehicle to dive.
Using an anti dive suspension geometry, weight transfer during brakes can be reduced as
desired. The front suspension needs to have more dampening along that axis to create a
smoother ride and prevent diving after bumps and jumps. Therefore an Anti dive feature of
20 % was added to the front suspension geometry by tilting the pivot points of the upper arm.
This increases ease of handling and improves comfort in aggressive terrain by making shocks
effective in all three axis.

The front and rear wishbones are made of ASTM A 106 grade B tube with a wall thickness of
3mm and outer diameter 25mm. This material was chosen because of easy availability, good
strength to weight ratio and low cost. Suspension bushings made of polyurethane were
selected due to their extreme resistance to abrasion, low compression set, high tear strength
and good durability as compared to normal rubber bushings. The front A-arms are very
adjustable. Camber, toe and track width can be adjusted very easily .The ball joints on the
lower wishbone of both front and rear suspension can be adjusted to alter the track width of
the vehicle. The upper ball joints of the wishbones can be pulled out or pulled in to adjust the
camber angle of the vehicle. Front toe angle settings may be altered using the ball joint on the
tie rods and in the rear the same can be adjusted by means of the ball joint of toe link. This
makes the vehicle highly versatile and fit for various types of driving conditions. Springs of
EN 8 material is selected for both front and rear suspension with the following specifications
listed in Table-2. Mitsubishi gas type shock absorbers were selected for both front and rear
suspension of shock travel of 7 inches and extended length of the shocks is 24 inches and
specification of spring is given in Table 2.

Front suspension Stiffness 76.9 Kg/inch

Rear suspension Stiffness 90 Kg/inch
Outer coil diameter 4.09 inches
Inner coil diameter 3.36 inches
Wall thickness 10.0 mm
Free length 310 mm

Table 2: Specifications of springs

5.0 Braking system
In fabrication of vehicle disc brakes were mounted on all the four wheels. It was deemed
critical that the front and rear brakes lock up at the same rates. This would maximize
deceleration, prevent front-end dive, and offer the best vehicle control. The braking system
uses a single tandem master cylinder having a bore ratio of ¾ inch which drives the 4 brake
calipers used in the fabrication. The single cylinder and reservoirs are easy to access,
providing ease of monitoring and maintaining brake fluid level. Tandem master cylinder of
Maruti 800 model was chosen and the system is hydraulically actuated, via a brake pedal
which in turn generates a pressure in the master cylinder; this pressure is then transmitted via
the oil carrying brake lines to the brake caliper. If Yamaha R15 is used in the vehicle which is
double piston caliper of each piston diameter 25 mm in the front left wheel and an Electra
Royal Enfield double piston caliper of each piston diameter 24mm and Maruti 800 brake
caliper and rotor assembly in the rear, then we obtain effective braking for both the front as
well as the rear brake circuits.

6.0 Steering system

Steering Systems are basically of two types – Rack and Pinion and Worm gear/re-circulating ball
types. A rack and pinion system was selected due to its simplicity, durability and easy
availability of comprising units. There is also an ease in assembly of the steering system
because the tie rods can be connected directly to the steering rack. This arrangement provides
a lesser mechanical advantage than recirculating ball, much less backlash and
greater feedback. Rack and pinions consists of simple mechanism where a pair of gears come
together to steer a vehicle by circular and lateral motions. As the pinion, which interlocks
with the rack, makes circular movements, the rack is moved side-to side. Steering Ratio gives
mechanical advantage to the driver. Steering ratio is the ratio of the number of degrees turned
at the steering wheel vs. the number of degrees the front wheels are deflected. A low steering
ratio provides more responsive steering. Also, it helps to negotiate sharp turns in less time
and leads to better maneuverability of the vehicle. A new steering assembly has been
designed after a thorough study of OEM steering assemblies. The steering ratio of 8.82 was
set in steering which is much smaller than that for the passenger cars. Ackermann steering
geometry is a geometric arrangement of linkages in the steering of a vehicle designed to solve the
problem of wheels on the inside and outside of a turn needing to trace out circles of different radius.
The type of Ackermann Geometry [5-6] chosen was More Than True Ackermann with Toe
In. More Ackermann angle is achieved by angling the steering arms towards the central axis,
so that the point of intersection is in front of the center line of the rear axle.

1. Turning Radius, R = 2m = 78.74 inches

2. Wheel Base, L = 56 inches
3. Track Width, t = 52 inches

Acknowledgement
Authors would like to acknowledge the effort of IGIT Yantriki-2011 student team for their
wonderful work and SAE India under which the entire off road competition was organized.
Authors are thankful to the Prof. Nupur Prakash, Principal, IGIT and technical staff of
workshop of IGIT for extended support during the fabrication of vehicle.
 References
[1] Baja SAE INDIA rule book-2012.
[2] Blincoe, L., Seay, A., Zaloshnja, E., Miller, T., Romano, E., Luchter, S., Spicer, R., “The
economic impact of motor vehicle crashes,” NHTSA Technical Report, Washington, DC,
USA, 2002.
[3] Abdel-Aty, M., Abdelwahab, H., “Modeling rear-end collisions including the role of
driver’s visibility and light truck vehicles using a nested logit structure,” Accident
Analysis and Prevention 36 (3), 2004, 447–456.
[4] Clark, J. P., Roth,R., FIELD, F. R., “Techno-Economic Issues in Materials
Selection,” ASM Handbook Vol. 20 Materials Selection and Design, ASM International,
Materials Park,1997, 255–265. ISBN 0-87170-386-6.
[5] Chuanbo Ren, Cuicui Zhang, Lin Liu, “Influences of the Front Wheel Steering Angle on
Vehicle Handling and Stability and a Control Theory of Steady-state,” International
Journal of Intelligent Systems and Applications , Vol.3, No.4, 2011, 56-62.
[6] Watanabe, K., Kitano, M., Fugishima, A., “Handling and stability performance of four
track steering vehicles,” Journal of terramechanics, Vol. 32, Issue 6, 1995, 285-302.

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