Baja SAE All Wheel Drive System
Team Members Heading link
- Hamad Alderei
- Noah Bates
- Kevin Obacz
- Dave Rynearson
- Nathan Sotiropoulos
Project Description Heading link
Every year, the Society of Automotive Engineers holds competitions for student run teams to compete their custom-built race cars in. Each season, the rules are changed slightly to create challenges that student engineers must overcome. A new rule change requires implementing a system to drive all four wheels. While these systems have been available for decades, installing one in a small, single-seat off-road race car poses a challenge due to their usual large weight and size. This creates the task for this group of choosing the best gear type and setup, selecting the right materials, running simulations to prove the product will not fail under load, and packaging the entire system so that it does not significantly affect the rest of the vehicle build. It has been determined that the requested design will require modifications to the rear gear box; as well as implementing a drive shaft, universal joints, and a front differential. The rear gear box has been redesigned with an integrated transfer case to efficiently transfer power to the front wheels. A drive shaft and differential were selected based on packaging and intended off road use. The end result is to provide a 4WD drive train layout that is ready to be manufactured and assembled for use in the Baja vehicle.