The past couple of weeks have been a very challenging time for everybody. The Baja team has been very agile in adjusting to the changes dictating the very way we operate and perform. Classes, available shop space for manufacturing, meeting policies and competition have all been affected. The Society of Automotive Engineers has decided to make the collegiate competition virtual. Now you probably wonder, how are they supposed to race a car virtually? Well, aside from the dynamic events, which entail the actual driving of the vehicle there are also static events.These static events are the heart of what this design competition is about. This is the chance for the team to present the details and specifics of all the engineering and manufacturing it took to build our car. It also will include a business presentation that will essentially be a sales pitch of a new manufacturing company producing all-terrain vehicles (Baja Team) to investors (SAE Judges). The team is saddened that we will not be able to compete physically with other colleges around the United States but are excited we still have the chance to show the fruit of our labor in a virtual presentation.

More updates will follow as we gain more information. Thanks for your support and best wishes to everybody!

- UNCC Baja 

The control arms have been manufactured. These control arms are the fundamental parts that will allow for the proper connection between the chassis and the front suspension/steering assembly. They work in sync with the shocks and the ball joints to ensure the body of the car is stable while the suspension absorbs the impacts.

Three members of our team represented UNC Charlotte Baja Racing at the Hendrick Motorsports SAE night. After displaying our welded chassis and presenting our design and manufacturing work, we were awarded second place among the other local collegiate baja teams!! 

Due to the gracious donations from our supporters the Baja team is close to reaching our goal way ahead of schedule. We have decided to extend our crowdfunding goal to $6,000 and continue our campaign until the end of March. These additional donations will help us cover our travel and lodging expenses for competition.   

The team is planning a time at the end of the semester when all of our supporters will be welcome to come see our finished car and how your contributions have enabled our success! A big thanks to all of our supporters!

Our weld member fixture is currently being made. This fixture will allow us to test the strength and integrity of our welds on a tensile testing machine.

Chassis

One requirement to participate in competition is a completely new fabricated chassis. Another focus of our team's efforts is designing and welding together the frame of our car. This process is very important, as it serves as our foundation to every other assembly on the car. 

Front Suspension  

One of our team's main focus is improving the front suspension from previous years designs. We are working on redesigning the steering uprights to strengthen them and provide the optimal geometry to correct our bump steer . This newly designed steering upright  will ensure optimum control of the car in competition.

Pictured is the front suspension assembly in 3 states, full compression, ride height and full extension. Through utilizing suspension kinematic simulation software we have been able to create the optimal geometry of the control arms and other components to result in maximum travel of the shocks and stability over rough terrain.

The fabrication of the chassis is one of the most intensive fabrication procedures the team will endure for the competition. It requires precise bends and welds of the members to provide a stable foundation for the entire car. We will be continuing this process for the next couple of weeks and simultaneously begin manufacturing our suspension's control arms and uprights. Stay tuned!

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