The chassis design of the FSAE race car

The 2002-2003 WPI Formula Society of Automotive Engineers (FSAE) race car required the design and construction of the new chassis. Critical design specifications were obtained from suspension, ergonomics, power train component placement and FSAE rules. Using Pro/Engineer 2001 a three dimensional solid model of the chassis was created. A finite element analysis was conducted on the chassis design using the Pro/Mechanica 2001 computer program. Analysis results were used to guide design iterations which lead to the final chassis design. The chassis was then constructed using 1 inch OD AISI 4130 steel tubing of .049, .065 and .095 inch wall thickness