Cantilever Race Car Suspension Rocker
Challenge
Our client had a limited amount of time to manufacture build and test their race car design. Their CNC machines were tied up but they had excess manufacturing capacity with their water jet. Their previous linkage design used in line steel rockers in a push rod configuration. This setup worked well for achieving the kinematics they wanted, but steel is heavy, and the in line setup caused the rockers to stick straight out increasing form drag on the car.
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They needed a new linkage design that packaged more tightly to reduce drag and weight, while still providing optimum kinematics for maximum traction. Given their manufacturing restrictions, they also need a design for manufacturing (DFM) analysis to be done on the parts to make sure they minimized CNC machine time. Of course with any race car the rocker design also needed to be as light as possible.
INDUSTRY
SERVICES USED
Automotive
DFM, mechanical design, prototyping, concept renders, weight optimization
Solution
MXV designed this suspension rocker to use be as light as possible using aluminum that was rough cut on a waterjet and used minimal finishing processes in a CNC machine. Furthermore, this rocker was analyzed and optimized for single-shear mounting on cantilever beam. This design allowed for tight/ aerodynamic packaging and reduced weight.