Weld check test

Today we checked the heat penetration of a weld by welding two tubes together and cutting them down the middle. The welding was done by our primary welder, and this weld sample is going to be taken with us to competition as per the rules.

Weld break test

Today we tested the abilities of our new primary welder with a weld test. Two tubes were welded together and then broken. The results of the test showed that the tube failed before the weld, indicating that the weld is stronger than the tube itself. This meets the rule requirements and we are going to bring this weld sample with us to competition.

Running car completed

Today the car can run under its own power. We test drove the car around the parking lot and it performs well.

Rolling Chassis

Today we have finished our rolling chassis. Finished car here we come!

Things are slowly coming together

Today we finished assembling the A-arms in the front suspension. We also assembled the A-arms with our work-in-progress kingpin and our tires to get an idea of what our car will look like when finished.

Rudimentary Metal Jigs

Today marks our first foray into the world of metal jigs. Since our front suspension clevises needed to be 5.75 inches apart, we drilled holes into a stick of aluminum that distance apart. We then ran bolts through the clevises and our metal jig to hold them in position for tacking.

Front suspension clevises machined

Today we finished machining the clevises for the front suspension. Each clevis was checked with a rod end to ensure that there was room for movement. They are now ready to be welded onto the frame.

Trailing arm members welded

Today we welded the trailing arm members together. Due to some gaps, we used a piece of metal to bridge the two trailing arm members so that they could be connected with welds.

Kingpin progress

Today we built a jig for the kingpins. The square tubing for the kingpins have also been mitered out into shape and fit snugly into the jig.

Freshmen Spirit Day

Today we attended the Freshmen Spirit Day event at California State University, Los Angeles. A lot of freshmen showed interest in our vehicle, and we hope to recruit new members to our team!

Ride heights compared

Today we took the welded frame and put it on blocks to simulate the ride height. We then compared it to previous year's car. The new car is significantly lower than the old car. We plan to adjust our suspensions to increase our ride height, since a low ride height makes us more prone to impacts.

A-arms machined

Today we machined out both of the A-arms and the rod end inserts for them. We have also welded the rod end inserts onto the applicable A-arm members. We are now ready to tack weld together the A-arms.

Rear suspension assembled

Today we finished up the members of the rear suspension and tack welded them together. We have also tack welded on clevises onto the rear of the frame. With clevises on the rear of the frame, we then assembled the rear suspension and tested it out.

Brake pedal completed

The brake pedal has been machined and welded together.

Plasma cutting lessons

Today we had a quick lesson in plasma cutting. For quick rough cuts, this would be an easy way to do them.

Rear clevis welding started

Today we started welding the clevises for the rear suspension onto the frame. Four of the clevises have been tacked on already and are awaiting the final weld.

Primary frame welding complete

Today we finished welding all the primary parts of the frame. The only remaining things are clevises and other secondary parts that mount to the frame.

Rear engine bracing members machined

Today we machined the two rear engine bracing members and they are now ready to be welded. We are also almost done with welding the entire frame, only a few members remain at this point.

Rear upright profiles finished

Today we finished machining the profile for the second rear upright. The initial bearing hole has also been drilled and the uprights are now ready to be faced to their final sizing.

Rear upright profile machined

Today we machined the profile for one of the rear uprights. We have also test fitted in the rodends to ensure that they will function correctly.

Our frame is also about 90% done with welding. We plan to have the frame fully completed by the end of this year.