1. University of Colorado at Boulder
Baja SAE Racing
Project Background
Validation & Testing
Design Overview
Suspension & Controls
Component Iteration
Acknowledgement
Lessons Learned
The Baja SAE Racing team is proud to acknowledge the support of
our primary sponsor, Stolle Machinery, as well as donations from
Colorado Waterjet, Earle M Jorgensen, Polaris, CVJ Axles, Design
Center Colorado, and Reliance Steel & Aluminum for each of their
generous contributions to Baja to the University of Colorado.
Baja was established at CU Boulder in 2015 as a platform for the
design, fabrication, and competition of off-road vehicles.
Due to budgetary and logistical challenges faced by first-year com-
petition teams, designs have primarily been validated with varied
loading in Solidworks finite element analysis and on-track tests.
During the transition from design to fabrication, some components
were revised for fit, weight reduction, and driver comfort.
Front Upright Steering Link
 Maintain Ackerman
 Avoid part interference
Throttle Pedal Mount
 Improve footbox ergonomics
 Reduce part weight
 Ergonomics provide an enormous challenge in engineering when
designs are constructed solely using computer generated models.
 In a project as large and mechanically complicated as Baja SAE,
minor mistakes and component iteration are to be expected.
 Finite element analysis cannot be relied on exclusively in design.
 Hardware choices should be standardized to simplify assembly.
Competition will take place in May 2016, pitting 100 international
design teams against one and other in the following events:
 Sales & Marketing Presentation
 Cost & Design Reports
 Rock Crawl
 Four-Hour Endurance Race
 Acceleration & Deceleration
 Hill Climb
Rear Upper A-Arm Front Impact Pedal & Mount Full Brake Impact
Steering Assembly
Front Upright Assembly
Throttle & Brake Pedal Assembly
Rear Upright Assembly
Rear Suspension AssemblyFront Suspension Assembly
Analysis has been performed in a myriad of loading conditions and
verified externally with both hand calculation and track testing in
an effort to avoid reliance on an imperfect software package.