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As a sophomore in Baja SAE, I have served as Chassis Lead for over a year, managing the design, fabrication, and assembly of the vehicle's structural foundation. I lead chassis fabrication, onboard new members to welding and manufacturing processes, and coordinate with other subsystems to ensure seamless integration. Our team is currently preparing for competition in September 2026, where we'll compete against universities from across the country in endurance, maneuverability, and hill climb events.
Baja SAE challenges teams to design, build, and race an off-road vehicle capable of handling the most brutal terrain. Each year, teams compete in dynamic events testing acceleration, maneuverability, hill climbing, and a grueling 4-hour endurance race. The vehicle must survive jumps, mud, rocks, and constant abuse while maintaining performance and reliability.
As Chassis Lead for over a year, I oversee all aspects of chassis design, manufacturing, and integration:
I oversee the complete bill of materials for chassis fabrication, ensuring all components meet SAE specifications and are ordered on schedule:
The BOM includes detailed specifications for every tube in the chassis - material grade, wall thickness, outer diameter, and length. Each component is cross-referenced with SAE rulebook requirements to ensure competition compliance. I coordinate with VR3 Tubes and other suppliers to source materials, manage delivery timelines, and verify quality upon receipt.
To validate chassis strength and optimize weight, I perform extensive finite element analysis using ANSYS. These simulations model worst-case loading scenarios including jumps, side impacts, and rollover events:
The FEA results identify high-stress regions where additional gussets or larger diameter tubes are needed. This data-driven approach allows us to optimize the chassis for strength-to-weight ratio, reducing unnecessary mass while maintaining structural integrity during competition abuse.
Chassis fabrication requires precision TIG welding, careful jig design, and meticulous quality control to ensure the final structure matches CAD specifications:
To maintain accuracy during fabrication, I designed custom welding jigs that hold tubes in precise alignment during tack welding and final welding operations. These jigs are critical for ensuring the chassis geometry matches our CAD model:
Custom welding jig in use during chassis fabrication
All primary structural joints use TIG welding for maximum strength and penetration. I've developed advanced TIG welding skills for thin-wall AISI 1018 Steel tubing, including proper heat management, filler rod technique, and post-weld inspection:
I redesigned the cockpit section to improve driver ergonomics while maintaining rollover protection. The new design features:
Worked closely with the powertrain team to optimize engine mounting and access for maintenance. The chassis design now includes:
Coordinated with suspension team to optimize A-arm mounting points and maximize wheel travel:
Comparison of previous chassis design versus current optimized design showing improvements in weight, strength, and serviceability:
Testing our Baja vehicle in challenging terrain to validate chassis strength and suspension integration:
Chassis performance testing on rough terrain
Our team is currently in the final stages of preparation for the September 2026 Baja SAE competition. We're focused on:
Leading chassis design and fabrication for Baja SAE has taught me the importance of design for manufacturing - creating designs that are not only optimal on paper but actually buildable with available equipment and expertise. I've learned that the best design is worthless if the team can't fabricate it accurately and consistently.
Working with new members has reinforced that knowledge transfer is critical for team sustainability. By documenting processes, creating training materials, and mentoring newcomers, we ensure the team's knowledge base grows each year rather than being lost to graduation.
The iterative design process - CAD, simulation, fabrication, testing, refinement - has shown me how engineering decisions impact real-world performance. Seeing the chassis survive brutal testing validates our analysis, while failures provide valuable lessons for improvement.
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