International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)

ISSN (Online): 2319-7064

Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2013): 4.438

Design of Student Formula Race Car Chassis

Abhijeet Das

B.E. (Mechanical Engineering), Shri Chhatrapati Shivajiraje College of Engineering, University of Pune, Pune- 412205 Maharashtra, India

Abstract: SUPRA SAEINDIA is an annual national level competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers India. From
all over India, the selected Under Graduate & Post Graduate Engineering Student teams are asked to design, model, fabricate and
compete with a small open-wheel, open cockpit type race car. The major challenge posed is to design and fabricate a light weight car
without compromising the safety of the driver. The car has to be rigidly fabricated at minimal expense. This paper is an introduction to
the design process of a steel tube space frame chassis for use in SUPRA SAEINDIA based on the experience of the team UFO RACERS.
The design is based on the anthropological data of the specified human (95th percentile male) allowing fast ingress and egress from the
car. The basic theories and methodologies for designing these systems are also presented so that new teams will have a baseline for their
first SUPRA SAEINDIA race car design. SOLIDWORKS 2014 CAD software is utilized for the design of the chassis because of its
exceptionally powerful capability in the field of design and analysis of engineering products. The one-stop package of comprehensive
FEA and all-round design capability make it an ideal tool for the race team to be used to develop components of the race car and thus
the chassis. The entire design process is based on SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015 rule book and knowledge of designing and manufacturing
learned so far.

Keywords: SUPRA SAEINDA, Tubular space frame chassis

1. Introduction frames; space frame, monocoque, and ladder are examples of

race car frames. The most popular style for SUPRA
SUPRA SAEINDIA is a national level student competition, SAEINDIA/FSAE is the tubular space frame. Space frames
organized by Society of Automobile Engineers India, wherein are a series of tubes which are joined together to form a
students are asked to design, manufacture and run a prototype structure that connects all of the necessary components
of open wheel racing car. This competition is conducted together. However, most of the concepts and theories can be
annually in India and about 180 colleges participate every applied to other chassis designs. A Space frame chassis was
year from all over India. Following the technical inspection chosen over a monocoque in spite of being heavy, as its
are the sub events which include the static events like tilt test, manufacturing is cost-effective, requires simple tools and
brake test, cost report presentation, engineering design report damages to the chassis can be easily rectified. The chassis
and business presentation, dynamic events like acceleration design started with fixing of suspension mounting coordinates
test, skid pad, autocross and endurance test. In this high and engine hard points.
octane scenario a car is expected to perform high on
acceleration, handling, braking, aesthetics, ergonomics, 2.1 Design Considerations
fabrication and maintenance with least investment in
fabrication without compromising on safety of the driver. The The design process of the chassis consists of many steps,
purpose of the thesis is to design and manufacture tubular from the initial assignment to the task of chassis design to the
space frame chassis that should be strong enough to absorb start of construction. These steps are; to identify the
the energy when front, back, side, torsional loads are applied. restriction, determine the required performance criteria,
research design techniques and methodology, use of CAD
For the purpose of the application on a high performance software to design chassis and lastly start construction.
racing car, it has to meet the following criteria: Throughout these steps, choices must be made based on the
targets that are to be achieved to meet the performance
 Minimize the weight to stiffness ratio requirement. The designer of the chassis must have an idea as
 Maintain Low Center of Gravity to how all components of the car are going to function in
 Reasonable material and manufacturing costs relation to each other. As a result, the designer must know
 Create a solid base chassis to evolve on for years to come how all parts must interact and take this interaction into
account when designing the frame. The design of a racing car
 Aesthetically pleasing design
chassis, or any racing chassis for that matter, is going to be
based on suspension points, powertrain layout, driver position
2. Design Development controls, safety, etc. These important points must come
together to form an effective package for the car to perform
The purpose of the frame is to rigidly connect the front and as intended.
rear suspension while providing attachment points for the
different systems of the car. Relative motion between the Stiffness - The suspension is designed with the goal of
front and rear suspension attachment points can cause keeping all four tires flat on the ground throughout the
inconsistent handling. The frame must also provide performance range of the vehicle. Generally, suspension
attachment points which will not yield within the car’s systems are designed under the assumption that the frame is a
performance envelope. There are many different styles of rigid body. For example, undesirable changes in camber and
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 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2013): 4.438
toe can occur if the frame lacks stiffness. An image of a frame vehicle to the ground. Should the suspension not control the
subjected to a torsional load is superimposed on an tires correctly, the car will not corner as quickly and therefore
undeflected frame. Generally, a chassis that is stiff enough for be slower overall. Through testing, data analysis, and
competition will not yield. However, some care should be simulation we have developed effective suspension geometry
taken to ensure that the attachment points of the frame do not for our SUPRA SAEINDIA race car. Packaging of the
yield when subjected to design loads. For example, the engine suspension to the frame is generally not an interference
mounts should be made stiff enough to reduce the possibility problem since most of the components are exterior to the
of failure. frame. However, it is especially important to attach the
suspension components to stiff portions of the chassis to
Torsional Stiffness - Torsional stiffness is the resistance of correctly distribute the loads that will be passed through these
the frame to torsional loads. FEA was used to analyze the components.
torsional stiffness of the chassis. In order to design a car of
maximum torsional stiffness the basis or generalized equation Designing the frame so the control arms are attached to a stiff
for torsion must be examined. portion of the chassis can sometimes be very difficult. By
changing the distance between the control arm pivot points
can help to optimize the load path for the control arms. This
distance can be changed because it will not affect the
(1) suspension geometry, since the rotational axis of the control
arm is not affected. However, decreasing the span of the
The above equation is a simple formula that relates the angle control arms will reduce the arm’s ability to react to the
of twist to the applied torque, with J representing the shafts forces which are generated by accelerating or braking. It is
polar moment of inertia, with θ denoting the resultant twist of advised that suspension should be designed concurrently with
the shaft, G representing the shear modulus of the material the frame. This allows the designer to concentrate on the load
and l being the length of the shaft. Now a chassis can be made paths from the push rods and rockers so that the frame can
extremely stiff by adding significant amounts of material to efficiently react to the loads.
the frame. However, this additional material might degrade
the performance of the car because of the added mass. Powertrain Layout - Correctly attaching the components of
Therefore while designing a race car chassis it is important to the drivetrain to the frame is very important for extended
get a balance between the weight and stiffness of the chassis. frame life. The relative stiffness between the engine,
differential, and frame is not as critical as when attaching the
Triangulation - Triangulation can be used to increase the suspension. This is due to the fact that most race car chassis
torsional stiffness of a frame, since a triangle is the simplest layouts have short distances between the drivetrain
form which is always a structure and not a mechanism. components. The main design point is to ensure that the frame
Obviously, a frame which is a structure will be torsionally does not break during an incorrect downshift or a violent
stiffer than a mechanism. Therefore, an effort should be made release of the clutch.
to triangulate the chassis as much as possible. Visualizing the
frame as a collection of rods which are connected by pin Since SUPRA SAEINDIA race cars use bike engine it is
joints can help frame designers locate the mechanisms in a easier to place the engine as it was in the bike. The location
design. of the engine in relation to the wheelbase of the car plays the
biggest role in weight distribution of the car. An easy way to
combat this is to distribute more of the weight of the car
toward the driven wheels to increase vertical load on the tires.
Any relatively large mass, being far away from the centerline
of the car, potentially have a negative effect on the yaw
inertia of the vehicle.

By moving the mass to a location in the center of the car will

decrease the yaw inertia which is favorable for race cars.
Figure 1: Frame Triangulation When designing the frame around the motor and differential
on chain driven designs, sufficient clearance must exist so
Designers can also evaluate their frame by checking to see if that several front and rear sprockets can be used. This
each pin jointed node contains at least three rods which clearance allows a wide selection of final drive ratios. Well
complement the load path. It was decided to use thin wall the excess space can be neglected based upon the designer’s
steel tubing for the frame design. This required significant choice, but it is recommended to have sufficient clearance as
triangulation of the frame, since thin wall tubing performs inability to change the final drive ratio has proven to be a
very well in tension and compression but poorly in bending. drawback when trying to drive the race car in the confined
The components which produce significant amounts of force, space of the SUPRA SAEINDIA competition and the more
for example the engine and suspension, should be attached to open spaces of autocross. Ease of maintenance is also an
the frame at triangulated points. important design consideration when designing the frame
around the drive train. By providing clearance for direct
Suspension Points - The suspension geometry is what removal of the engine will reduce the amount of mechanic’s
determines how well the car controls the tires that connect the stress involved with engine changes.
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 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2013): 4.438
Driver Position and Controls - Another important aspect of design iteration so that the number of variables able to be
chassis design is driver positioning and controls. If the driver manipulated may be decreased. This allows for a quicker
is not able to operate the car comfortably, it will not meet its design period so that construction may begin sooner than
full potential. Designing the frame around the controls, such usual.
as the steering wheel and pedals, is a matter of ensuring that
the structure of the frame does not interfere with the driver’s The roll hoop and bulkhead shapes are decided upon to
task. Also, the controls must be adequately supported by the minimize the length of tubing for the elements. Since the roll
frame so that the attachment points do not yield while the car hoops and bulkhead are required to be at least 1” OD .095”
is being driven. Driver comfort concerns include seating wall and 1” OD .065” wall, respectively, the lengths of this
angle, elbow space, head height in relation to the front of the heavy tubing need to be minimized to reduce weight. Once
car, and controls operation (pedals, shifter, and steering shapes of the features are decided upon, they are drawn on
wheel). their respective planes. A structural member feature is added
to the sketch and the first tubes of the model are drawn.
Safety – Fortunately, the FSAE rules committee has set up a
group of rules requiring certain tubing sizes in areas of the
frame critical to driver safety in the event of an accident.
These rules define outer diameters and wall thicknesses for
the front bulkhead, front roll hoop, main roll hoop, side
impact tubing, roll hoop bracing, and front impact zones. The
stated rules are adhered to without deviation so that the driver
may be safe and the car can pass technical inspection at
competition.

2.2 Design Process

A tubular space frame is designed in several steps that are Figure 2: Roll Hoops and Suspension Points
based on the design considerations previously stated. A
methodical plan must be followed so that all parameters are The suspension mounting points are the next to be designed.
considered and the design incorporates every part of the car These are drawn as fixed points in space in the Solidworks
correctly. We designed the SUPRA SAEINDIA race car in model. During suspension design, an optimal a-arm span was
Solidworks 2014 using the weldment feature to model tubes determined and this dimension must now be integrated into
easily and accurately. the chassis.
Suspension mounts needs to be welded to the chassis so the
Initial Setup – The design was initiated by determining the position of this mounts are needed to be acquired from the
height, track width, wheel base, and overall length suspension calculation. Engine mounting locations are also
dimensions of the vehicle. Stemming from these dimensions decided upon and fixed so that the engine design team can
were roll hoop locations, bulkhead location, cockpit location, accurately place their individual part models in the car
engine mounting location, and wheel centerlines for an assembly without having to change their parts. This keeps the
estimation of weight distribution. Once these dimensions team from making drastic changes when farther along in the
were selected, a series of planes were created in Solidworks design process.
at these points so that these locations could be visualized.
Some thought was given to the placement of other important Modeling of Variable Elements - The next step is to model
or hard-to-package systems. For example, the fuel system had the tubes that connect the fixed elements to each other.
to be packaged near the center of gravity to reduce the effects Arrangements of these tubes are variable and careful
of its varying mass during the race. consideration of weight, manufacturability, and chassis
stiffness must be taken, so that the chassis does not become
heavy and too flexible. The competition rules must also be
taken into account when drawing these connecting tubes.

Since the weight of the chassis is critical to car performance,

connecting tubes must be kept short and thin.

All the connecting tubes must be of the dimensions specified

in the rule book i.e., 1” .049” wall. The only connecting tubes
that may not be of this size are the required roll hoop bracing
tubes which must be 1” .065” wall. These bracing tubes are
Figure 3: Chassis Planes - Side Views kept to a minimum length.

Modeling of Fixed Elements - Fixed elements include roll The first chassis design below had a lot of structural members
hoops, front bulkhead, suspension points, and engine mounts. which in-fact increased the weight of the chassis. The main
These features will not be moved around during chassis intention of increasing the number of structural members was
to increase the torsional stiffness. By Finite Element Analysis
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Paper ID: SUB153824 2573
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 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2013): 4.438
the members which weren’t of any use were removed and
hence it reduced the weight without affecting much the
torsional stiffness.

Figure 6: Full Car Assembly Model

3. Material Selection
The chassis undergoes various kinds of forces during
Figure 4: First Chassis Design Model locomotion, it has to stay intact without yielding, and it
should be stiff to absorb vibrations, also it should resist high
temperatures. The material property of the chassis is an
important criterion while designing and manufacturing the
car. A tubular space frame chassis was chosen over a
monocoque chassis despite being heavier because, its
manufacturing is cost effective requires simple tools and
damages to the chassis can be easily rectified. The two very
commonly used materials for making the space frame chassis
are Chromium Molybdenum steel (Chromoly) and SAE-AISI
1018. Both these materials were analyzed for different
parameters and finally decided on to use Chromoly steel 4130
for making the tubular space frame chassis because of several
reasons.

Figure 5: Re-designed Chassis SAE 1018 grade steel is better in terms of Thermal properties
but weaker than Chromoly in terms of strength. But the main
Manufacturability is important to bear in mind because the priority of design is safety for the driver hence the material
more complex the chassis, the harder it will be to fabricate. If with better stiffness and strength was chosen. The material
the connecting tubes have extremely difficult notches on the should not cause any failure even under extreme conditions of
ends, it will take the team member who is making that tube driving as defined in the rule book. Chromoly steel 4130
much longer to finish. Subsequently, if each tube on the exhibits better structural property than SAE 1018 Grade steel
chassis takes 2 or more hours to notch, then it will take much hence the former was considered as the basic material for
longer to complete the frame. building a tubular space frame chassis. Even though the cost
of Chromoly is marginally higher than that of SAE 1018
Chassis stiffness relies on the effective arrangement of the grade steel, the safety of the driver remains the utmost
connecting tubes. This will be discussed in further detail later. priority for the team.
Modeling of the connecting tubes is relatively simple in
Solidworks using the 3D sketch tool. Drawing the lines is Table 1: Material Properties
much like connecting the dots, or in this case, nodes. Once a SAE AISI Chromoly
Properties
line is drawn between two of the nodes, a structural member 1018 4130 Steel
may be placed along that line. A network of tubes may then Density (g/cc) 7.8 7.8
be drawn by connecting nodes in certain places and inserting Young’s Modulus (GPa) 210 210
Elongation at break (%) 19 19
structural members.
Brinell Hardness 120 200
Strength to weight ratio at
38 100
Yield (kN-m/kg)
Yield Strength (MPa) 360 480
Ultimate Strength (MPa) 420 590
Thermal Conductivity:
50 42
Ambient (W-m/K)
Thermal Expansion: 20C to 100C
11 12
(μm/m-K)
Specific Heat Capacity
370 370
Conventional (J/kg-K)

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Paper ID: SUB153824 2574
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 International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR)
ISSN (Online): 2319-7064
Index Copernicus Value (2013): 6.14 | Impact Factor (2013): 4.438
4. Conclusion
The purpose of this thesis project is not only to design the roll
cage for the 2015 SUPRA SAEINDA car, but also to provide
an in depth study in the process taken to arrive at the final
design. With the overall design being carefully considered
beforehand, the manufacturing process being controlled
closely, and that many design features have been proven
effective within the performance requirement of the vehicle.
During the design process, the team must achieve a
compromise between cost, manufacturing, performance, and
design time so that their car will be competitive in all aspects
of the SUPRA SAEINDIA competition. The timeline of the
competition, combined with the rigorous schedule of college,
limits the number of iterations for each design. However, the
team should understand that it will take several iterations to
converge on a satisfactory design. The amount of time used
for the design process subtracts from the time available for
manufacturing and testing. Although this paper has
concentrated on design, it is very important to test the car so
that any design oversights will be highlighted before
competition.

References
[1] SUPRA SAEINDIA 2015 rulebook
[2] Herb Adams, “Chassis Engineering”, Penguin Group
(USA) Inc., 1993, ISBN 1-55788-055-7
[3] Carroll Smith, “Drive TO Win”, Palos Verdes Estates,
CA: Carroll Smith Consulting 1996
[4] Carroll Smith, “Engineer TO Win”, Aero Publisher, Inc.,
1978, ISBN 87938-071-3
[5] http://www.fsae.com/forums/forum.php
[6] William Davis, “Design and optimization of Formula
SAE Race car”, Worchester polytechnic Institute of
Technology, Jan 2011.
[7] William B. Riley and Albert R. George, “Design,
Analysis and Testing of a Formula SAE Car Chassis”,
Cornell University, 2002-01-3300
[8] Andrew Salzano and Eric Klang, “Design, Analysis and
Fabrication of a Formula SAE Chassis”, College of
Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2009

Author Profile
Abhijeet P. Das is pursuing B.E. Mechanical
Engineering from SCSCOE, University of Pune.
Email id:- abudas9@gmail.com

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