Race Car Design

A good Race car design will bring together every aspect of car including the tires, wheels, hub, rotor, bearings, suspension, chassis, frame, tires, suspension, steering and brakes.  At the end of the weekend, design is about best use of available resources, whether money, time, material, manufacturing techniques or engineering analysis tools.

1. Tires & Wheels

• Wheel appropriate for application
• Tire appropriate for application 
• Wheel matches the hub/rotor 
• Available rotors and calipers are appropriate.
• Unsprung weight is acceptable

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2. Hub/Rotor assembly, Wheel bearings, spindle, Uprights 

This is the "At the wheel" suspension...

• Hub/Rotor appropriate for application
• Same for bearings/spindles
•  Upright/knuckle design
• Suspension geometry design
• Loads affecting these components

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3. Suspension wishbones/axle shafts, housings

•  Strong enough for application
• Aerodynamics for exposed wishbones
• Mounting positions on chassis

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4. Shocks/springs/anti-roll bar

• Shocks/spring/anti-roll bar appropriate for application
  
• Mounting considerations
  
• Leveraging (pivot) considerations and mounting
  
• Spring/damping rate appropriate for travel, adjustability, vehicle weight, etc.?

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5. Steering

99% of the world's car steering systems are made up of the same three or four components. The steering wheel, which connects to the steering system, which connects to the track rod, which connects to the tie rods, which connect to the steering arms. The steering system is still dependent upon...

• Steering ratio
• Left/right wheel movement (Toe in/out) through suspension travel
• Mounting location on chassis

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6. Driver Cockpit

• Strong, intrusion-preventing safety cell for the driver
• Good ergonomics for controls and seating. Good visual field
• Pedals/Steering wheel positioning correct for driver
• Position for weight distribution
• Appropriate steel tubing, bend radius for roll bar.
• No protrusions that could cause injury to driver

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7. Driveline

This step could arguably be with suspension and steering, as it guides motor placement, if that course is preferred, but you need to consider...

• Determined torque handling for chassis
• Mounting of differential
• Driveshafts/Chain
• Path of driving force not a wild angles
• Proper materials used in high stress drive shafts/half shafts

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8. Engine placement and mounting

There are so many good reasons to design a car with an engine in the front, which is probably why it's the simplest and most common layout. But when complexity is an asset -- such as in high-performance cars -- auto engineers do have other options. Engine placement tends to correspond to how the rest of the car is configured -- specifically, which wheels drive the car.

Determined torque handling for chassis and mounting positions

• Exhaust clearance and temperatures
• Fuel and air delivery
• Cooling system proximity
• Weight distribution
• Transmission placement/weight

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9. Fuel Cell

Positioned as far away from driver as possible

• As close to center of gravity longtitudinally and laterally, but as close to the ground as possible vertically 
  
• Relative position to engine
  
• Fuel pump or delivery
  
• Safety level (Degree of protection) appropriate
  
• Mounting in chassis
  
• Refuelling opening is located away from driver

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10. Electrical - Engine Management -Battery

In accessible location, for maintenance

• Relative close position to engine
  
• Battery located anywhere, but use for weight distribution

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11. Front chassis

• Chassis structure focused on handling forces generated by suspension mounts and steering
  
• Addresses safety, preferably through extended crumble zone(s). well ahead of the driver's legs.

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12. Driver Safety cell Chassis

• Chassis structure focused on handling forces from side, frontal, and rear impacts as well as rollovers.
• Anti-intrusion panelling to protect driver
• Position for weight distribution

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13. Rear chassis

• Chassis structure focused on handling forces generated by suspension mounts, as well as driveline torque
  
• Addresses safety, via impact zones, or at least prevents engine intrusion into cockpit.

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14. Bodywork

• Light as possible
  
• Aerodynamically attains goals of design
  
• Optimizes air flow allowed by class rules

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15. Geometry

• Unless the car complies with the regulations, it doesn’t race.
  
• Unless it works aerodynamically, it doesn’t win.
• ​Every aspect of the design MUST work together!
  

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There are quite a few more. The point however, is that the more you understand about the car you want designed, the more you will  consider as we design it with you.

You will notice that the suspension is first in the design areas, then the engine, cockpit, electrical, and safety concerns are addressed. Finally, the chassis is designed around the requirements created before it. Each aspect listed above can be thought of as requiring you to consider every other aspect further down in the list. So, to select the tires and wheels, you must consider the entire car's dynamic requirements right through to aerodynamic shape. 

Two final words of advice.

• First, know the properties and parameters of what you want designed by consulting racers in your intended class.
• Second, understand the fundamental workings and physics affecting your race car.

Combine the two, and you will understand what needs to be where in your car, and how strong everything needs to be to hold out for that chequered flag!

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Aspects of this page adapted from ...

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