Wheel Packaging

[Robert Skapof]

Newbie question from newbie team:

I am trying to figure out our teams wheel packaging. I want to design/build our knuckle/spindle and have not had good luck finding a place to start.

Can someone throw a couple lines down on where to start or send me to the link to the thread that i missed?

(We are not exactly a new team, just have not competed in years)

(RCVD millikin is on its way)

Thanks guys

[Robert Skapof]

Newbie question from newbie team:

I am trying to figure out our teams wheel packaging. I want to design/build our knuckle/spindle and have not had good luck finding a place to start.

Can someone throw a couple lines down on where to start or send me to the link to the thread that i missed?

(We are not exactly a new team, just have not competed in years)

(RCVD millikin is on its way)

Thanks guys

[Drew Price]

So the first thing you need to do is know much space you have in your wheels! Keiser will provide you with models of their wheel shells, or you could assume a conservative 12" diameter for caliper clearance and stuff. Our are about 12.375" if I remember correctly.

You know the components you need to fit in there, and you need to make sure if you have bolt heads projecting outside the surface of the upright above a clevis or something like that they don't scrape.

There's an older thread about leaving a little extra clearance to make room around the components inside the wheel for:

1) Little rocks and bits of grit don't get wedged between the wheel and brake caliper, and take out your wheels or brakes.

2) Wheel deflection can be signiticant, you don't want a floppy wheel rim contacting hard points at high cornering loads.

Best,
Drew

[exFSAE]

Just beware, wheel manufacturers vary significantly in their dimensions. I'd call em up and ask em what the inside clearance diameter is, and as Drew said, take an eighth to quarter inch off the radius.

What's equally important is the geometry of the rim where it meets the wheel center flange. I had some uprights that came VERY, VERY close to interfering up there!

Best is to just get the wheel in advance and measure it.

Oh and if you order wheels from Kodiak, it will be a long, long time before they arrive. Months. Same goes for BBS I think. Keizer wheels when I dealt with em, were junk. Poorly made and flimsy. Jongbloed aren't bad, and can be turned around on short notice, but are a bit pricey.

[Robert Skapof]

I guess the best thing for me to do is start looking at other SAE teams uprights and see what i can do with mine. I feel that the uprights are going to be the hardest part. I am going to make them out of aluminum 6061, does anyone have any issues with that.

Thanks for the posts.

[Robert Skapof]

I meant to say a 7xxx aluminum.

[Chris_S]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by exFSAE:
Just beware, wheel manufacturers vary significantly in their dimensions. I'd call em up and ask em what the inside clearance diameter is, and as Drew said, take an eighth to quarter inch off the radius.

What's equally important is the geometry of the rim where it meets the wheel center flange. I had some uprights that came VERY, VERY close to interfering up there!

Best is to just get the wheel in advance and measure it.

Oh and if you order wheels from Kodiak, it will be a long, long time before they arrive. Months. Same goes for BBS I think. Keizer wheels when I dealt with em, were junk. Poorly made and flimsy. Jongbloed aren't bad, and can be turned around on short notice, but are a bit pricey. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

We've used this company for a few years now, very good quality. http://www.mb-racingwheels.com/

[exFSAE]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Robert Skapof:
I guess the best thing for me to do is start looking at other SAE teams uprights and see what i can do with mine. I feel that the uprights are going to be the hardest part. I am going to make them out of aluminum [7xxx], does anyone have any issues with that.

Thanks for the posts. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

How do you know what material and allow you want to make them out of? Is that an arbitrary decision? Do an engineering study. Lay out some objectives.. maybe
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Stiff, max deflection of X
<LI>Strong, withstands loads A, B, C
<LI>Inexpensive
<LI>Can be fabricated quickly
<LI>etc[/list]

And give their importance a ranking of 1-10

Lay out some design alternatives
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>CNC billet aluminum
<LI>CNC billet steel
<LI>Welded steel box construction
<LI>Sintered powder metallurgy
<LI>Cast aluminum
<LI>Etc[/list]

And rate how well each of those meet your design criteria. Will give you a score for each design alternative and show you which is most appropriate. Results can be surprising!

I honestly wouldn't spend much time looking at other teams uprights. BRIEFLY if anything. The more you look at them though, the more you're just copying another team's problems.

It's really not all that bad. You know in the center of the thing you need a bearing for the rotating assembly. You know you need a housing for that bearing. You also know you have points for the steering arm, upper and lower a-arm.

That automatically defines the middle and the outside of the thing, so its just up to you how you flesh out the area in-between with something that's going to be STIFF, strong, and can be made quickly and on the cheap.

[Robert Skapof]

thank you so much for all of your help. After doing research i am seeing some of my questions answered here and i know how some people get when a forum covers the same topic twice.