Heading into the new year, the students at BR start 2024 by reviewing our work on Project REV, and refining the design of the vehicle before we continue our work on new components.
Upon discovering that the REV's steering linkage was not effective for transmitting torque without loosening itself, we elected to purchase slotted square tube, bend it into a new bracket, and weld and secure it to the existing steering linkage. By doing this, the driver can now sway the steering arm left and right, without the rest of the linkage coming loose from the neck...
Next, the REV team examined the fact that there was another fault in the steering system. We discovered that the front wheels did not match the direction of the steering bar's input direction. By flipping the vehicle's body up, we found that by reversing the front spindles, we were able to change the sway geometry of the steering system...
...thus getting the front wheels to turn in the appropriate direction based on sway bar input.
With the vehicle back on the ground, we also noticed some excessive camber, or inward tilt of the front wheels at the top, once loaded up with the weight of a driver. What we will attempt, is to order a set of bronze bushings, which will help to tighten the vertical tolerance of the spindle pins, and improve the stance of the front wheels.
To advance the build, Car Club students pre-bent and installed a couple of old fashioned hinges to the driver's seat to test out its fitment.
In order to continue to refine the project, Mr. Mulica's AP Physics students were given Design Challenge number 2: To scientifically prove which rear wheel location would be best to be subject to the least bending force on the rear axle, for safety.
Working away, the students were able to use data collected from the rear suspension geometry, and calculate and prove that a wheel placement closest to the axle bearings would provide the best stability and least bending force on the axle.
And as a result, the team welded a wider track rear axle bar and relocated the pillow block bearings outward, now supporting the wheels as close to the bearings as possible for virtually no bend on the rear axle!
Finally... the upholstery finally arrived for the driver's seat!
Mr. Mule's Construction SHSM students worked on cutting and assembling the sponge to the driver's seat and back. After it was secured, the upholstery was stapled into place in time for the steel rails to be bent and installed soon afterward.
And soon, one of the REV team members began to prime the seat rails before test fitting them on the driver's seat.
Soon after exams, semester two will start with our REV team back at it, continuing on the seat upholstery and final touches in time for some new calculations to be done before the propulsion system is installed!
Visit us back soon and check out post 8 for our next big steps!
