Eric's BRZ - A motorsports engineers perspective

[gramicci101]

If you could make a dry sump for the BRZ, some of the hardcore track types would probably buy it from you.

[eric6]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

If you could make a dry sump for the BRZ, some of the hardcore track types would probably buy it from you.

Possibly... I'll see if their is enough interest. The hard part is everyone wants different stages... hard to make one for everyone.

[MiguelAE86]

I don't mean to steal the thread, but seeing as how I wish to be a motorsports engineer someday and currently working on it, what advice do you have for a 19 yo. college student? I plan to get my A.A. and then transfer to IUPUI 's Motorsports Engineering program!

[eric6]

Originally Posted by MiguelAE86

I don't mean to steal the thread, but seeing as how I wish to be a motorsports engineer someday and currently working on it, what advice do you have for a 19 yo. college student? I plan to get my A.A. and then transfer to IUPUI 's Motorsports Engineering program!

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...9&postcount=69

That's my two cents. If you're dead set on being part of a team (Indy Car, NASCAR, etc) expect to work your ASS off, not get paid well, be hazed, and possibly still not get the job. Racing is crazy cut throat compared to what it used to be.

[eric6]

Alright... been waiting on race upgrade kits parts so I've been doing a lot of designing... can't show one of the products as we are keeping it on the down low until it comes to fruition.

However, here is a rear LCA that I've been working on. Need to run some FEA to see where we can remove weight, make it a little more pretty here and there but it should be one of the lighter ones on the market.

[gramicci101]

Does it have the same geometry as OEM, or does it lower the car?

Does the big hole in the middle (top to bottom hole) go all the way through? If not, would that be an effective way to trim weight? Also if not, would there be a drain hole in the bottom for water and chipmunks and stuff?

Is it too late to be a volunteer test dummy for your products?

[eric6]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Does it have the same geometry as OEM, or does it lower the car?

Does the big hole in the middle (top to bottom hole) go all the way through? If not, would that be an effective way to trim weight? Also if not, would there be a drain hole in the bottom for water and chipmunks and stuff?

Is it too late to be a volunteer test dummy for your products?

It is designed around a drop as that is what most people end up doing.

It goes all the way through, their is no need for their to be support there so it is completely removed .

Haha, we always want people to try our stuff out but we aren't big enough to give away parts for free... yet . I wish we were.

Wait till we release the big parts we're working on .

[gramicci101]

I don't use my car hard enough to be a good test subject anyways, unless you want to see how it stands up to daily driving.

For weight reduction, what about a large hole between the strut and swaybar holes? Or through the cross brace right before the rear knuckle bushing? Or lowering the strut and swaybar holes relative to the body of the LCA, which would allow you to lessen the angles in the LCA and have less material overall?

Do the box sections need to be so tall from top to bottom, or can they be shortened while still maintaining overall strength?

[eric6]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

I don't use my car hard enough to be a good test subject anyways, unless you want to see how it stands up to daily driving.

For weight reduction, what about a large hole between the strut and swaybar holes? Or through the cross brace right before the rear knuckle bushing? Or lowering the strut and swaybar holes relative to the body of the LCA, which would allow you to lessen the angles in the LCA and have less material overall?

Do the box sections need to be so tall from top to bottom, or can they be shortened while still maintaining overall strength?

Not 100% sure what you're suggesting but I also can't make many more educated guesses as we haven't run any FEA. It is very likely over built right now, but that is where FEA comes in hand. I built this purely on the forces I *think* are acting on it... I could be completely wrong . That's why FEA is so important. We are working on creating an accurate suspension model so that we can accurately predict the forces on the LCA and then test from there.

[#maverick#]

Do you guys do all of the machining in-house? Also I'm curious as to what software you are using to do these drawings. Solidworks?

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by eric6

Not 100% sure what you're suggesting but I also can't make many more educated guesses as we haven't run any FEA. It is very likely over built right now, but that is where FEA comes in hand. I built this purely on the forces I *think* are acting on it... I could be completely wrong . That's why FEA is so important. We are working on creating an accurate suspension model so that we can accurately predict the forces on the LCA and then test from there.

I'll do up some quick sketches in sketchup. Won't be as pretty as your CAD drawing, but it'll get the idea across.

[eric6]

Originally Posted by #maverick#

Do you guys do all of the machining in-house? Also I'm curious as to what software you are using to do these drawings. Solidworks?

Nothing is in house currently. However, that is what we want to be able to do eventually. Currently I work with a network of vendors.

Depends on which parts I have posted up. Most of the FT86 stuff is in Solidworks 13. Most of the MR2 related parts are in ProE Wildfire 4.0 or Creo 2.0.

[#maverick#]

Hmm. Alright haha im really interested in designing parts and stuff and am currently trying to learn solidworks so just wanted to make sure im going in the right direction CAD software wise

[eric6]

Originally Posted by #maverick#

Hmm. Alright haha im really interested in designing parts and stuff and am currently trying to learn solidworks so just wanted to make sure im going in the right direction CAD software wise

It's nearly impossible to have right or wrong place to start. SW is one of the most wide-spread CAD softwares because of its cost and ease of use (it's also easy to torrent). A lot of IndyCar, WEC, Tudor World Series, etc teams use SW. F1 guys use higher end stuff like Catia. It seems to me that a lot of Industry guys use ProE/Creo. Their is no right or wrong way to start out. The likelihood you'll have to learn a different program (or further you current knowledge of that CAD software) at your place of employment is high.

I'm much more proficient at Creo and ProE then SW, but SW is starting to come easier. It's like everything else, it comes with time.