The team was responsible for designing the suspension system based on some parameters given by the Solar Car team, including the target wheelbase (distance between front and rear wheels), the track width (separation between left and right wheels), and chassis angles. To ensure that the suspension system is safe for the driver and the car, and could be integrated with the rest of the car, the following requirements were established:

• Must withstand structural integrity when wheels experience high instantaneous forces

• Must provide independent wheel travel and a comforting ride for the car and driver

• Must survive repeated loads and resist fatigue

In addition to the design requirements, the following objectives were established for designing the Suspension system:

• Reduce overall weight for efficiency

• Minimize cross section area to reduce drag

• Minimize scrub radius

• Minimize camber change

• Minimize effects of roll

• Be easy to manufacture to be completed within this project

To achieve these objectives, the Double A-Arm (Double Wishbone) suspension was chosen for its ability to provide independent wheel movement, control over suspension geometry, in maintaining minimal camber change on wheel travel. The development of the suspension geometry can be found in Programs/code.

After the suspension geometry was established, individual components were designed, to maximize strength-to-weight ratio. Each of the components designed and manufactured for the project are provided below.