Automotive · Team Build · San José State
FSAE Wheel & Suspension
Hands-on time with a San José State Formula SAE team, helping assemble and organize the wheel and suspension area of a student-built race car.
FSAESuspensionWheel AssemblyTeam Build
Overview
Formula SAE is a student engineering competition where teams design, build, and race a small open-wheel car. During my year at San José State, I spent about six months on the FSAE team, helping assemble and organize parts in the wheel and suspension area during the build phase. The photos show the car, a wheel and tire assembly, suspension components, and the chassis.
My Contributions
I was one member of a large team, focused on the wheel and suspension area during the build. My hands-on work was mostly assembly and organization — fitting and putting components together and keeping parts and the workspace in order so the build could keep moving. It wasn't a design-lead role, but being in the shop on a real race-car build taught me a lot about how the pieces come together.
What I learned
FSAE made clear how mechanical systems interact across subsystem boundaries — suspension geometry affects the tire contact patch, which affects handling, which affects how loads run through the chassis. Working on a large, multi-person build also showed how much consistent measurement, organization, and documentation matter when many people touch the same car.
