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Gauges

          Gauges are a vital part of the design of the ergonomics for both the SAE Formula and Baja cars.  The gauges have to be perfectly placed in order to ensure that the driver can see them at all times.  If the driver is unable to see the gauges then he is not aware of what the car is doing and if it is having a problem.  We have chosen three different types of gauges that we thing are necessary to be aware of what is happening and that damage to the cars is not done by driving them when there is a problem.  We have chosen to use oil pressure, fuel pressure, and water temperature gauges in our design that can be seen in figure 4.

 

           The Ultra-Lite series oil pressure gauge has a diameter of 2 1/16 inches, can display 0 to 100 psi, and operates electrically.

          The Ultra-Lite series fuel pressure gauge has a diameter of 2 1/16 inches, can display 0 to 100 psi, and operates electrically.

          The Ultra-Lite series water temperature gauge has a diameter of 2 1/16 inches, can display 100 to 250 degrees F, and operates electrically.

 

           

 Figure 4: Oil pressure, fuel pressure, and water temperature gauges

 

  Shift Light

A tachometer is used in most vehicle applications, but we have chosen to do something a little different.  We have chosen to use T-SPORT's Rev - Lite in Figure 2 because it is much more advanced when compared to an old fashioned, "Flash Light" style shift light because the Rev - Lite only covers a 1,000-rpm bandwidth on a 4-cycle engine.  This means that if the red line is set at 7,000 rpm, the 1st light will come on at 6,000 rpm while the rest will come on in 200-rpm steps until the red line is reached.  The bandwidth on 6 and 8 cycle engines is proportionally less.

We have chosen this Rev – Lite so that you never miss a shift point and you do not have to keep looking down at the tachometer on your dash while you are accelerating.  The Rev – Lite will be mounted on top of the dashboard directly in sight of the driver at all times.

The T-SPORT Rev-Lite has been designed specifically to be visible within the driver’s peripheral view.  It uses standard 3 mm LEDs with careful consideration given to visibility during daylight hours. The designed enclosure shades the body of each LED so that the anode and cathode are always protected from direct sunlight.  There is also a small lip around the face of Rev-Lite to offer more of a shaded area.

 

  

Figure 5:  T-SPORT's Rev – Lite shift light

   

Steering Wheels

 

          The Formula and Baja cars need two completely different types of steering wheels.  The Formula car needs a small and padded steering wheel that is easily maneuverable.  It has to be small in order to fit down in the cockpit.  It cannot interfere with the driver’s legs because the driver has to be able to operate all of the controls and be able to exit the vehicle in under five seconds.  We have chosen to go with Momo's Formula "MOD.29" Steering Wheel.  It is available in Suede, which will make it much more comfortable when driving for long periods.  It has a diameter of 270mm, which will leave the driver plenty of room.  We choose to go with the square design in order to give the driver more legroom and it will allow the driver to see the gauges and shift without any problems.

  

 

Formula MOD. 29

Figure 6: Momo's Formula "MOD.29" Steering Wheel.  Available in Suede.  Has a diameter of 270mm.

 

Measurements of steering wheel placement for the Formula car:

Distance from back of seat to center of steering wheel hub:                      29”

Height to center of steering wheel hub from floor:                                      15.25”

         

The Baja car steering wheel is not as difficult to choose as the Formula car because it does not have to fit in a small place, it actually should be relatively big to make it easier to turn the car in rough terrains.  It is going to get dirty we driving through the mud and a suede steering wheel would become destroyed very quickly.

          We have chosen to go with the 11.5-inch steering wheel from www.desertcart.com.  It has three chrome spoke that can be easily cleaned when it get dirty and a rubber, padded wheel that can sustain all of the abuse that it will encounter during its use.

  

Figure 7: 11.5 inch steering wheel.  Has three chrome spokes and padded wheel.

 

Measurements for steering wheel placement for Baja car:

Distance from back of seat to center of steering wheel hub:                    28”

Height to center of steering wheel hub from floor:                                     17”