Brakes and Human Interface

The Brakes and Human Interface subteam focuses on vehicle safety and driver interaction. This team designs and manufactures a braking system capable of safely locking all four wheels at competition speeds while maintaining proper front-to-rear brake bias. Members design mounts, pedal assemblies, and hydraulic layouts that integrate cleanly with the chassis and suspension. Emphasis is placed on reliability, ease of maintenance, and compliance with SAE Baja rules. This subteam plays a critical role in ensuring the vehicle is safe, controllable, and comfortable for the driver under demanding off-road conditions.

The brake system requires proper fittings types and sizes, consistent pressure throughout the brake lines, and an appropriate amount of force input by the driver to lock all four wheels. The brakes subteam applies knowledge of engineering principles and performs research on vehicle dynamics during braking. Brakes members use SolidWorks to CAD and perform FEA on design components.

Brakes manufacturing involves machining, waterjetting, welding, and various power tools such as the angle grinder. The brakes team must determine and verify the required braking force and design mounts for the system components. Static and dynamic brakes testing must be performed to verify all four wheels lock. Other tasks include regular maintenance, such as bleeding the brakes.