The frame design will continue in the design phase, deterrmining the exact material, heat treatment process and sizes this semester. The design will then be analyzed and in the spring assembled.

The frame subsection involves the main structure of the vehicle, as well as the roll protection system. The frame needs to be very strong and stiff to transfer the maximum amount of power, and minimize the torsional and bending deflections to protect the rider. Weight is also a key component of the frame design. Since the frame is going to make up a large portion of the overall weight of the vehicle, any methods to reduce weight will have a large impact to the weight of the system. The frame should also allow ease of seat integration. For rider safety the roll protection system must keep any rider of the vehicle from coming in contact with the ground in the event of a roll over. For the competition this system is also required to support specific applied loads with minimal deflections.

To keep weight to a minimum, the team is planning on using Aluminum as the main frame material. A rectangular center tube will be used to reduce bending and torsional deflections, and help with seat attachment.