We are going to be making a front rocker based on a set of three pre-determined points. If you want to learn more about the rocker and how those points were determined, check out some of the Notion pages about suspension and dynamics! Below is what the rocker looks like in our full car CAD. For this tutorial, please work in the designated folder (see Step 1).

12_showRocker.mp4

  1. Create a folder

    1. Open the shared MAE drive in File Explorer. Navigate to the file path: fsae\25 - 26 \2025 Rocker Project. If you do not have access to the shared drive, please let one of the chiefs or team leads know.
    2. Create a folder titled yourName_Rocker.

    1_FindingRockerFileInExplorer.mp4

  2. Creating your rocker file

    1. Watch the video below to create your own copy of the rocker geometry. When you get the point of naming your file, please note that PRE uses a specific naming convention. When designing parts in the future, please be sure to adhere to this naming convention. For now, you can name the file whatever you want.

2_SaveRockerGeometryToPersonalFile.mp4

  1. Measure the shocks
    1. There is a part file called “Shocks_copy” in the 2025 Rocker Project folder. Open the file and follow along the video below. Please do not make changes to this file, as other members will also be using it. If you accidentally edit the rocker, just close “Shocks_copy” and select do not save.

Measure_shocks.mov

  1. Create a datum plane

Datum_plane.mov

  1. Sketch the rocker
    1. Follow the video below to create the outline for your rocker. The keyboard shortcut for dimension is ‘d’ — this is the quickest way to open the dimension tool inside a sketch!
    2. Note: We are aiming to design the rocker parametrically, meaning sketches and features are designed relative to the points. This enables us to change the rocker points without having to manually adjust everything we’ve done here. Knowing whether your part may require changes or future modifications is important, and can determine your design process. Convoluted features and arbitrary length decisions can cost you time in the future if you ever need to come back to the design phase. All that being said, design with future-you (or other people who may need to modify your design) in mind.

Sketch_outline.mov

  1. Extrude the rocker

Extrude_options.mov

  1. Sketch the mounting points/“cut outs”
    1. Repeat this procedure for all three corners. Make sure to use parallel constraints, as the video discusses.