UBC Formula Electric - Promotion and design for Hexray 2026

This year, I officially became the Steering & Controls Lead for UBC Formula Electric’s 2026 car, Hexray - and I’m genuinely excited about it.

In the two years since joining the team, I kept noticing the same pattern: steering and brakes were always pushed to the end. The brake lines weren’t in CAD, the brake hardware inventory was done late, and most of it was handled by one or two people as a side task once everything else was wrapped up.

I was already working on the steering system and helped build the brake lines, so I had a good sense of what was wrong. Instead of letting it repeat for another year, I pitched the idea of a dedicated Steering & Controls subteam to the captain and other leads - and asked to lead it.

They agreed!!!

Now I lead a small subteam (myself, a second-year, and a first-year) focused entirely on steering, brakes, and getting proper data out of those systems.

Weekly mentoring + technical work

A big part of my role is teaching and encouraging people to do more. Each week, I run sessions with my team on a wide range of topics such as:

• SolidWorks - how to keep assemblies clean instead of creating mate explosions
• ANSYS - setting up basic FEA for components like brake rotors and steering parts
• SVN - how we keep the car CAD and analysis files version controlled
• BOMs and ordering - McMaster-Carr, fastener selection, and not forgetting that one key fitting

At the same time, I’m directly responsible for steering play and brake rotor projects that should make the car more consistent, safer, and easier to test.

Design focus areas for Hexray 2026

These are the main projects my subteam is working on, roughly in order of importance.

1. Fixing steering play properly

Last year, the steering wheel had noticeable play - you could turn it slightly without the tyres responding. That’s not what you want in a race car.

We traced the problem to our double U-joint steering column. It was only constrained with a single bearing near the wheel, meaning the U-joint wasn’t properly supported. In reality, this kind of setup needs two bearings, one on each end of the U-joint, to keep everything aligned and remove the wobble.

For 2026, we’re:

• Redesigning the steering column supports with two bearings
• Constraining the bearing with thicker tubes
• Checking the U-joint geometry to avoid binding through the steering range

The goal is a steering system that feels solid and precise, with almost no free play at the wheel.

2. Brake lines fully defined in CAD

Previously, brake line routing was a “we’ll see when we get there” job. That caused issues like:

• Other subteams not knowing where lines would be
• Firewall grommets and pass-through details being easy to forget
• Hardware counts being uncertain until very late in the year

Now we’re:

• Routing all the brake lines in CAD
• Making sure every firewall/bulkhead pass-through and grommet is included
• Using the model to plan all fittings and generate a more accurate BOM

This will make the system cleaner, easier to assemble, and more predictable for everyone involved.

3. Reworking brake rotors using FEA

Last year we had brake rotor failures, likely driven by overheating and float pins that were constrained too tightly, which led to buckling when the rotors got hot.

This time we’re approaching the problem with more analysis:

• Comparing solid, slotted, and grooved rotors
• Running transient thermal + structural FEA in ANSYS
• Looking at temperature gradients, stresses, and safety factors

A grooved rotor is currently our preferred option because it:

• Improves cooling
• Maintains most of the strength of a solid rotor
• Works within our packaging and manufacturing limits

The aim is to go into competition with a rotor design we actually trust and something that won't explode on the last lap of endurance.

4. Brake temperature sensors

Until now, we’ve never had proper data on how hot our brakes get in endurance. It’s been mostly driver feedback and educated guesses.

To change that, we’re installing brake temperature sensors to:

• Monitor rotor temperatures under real testing conditions
• Check if we’re getting close to overheating or fading
• Decide whether we need to add more ducting or cooling features

That data will feed back into both the rotor design and any future brake system changes.

5. Pedal box concepts for better feel and bleeding

Our current pedal box works, but it has some drawbacks:

• The master cylinder is vertical, which limits mechanical advantage
• Getting very high brake pressures can be tough
• Bleeding isn’t as simple as it could be

For this season, redesigning the pedal box is out of scope; however, I’ve been exploring:

• Pedal layouts that give better leverage
• Designs that simplify bleeding
• Packaging options that fit driver ergonomics and our chassis

Even if the upgrade doesn’t land this year, having a solid design ready will help the next iteration a lot.

6. ABS – researched, but on hold

ABS was another topic we looked into.

From the research:

• We already have relevant control logic from torque vectoring, so the software is feasible.
• The real hurdle is tuning – it would require a lot of track time and surface-specific testing.
• The extra weight and complexity don’t pay off unless you’re consistently near the very top and can afford that level of testing.

Conclusion: ABS is something for a future, more mature car, not Hexray 2026.

Why this role matters to me

Taking on the Steering & Controls Lead role changed my perspective from “I’m designing parts” to “I’m responsible for a whole system.”

It pushed me to:

• Take ownership of steering and brakes instead of letting them be an afterthought
• Mentor newer members instead of just doing everything myself
• Fix known issues (like steering play and rotor failures) in a systematic way

Hexray 2026 isn’t finished yet—but we’ve already made one big improvement: steering and brakes finally have a clear owner, a plan, and a subteam dedicated to doing them properly.