Aaron Leftwick's Project Portfolio

Project PortfolioTHE DESIGNS & WORKS OF AARON ROBERT LEFTWICK

2000-2017

Table of Contents• Overview………………………………………………..3

• Long Travel Sand Rail…………………………….4-30

• 4 Piston Brake Caliper Tool……………………31-35

• Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration………....36-45

• SDSU Mini Baja SAE……………………………..46-50

• SDSU Formula SAE……………………………….51-52

• 1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer……………………….53-57

• 1991 Chevrolet c-1500…………………………….58-59

• 1992 Chevrolet c-1500……………………………60-63

• 1990 Toyota Pickup……………………………….64

• 1971 Chevrolet Corvette………………………..65-66

• Other Projects……………………………………...67

• Acknowledgements………………………………68

Overview

THE FOLLOWING DESIGNS, PROJECTS, TOOLS,RESTORATIONS, AND INSTALLATIONS WERE

DRAFTED BY, BUILT BY, AND COMPLETED EXCLUSIVELY, OR IN LARGE PART, BY AARON

ROBERT LEFTWICK AND ARE THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF THEREOF.

THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST OF MY PROJECTS BUT MERELY THOSE WHICH WERE DOCUMENTED PICTORIALLY

Long Travel Sand Rail

• Recreational off road vehicle

• 1915cc VW engine, 4 speed manual 002 VW bus transmission

• SwayAway coil-over shocks, 10” front, 14” rear

• 24” front suspension travel

• 20” rear suspension travel

• Custom design fabricated exclusively by me from the ground up

• Built in my shop out of a pile of tubing and parts from scratch

Long Travel Sand Rail(Beginning)

Long Travel Sand RailRear Suspension (Shocks)

Long Travel Sand RailRear Suspension (Bump Stops)

Long Travel Sand RailRear Suspension (Completed)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Front Chassis)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Front Chassis)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Front Chassis)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Steering & Spindles)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Steering & Spindles)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Lower A-arms)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Lower A-arms)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Upper A-arms)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Shocks)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Shocks)

Long Travel Sand RailFront Suspension (Bump Stops)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Battery Mount)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Sheet Metal Panels)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Sheet Metal Panels)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Bumper & Skid Plates)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Mounts & Braces)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Accessories)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Trailer)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Trailer Winch & Spare Tire)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Completed)

Long Travel Sand Rail(Completed)

4 Piston Brake Caliper Tool

• I designed and fabricated this tool to depress all 4 pistons on automotive 4 piston brake calipers simultaneously without scratching the caliper’s exterior finish

• Reversible ratcheting GearWrench aides use

• Common applications for this tool include but are not limited to;• Toyota Tundra 4 piston front brake calipers

• Brembo 4 piston brake calipers (which are standard equipment on many vehicles nowadays and come painted or powder coated)

• As well as Lexus, Mercedes, Porsche and many other vehicle makes and models

• This tool also works on select single piston, dual piston, and dual opposing piston calipers

• Designed and 3D printed an adapter for use on 6 and 8 piston calipers which come standard on many high end luxury and sports cars

• Held a provisional patent on this tool in 2009

4 Piston Brake Caliper Tool (AutoCAD Rendering)

6 & 8 Piston Adapter for 4 Piston Brake Caliper Tool

6 & 8 Piston Adapter (Finite Element Analysis)

4 Piston Brake Caliper Tool with 6 & 8 Piston Adapter

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration

• Mechanical engineering senior design project

• Regenerative control box captures kinetic energy which is otherwise lost to recharge its own batteries

• 12 week build time start to finish (2/1/2016 – 4/18/2016)

• Built mainly in my own shop but a portion was completed in SDSU’s machine shop

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Start to Finish)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Axle)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Control Box)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Frame)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Frame)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Frame)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Chain, Emblem & Display)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Completed)

Electric Tricycle w/ Regeneration (Poster)

SDSU Mini Baja SAE

• Built to race in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) collegiate race series

• Built for the SDSU Baja Team by 5 mechanical engineering students

• 8 week build time start to finish (2/1/2014 – 4/1/2014)

SDSU Mini Baja SAE (Start to Finish)

SDSU Mini Baja SAE (Chassis)

SDSU Mini Baja SAE (Chassis)

SDSU Mini Baja SAE (Illinois Race)

SDSU Formula SAE

• Built to race in the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) collegiate race series

• Built for the SDSU Formula SAE Team by 16 students of varying disciplines

• 16 week build time start to finish (2/1/2014 – 6/1/2014)

• I was in charge of the engine cooling system

SDSU Formula SAE (Cooling System)

1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer

• Ground up restoration

• Overhauled the engine, transmission, and drivetrain

• Installed an Edelbrock multi port fuel injection kit

• Fabricated the front bumper, seat, seatbelt, center console, front shocks, and fuel cell mounts

• Reupholstered the dash, armrests, and door panels

• Integrated new gauges into existing cluster

• Painted the exterior of truck and fuel cell to match

1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer (Start to Finish)

1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer (Dash & Gauge Cluster)

1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer (Dash, Gauges, & Fuel Cell)

1976 Chevrolet K5 Blazer (Completed)

1991 Chevrolet c-1500

• Designed and fabricated custom 3-link suspension system

• 16” stroke Fox coil-over shocks to yield 28” of rear suspension travel

• Integrated ¾ ton Dana 60 rear axle

• Fabricated shock, bumpstop, and 3-link suspension mounts

• Custom front & rear bumpers

• Boxed frame rails

1991 Chevrolet c-1500 (Shocks, Bumpstops, Frame, & Axle)

1992 Chevrolet c-1500• Replaced worn out 305c.i. engine with a fresh

blueprinted and balanced 350c.i. bored 0.030” over containing a Comp Cams camshaft, roller rocker arms, and roller lifters

• Installed JBA exhaust headers, MSD ignition system, Edelbrock intake manifold, Chevrolet aluminum valve covers, Melling high volume oil pump, a Hays oversized (12”) high friction manual transmission clutch with flywheel, a Timken pilot bearing instead of the factory pilot bushing, new fuel injectors, PROM for the proper 350c.i. fuel curve, and a custom 3” stainless exhaust with MagnaFlow muffler and a high flow catalytic converter

• Painted engine accessory drivebelt brackets to match truck

• Reupholstered roof inside cab• Replaced, front grill, headlights, tail lights, and

cracked dashboard• Replaced transmission and rear axle assemblies• Installed and wired a v-5 rated trailer tow package• Installed 3” lift spindle in front with new sway bar

link bushings, tie rods, ball joints, and idler arm• Installed a two 10” subwoofer stereo system with

DVD player• Leather wrapped stock steering wheel

1992 Chevrolet c-1500 (Engine)

1992 Chevrolet c-1500 (Dash, Roof, Grill, & Lights)

1992 Chevrolet c-1500 (Axle, Stereo, & Steering Wheel)

1990 Toyota Pickup

• Fabricated custom long travel A-arm front suspension

• 10” stroke Fox coil-over shocks to yield 18” of front suspension travel

• Fabricated front shock and drop strap mounts

• Fabricated engine cage and front bumper

• Integrated front bumper to engine cage and upper portion of shock mounts for robustness

• Integrated existing Toyota spindle and ball joints into the design

• Custom made steering linkages

1971 Chevrolet Corvette

• Father and son project which became too much for them to complete so they called me to take over

• I installed a new short block, cylinder heads, intake manifold, carburetor, set the valves and ignition timing

• Installed box of parts that needed to go on it and were not taken off by me

• Located other missing parts to complete the installation

1971 Chevrolet Corvette (Engine & Valves)

Other Projects(Arduino Controlled BLDC Motor & Custom Chopper Bicycles )

Acknowledgments

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES WHO HELPED INFLUENCE MY DECISIONS, PROVIDED PARTS FOR ME, AS WELL

AS PROVIDED TOOLING FOR ME TO BRING THESE IDEAS TO REALITY.

OFF ROAD WAREHOUSE, B&R BUGGY, ELECYCLE, KELLY CONTROLLERS, SDSU MACHINE SHOP, AND O’REILLY AUTO PARTS.

JUST TO MENTION A FEW.

THANK YOU, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED

VIEWING THESE PROJECTS AS

MUCH AS I ENJOY BUILDING THEM.