Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

FENDER WHEEL ARCH CHALLENGE

Aim :

To calculate the wheel arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.

Objective :

• Study about the different wheel arch gap standards.
• Draw the lines at the required angle and points for the European standard.
• Measure the distance at each angles and mention given model is pass or fail.

FENDER WHEEL ARCH

Wheel Arch is the semi-circular part of the fender positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. The design of the wheel arch of the fender should be such that it must shield wheels and protect both passengers compartment and pedestarians from the projection of water, mud and stones.The wheel arch area of the fender is usually designed as a cover or shield over the tyre along its perimeter to stop any debris or stone ,dirt, sand, snow, etc from getting thrown into the vehicle or the BIW area as well as outside the vehicle and onto other vehicles or pedestarians on the road.For the vehicle to has its permit in different countries,the wheel arch of fenders must be compliant with the standards and regulations set by respective countries.

Fender Wheel Arch Regulations :

1. Japan Regulations :

• The clearance "L" for tire, hub, cap and fender is to be measured within area K and create clearance check chart to validate.
• The value of L should be greater than 5mm at all positions.
• Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

European Regulations :

• The clearance "L" should be measured at sections SA-SA, SB-SB, SC-SC, SD-SD and SE-SE and create clearance check chart to validate.
• At all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to satisfy the European Regulations.
• Wheel guard requirement : The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

US Regulations :

• Clearance "L" is to be checked at all positions from -100 degree to 100 degree and create clearance check chart to validate.
• The value of L should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations.
• The value of "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

Calculations of wheel Arch area - European Regulations

steps for checking the clearence value between fender and wheel arch are as follow:-

• A Datom plane is created at the outermost face of the wheel .
• create a sketch at centre of wheel outermost face.
• Horizontal and vertical line is created from the center of wheel and make it reference.
• Create 30 degree and 50 degree line with respect to vertical line .
• Now take ofset of 150mm from the horizontal line .
• Now create 5 point on plane and project it into the fender.
• Now measure the clearance 'L'.

SA line gap

SB line gap

SC line gap from Wheel arch

SD line gap from Wheel arch

SE line gap from wheel arch

CONCLUSION

The table below shows the measured distances between wheel arch and wheel

SECTION	L(> 10 MM)	RESULTS
SA	9.94	FAIL
SB	10	PASS
SC	0.113	FAIL
SD	2.87	FAIL
SE	5.96	FAIL

from the table we can clearly see that only SB section passes the european regulation requirements , all other section faiils so this design of wheel arch fender is needed to change or modify as per regulation requirements.