Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Wheel Arch distance calculation for Front Fender Design

The front fender is a sheet metal structure extended from the front door to the car's bumper. It incorporates the wheel inside its periphery due to which splashing of mud, stones, etc gets prevented. Inside the fender, there is a baffle made up of rubber that prevents the hitting of gravel into the other part of the car. Fender design considers numerous factors out of which wheel arch distance calculation is one of them. Different countries follow different design standards in terms of fender design.  

Japan Standard

In Japan, the wheel arch distance is from three points located on the outermost circumference at 50, 90, and 120 degrees from the center of the wheel. Thereafter perpendicular distance from these points to the fender gets calculated which must be 5mm. If the fender didn't meet the requirement then the designing team have to redesign the fender.

                                                                       

European Standard

As per European standards, there is a total of four points from which the wheel arch distance gets measured. Two points are located at 50(SC) and 120(SB) degrees from the horizontal axis of the wheel. Another point(SE) is a vertical distance of 150mm from the wheel's horizontal axis. Lastly point (SD) is the midpoint between points SC and SE. After locating these points, distance gets measured from these points to the fender skin. As per standard distance, L should be exactly 10mm beyond which the design considers wrong.

                                                                    

US Standard

In terms of US standards, the wheel arch distance should be 10mm at every 10 degrees from the horizontal axis of the wheel.  

Calculation of wheel arch distance in the given challenge was carried out in terms of European standards. initial each point was marked on the wheel. Thereafter perpendicular distance was measured from point to fender skin.

                              

In the given design, point SB is at a 10mm distance. Point SC 0.1134mm, SD 2.8936mm, and SE at 5.9539mm. As the distances are not as per the design, so therefore designing team will send feedback to the styling team for correcting the design fault for rectification. 

Points	Distance(L)(mm)
SB	10
SC	0.1134
SD	2.8936
SE	5.9539