Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

AIM: Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.

OBJECTIVE: To find the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard or not.

INTRODUCTION:

WHEEL ARCH

Wheel arch is the semi-circular part that is positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. It should have the sufficient clearance between the tire and the wheel arch so that it does not touch the wheel arch area.

The Wheel Arch area of the Fender is usually designed for the purpose of protecting the BIW from stones and other objects on the road as well as to protect the Pedestrians from chipping parts.

To Check the clearance between the Fender and the Wheel, there are certain standards all over the world, they are as follows and explain below:

1. American Standard
2. European Standard
3. Japanese Standard

American Standard-

1. All values should be greater than 5 mm.
2. Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ shall be more than 5 mm 30˚ forward and 50˚ rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.

European Standard-

1. At all five sections the clearance value should be greater than 10 mm.
2. Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ shall be more than 10 mm at a line 30˚ forward and 50˚ rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.

Japanese Standard-

1. Clearance must be greater than 5 mm in all the three positions.
2. Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ shall be more than 5 mm at a line 30˚ forward and 50˚ rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.

PROCEDURE:

1. To start the test, first create a plane with origin as center of the wheel plane.
2. Then sketch using lines along with given dimensions as SA,SB,SC,SD and SE.
3. After sketching project, the intersection points on to the fender
4. Then use measure distance tool and calculate the clearance between sketch lines and wheel arc.

NEGATIVE SIGN INDICATES WHEEL LIES OUTSIDE THE WHEEL ARCH

DISTANCE AT SA=9.9785mm

DISTANCE AT SB=10mm

DISTANCE AT SC=-0.5077mm

DISTANCE AT SD=-3.3385mm

DISTANCE AT SE=-6.2583mm

SR. NO.	SECTION	REQUIRED VALUE	ACTUAL VALUE	PASS/FAIL
1	SA	10	9.9785	FAIL
2	SB	10	10	PASS
3	SC	10	-0.5077	FAIL
4	SD	10	-3.3385	FAIL
5	SE	10	-6.2583	FAIL

Conclusion:

The given model is analyzed according to the European Standards and from the above table it is clear that the fender does not pass the European standards at all sections except at section SB.