Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Wheel Arc Gap

AIM

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

• 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

Fender is the American English term for the part of an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle body that frames a wheel well (the fender underside). Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud, rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into the air by the rotating tire.

Wheel Arch :

It is a curved part of the fender positioned right above the wheel. The wheel Arch is designed such that it protects both the pedestrian and car cabin from mud, water rocks and other road spray. Different countries have different wheel arch regulations in place, and the wheel arch design has to comply with them to be deemed usable in that country.

For avoiding design alterations of the same vehicle to meet the different regulations parameters are taken into consideration for design purpose.

Fender Wheel Arch Regulations :

European calculation:-

• 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 calculation:-

• Clearance "L" is to be checked at all positions from -100degree to 100degree and create clearance check chart to validate.
• The value of L should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the 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

Japan calculation:-

• 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.

Calculations of wheel Arch area - European Regulations

For calculation of clearance between wheel Arch and wheel we have to create a sketch on the outer most face of the wheel and the procedure as follows.

From the given part file we need to open in the NX cad and from the part file they give the fender and the wheel. So, now we need to check for the European regulations standard. Now we need to create the Datum plane at the outer most face of the wheel as shown in figure.

After that in that plane we sketch the lines and the give the required angle from the reference of the European standard drawing by using the Rapid dimension

standards :

• "a" should be more than 5mm at line 30degree forward and 50degree.
• "L" should be greater than 10mm

From the measuing for clearence are given below

for "a" values

SB = 43.52 mm

SC = 38.30 mm

for "L" values

SB-SB = +10.0 mm

SA-SA = + 9.96 mm

SC-SC = + 3.0 mm

SD-SD = + 0.93 mm

SE-SE = - 2.29 mm

Result:-

Fender does not pass the European Regulations as the minimum clearance between the fender arch wheel to the outer most wheel is 10 mm and this design does not meet the this minimum clearance so this fender design is fail for the European Regulation standard.