Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

AIM:- Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at the required points and check whether the car passes the European standard or Not.

Wheel Arch:- The wheel arch is the semicircular part positioned above the wheel of a vehicle, Which houses a wheel, and plays a vital role in terms of safety, in case of collision the flexibility of this component helps to reduce possible damages to both pedestrians and other cars.

Regulations of Wheel Arch:- Wheel arch regulations are different from region to region, There are some regulations that need to follow to maintain a gap between wheel and fender, such are

1. Japanese Standards

2. US Standards

3. European Standards

1. Japanese Standards

• Measure clearance L of the tire, hub, cap, and fender in three different positions within area K.
• Clearance must be greater than 5 mm in all three positions (i.e., at A, B, C from fender curvature)
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'L' shall be more than 5 mm at line 30* forward and 50* rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

2. European Standards

• The clearance ‘L’ at all positions (every 10o) from -20 deg to 180 deg should be greater than 5 mm to satisfy US regulations.

3. European Standards:-

Below are the results according to European Regulations:

1. A Horizontal and vertical axis is drawn from the center of the wheel.
2. The vertical axis intersection point is labeled SA.
3. Similar references are drawn at 30 degrees to the left (named SB) and 50 degrees to the right (named SC).
4. A line of 150mm is drawn perpendicular to the horizontal axis and normal from the normal point on the fender which gives point SE.
5. The midpoint of the arc cut by sections SC and SE results in a new section SD.
6. The value of 'L' at each section is measured.
7. According to European Standard, each section 'L' should be a minimum of 10mm.

SECTION SB

SECTION SA

SECTION SC

SECTION SD

SECTION SE

Checking whether the front fender wheel arch meets the standards:

• Comparing the above-observed values with the required values.

• Position/Section	Observed Clearance Value (mm)	Required Clearance Value (mm)	Passes the Requirement
  SA	12	10	Pass
  SB	22	10	Pass
  SC	3.9	10	Fail
  SD	-7.5	10	Fail
  SE	-11.5	10	Fail

Conclusion:

• Hence from the above observations, since the positions SC, SD, and SE have a clearance of less than 10mm which is the minimum requirement for European regulations, it is clear that the front fender's wheel arch area does not pass the European Regulations.
• The styling team is required to modify the styling surface of the fender such that the clearance \"L\" at sections SC, SD, and SE is equal to or greater than 10 mm by increasing the curvature at those sections towards the outside.