Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
AIM
To Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.
WHEEL ARCH DEFINITION
The shaped part of the bodywork of a car or other vehicle that allows the wheel to be accessed, and in the case of front wheels, enable them to be steered.
- The Wheel arch is the semicircular part positioned above the wheel of a vehicle.
- The most important body change was that the front wheel arch was cut higher into the fender.
- Corrosion had occurred around the splash plate at the back of the wheel arch.
- The car has big, high-definition headlights that extend to the wheel arch.
FENDER WHEEL ARCH REGULATIONS
JAPAN STANDARD REGULATION
The value of L should be greater than 5mm at all positions (A B C)
AMERICAN STANDARD REGULATION
As per US regulation, the clearance between tyre and fender must be greater than 5mm. The projected points to be measured are at an angle 0° forward to 100° respectively.
EUROPEAN STANDARD REGULATION
As per the European standards, the value of 'L' should be greater than 10mm. But at Section SB, the value of L is equal to 10mm and at other sections the value of 'L' is less than 10mm.
Calculation of wheel arch area according to European Regulations
As per given part file
- sketch the datum plane in center of wheel then draw horizontal line from 0 to 180 degree.
- As per given dimension draw lines through intersection curves.
- A perpendicular line SA is dropped at the centre of the wheel.
- SB line is created 30 towards left side of perpendicular line SA.
- SC line is created 50 degree towards right side of perpendicular line SA.
- A point is created 150mm vertically above the centre line.
- A line SE is drawn from the wheel centre and passes from the point created.
- Another line SD is drawn from the centre of the wheel and in the middle of SC and SE.
The clearance L is taken at SA SB SC SD SE
- Clearance L at SA
L = 9.95mm
2. Clearance L at SB
L = 10 mm
3. Clearance Lat SC
L = 3.4448 mm
4. Clearance L at SD
L = 0.921330 mm
5. Clearance L at SE
L = -5.9741 mm
| S.NO | SECTION | CLEARANCE (L)mm | RESULT |
| 1 | SA | 9.95 | FAIL |
| 2 | SB | 10 | PASS |
| 3 | SC | 3.4448 | FAIL |
| 4 | SD | 0.921330 | FAIL |
| 5 | SE | -5.9741 | FAIL |
CONCLUSION
From the above results we can conclude that the Fender does not pass the European Regulations, as the minimum clearance L between the Fennder Wheel Arch and Wheel for vehicle and pedestrian safety is 10mm only SB has 10mm clearance and this design does not meet the requirement.