Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
A REPORT ON FENDER DESIGN - WHEEL ARCH CHALLENGE
INTRODUCTION
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. Fenders are typically rigid and can be damaged by contact with the road surface.
The wheel arch is the semi-circular 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.
There are Three Conditons to calculate wheel arch gap
US regulation.
European regulation.
Japanese regulation.
US REGULATION:
In US regulation, the clearance ‘L’ is to be checked at all positions from -100° to 100°. Degree divided into 100 and draw a line.
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 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
JAPANESE REGULATION:
In Japanese regulation, the clearance ‘L’ for tire, hub, cap and fender is to be measured within area K and create a clearance check chart to validate.
The value of L should be more excellent than 5mm at all positions.
Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ should be more than 5mm at line 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
EUROPEAN REGULATION:
The Clearance ‘L’ should be measured at sections SA-SA, SB-SB, SC-SC, SD-SD and SE-SE and create a clearance check chart to validate
In 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 30° forward and 50° rearwards from the central vertical axis of the wheel.
QUESTION
Calculate the Wheel Arch gap at required points and check whether the car passes the European standard.
EXPLANATION –
Considering the European Regulation
First, we define wheel centre and create perpendicular line and project vertical line to top view this Point will be ‘A’. Then to find point B we make 30* angle to forward and 50* reward, at 150mm offset of horizontal line then mark SD and SE points
The value of clearance at ‘SA’ at centre & ‘SB’, ‘SC’ should be more than 10mm at the line 30* forward and 50* reward from the central vertical axis of wheel. Here we have made another 2 points to be measure that will be SD & SE is also more 10mm
Below chart shows the Actual value of clearance between tire and wheel arch / wheel well
|
Measurement of point |
SA |
SB |
SC |
SD |
SE |
|
Required length |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
10 |
|
Actual Length |
10 |
10 |
-0.1 |
-2.9 |
-6 |
|
Remark |
PASS |
PASS |
FAIL |
FAIL |
FAIL |
CONCLUSION:
AS per European regulation requirements the clearance at give point should be minimum 10mm, more than 10mm can be accepted but at only one point there is 10mm clearance and other point clearance value is less than 10mm so the car will not pass the standards. the design of fender needs to modify