Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Aim

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

Wheel arch

The wheel arch is the semicircular part positioned above the wheel of a vehicle to shield wheels, BIW, and pedestrians from the projection of water, mud, dirt, debris, sand, snow, and stones. It also plays important role in the safety of pedestrians and others passing by vehicles. Wheel arch is designed in such a way that wheels can turn both sides when steered without interference with the body and gives access to the wheel and other components attached to it.

A vehicle has to undergo many tests and fit into the criteria before into the market. For Wheel arch fender design also there are regulations set by each country to check the gap between the wheel and the wheel arch. Most countries follow one of the standard regulations mentioned below:

• The sketch is created as shown in the above figure.
• Measure clearance L of tire, hub, cap and fender in three different positions within area K and produce a clearance check chart to validate
• Clearance must be greater than 5 mm in all three positions
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5mm at a line 30 deg forward and 50 deg rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

• Make clearance check details on all positions from -100 to 100 deg & mark the clearance check table
• All values should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5mm at a line 30 deg forward and 50 deg rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel

• Measure clearance L at sections SA-SA SB-SB SC-SC SE-SE and produce a clearance check chart to validate
• At all five sections, the clearance L value should be greater than 10mm to satisfy European regulations
• Wheel guard requirement: The value of 'a' shall be more than 5mm at a line 30 deg forward and 50 deg rearward from the central vertical axis of the wheel.

In this challenge, we need to check gaps as per European standards for given data.

1. According to European standards, the design fender and wheel arch should pass the wheel guard requirement proceed
2. To start the test, first, create a plane with the origin as the center of the wheel plane.
3. Then sketch using lines along with given dimensions as SA, SB, SC, SD, and SE.
4. 
5. After sketching the project the intersection points to the fender
6. Then use the measure distance tool and calculate the clearance between sketch lines and the wheel arch.

the clearance L at SB = 10mm

the clearance L at SA = 9.9489mm

the clearance L at SC = 0.1137 mm in negative

the clearance L at SD = 2.8786 mm in negative

the clearance L at SE = 5.9751 mm in negative

Result

Points	Min value (mm)	Observed value(mm)	Result
SA	10	9.9489	fail
SB	10	10	pass
SC	10	-0.1137	fail
SD	10	-2.8786	fail
SE	10	-5.9751	fail

Clearance at a

Clearance "a" at SC=38.36mm

Clearance "a" at SB=43.63mm

Conclusion

From the above results, though results for clearance "a" passes the European Standards, it does not pass the results for clearance "L" from table 1. It needs to be sent back to the styling team to modify the styling surface so clearance "L" is greater than 10mm at the required points.

Hence from the overall results, the given car fender does not pass through the criteria given for the European standards for wheel arch.