Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Aim :

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

Objective :

• 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 a 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.

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.

Fender Wheel Arch Regulations:

Design of wheel arch can be done in different regulations

Japan Regulations:

1. The clearance ‘L’ for tire, hub, cap and fender is to be measured within area K and create clearance check chart to validate.
2. The value of L should be greater than 5mm at all positions.
3. 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 Regulations:

1. 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.
2. At all the five sections the value of L should be greater than 10mm to satisfy the European Regulations.
3. 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.

US Regulations:

1. Clearance ‘L’ is to be checked at all positions from -100° to 100° and create clearance check chart to validate.
2. The value of L should be greater than 5mm to satisfy the regulations.
3. 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.

Calculation of wheel arch area according to 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. The procedure of which is given below.

1. A Datum Plane is created at the outermost face of the wheel .
2. The sketch is created on the new Datum Plane.
3. A Horizontal line is drawn across the centre of the wheel.
4. A perpendicular line SA is dropped at the centre of the wheel.
5. Two lines SB and SC are created at 30° forward of SA and 50° rearward of SA respectively.
6. A point is created 150mm vertically above the centre line.
7. A line SE is drawn from the wheel centre and passes from the point created.
8. Another line SD is drawn from the centre of the wheel and in the middle of lines SC and SE.

Obtaining the clearance L at the designated 5 points

1) Clearance 'L' at 'SB-SB'

2) Clearance 'L' at 'SA-SA'

3) Clearance 'L' at SC-SC'

4) Clearance 'L' at SD-SD'

5) Clearance 'L' at SE-SE'

SECTION	L - VALUE	RESULT
SA - SA'	9.9489	Fail
SB - SB'	10.00	Pass
SC - SC'	0.113670	Fail
SD - SD'	2.8817	Fail
SE - SE'	5.9755	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 Fender Wheel Arch and Wheel for vehicle a is 10mm and this design does not meet the requirement.

Only one L(SB-SB') value has passed the requirements remaining all values have failed the european regulation.