Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Aim :- Calculate the wheel Arch gap at required point and check whether the car passes the European Srandard.

Wheel Arch :-

Wheel Arch is the semi-circular part of the fender positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. The design of the wheel arch of the fender should be such that it must shield wheels and protect both passengers compartment and pedestrians from the projection of water, mud and stones. The wheel arch area of the fender is usually designed as a cover or shield over the tyre along its perimeter to stop any debris or stones, dirt, sand, snow etc….from getting thrown into the vehicle or the BIW area as well as outside the vehicle and onto other vehicles or pedestrians on the road. For the vehicle to has its permit in different countries, the wheel arch of fenders must be compliant with the standards and regulations set by respective countries.

The European regulations requires a pre-determined clearance or a minimum distance of 10mm to be maintained between the fender and respective tyre at particular points, along the tyre profile as shown below:

METHODLOGY:-

1. Create a Datum plane at wheel and add a Datum Coordinate System.
2. A Horizontal and vertical axis is drawn from the centre of the wheel.
3. Take the outline of the wheel and the fender.
4. Make the centre of the wheel circle.
5. Draw a vertical line and where it intersect fender labelled as Point A.
6. Draw lines from centre of wheel towards left at 30 degrees and where it intersect fender labelled as Point B.
7. Draw lines from centre of wheel towards Right at 50 degrees and where it intersect fender labelled as Point C.
8. Create a horizontal line at distance of 150mm from wheel centre
9. Make a line from centre of wheel to intersection of wheel arch & line at 150 mm and where it intersect fender labelled as Point D.
10. Then make a line from centre of wheel that is lies exactly between Point C and Point D and labelled as Point E.

Now to find the horizontal distance between the wheel and the fender. This distance should be at least 10mm between PointS & PointA, PointS & PointB, PointS & PointC, PointS & PointD, PointS & PointE.

Create a intersect point at A, B, C, D, E. and then measure distance between intersect point and Fender.

Distance SA

Distance SB

Distance SC

Distance SD

Distance SE

Table:-

DISTANCE FROM FENDER TO	DISTANCE BET INTERSECT POINT & FENDER	REGULATION REQUIREMENT
POINT SA	9.94	PASS
POINT SB	10.00	PASS
POINT SC	0.11	FAIL
POINT SD	-5.97	FAIL
POINT SE	-2.92	FAIL

Conclusion:

The given design isn't satisfies some European standards Therefore, this fender cannot pass the European standards. The design should be reverted back to the class A designer telling him to modify the design and increase the gap there.