Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge

Fender Wheel Arch Challenge

Wheel Arch

It is a semicircular profile above wheels designed for enclosing tire within the fender The wheel arch is designed considering all possible motions the tire undergoes while the vehicle is in motion.

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.

STEPS FOLLOWED IN CREATING THE SKETCH REQUIREMENT FOR EUROPEAN STANDARDS

1. A Horizontal and vertical axis is drawn from the centre of the wheel.
2. The vertical axis intersection point is labelled as SA.
3. Similar references are drawn at 30 degrees to left and 50 degree to the right and named it as SB and SC respectively.
4. A line of 150mm is drawn perpendicular to the horizontal axis and normal from the normal point on fender which gives point SE.
5. The Bisection line between SC and SE gives SD
6. The points are places using intersection point option in wheel and fender outer regoins, therby ten points will be generated.
7. After that using project curve option points are projected.
8. The value of 'L' at each section and the value of 'a 'are found out to detrmine whether the fender satisfies the european standards as shown below
9. At all sections the value of "L" should be greater that 10mm.
10. Wheel guard requirement: The value of "a" shall be more that 5mm at 30 Deg forward and 50 Deg rearward from the central axis of wheel.

LINE	a (mm)	PASS/FAIL	L (mm)	PASS/FAIL
SA	30.992	PASS	9.949	FAIL
SB	48.6263	PASS	10	PASS
SC	43.35975	PASS	-0.11395	FAIL
SD	47.6624	PASS	-2.88749	FAIL
SE	52.62511	PASS	-5.99727	FAIL

Values of "a" and "L":

SA:

a value and L value

SB:

SC:

SD:

SE:

Conclusion:

From the comparing above four section (like SA, SC, SD and SE) the fender doesn't pass the European standards for the wheel arch. Negative sign indicates that the wheel arc is behind the wheel all the section dont have the "L" value at least 10mm, only SA is seen to have value 10mm.