Chassis Car
Chassis Car
Chassis Car
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports the body of the car consisting of the frame (on which the body is mounted) with the wheels and machinery. It provides rigidity to the car and without chassis the structure of the car is not possible. It is the basic requirement to design the structure of the car.
The frame - structural, load-carrying component that supports the car's engine and body, which are in turn supported by the suspension
The suspension system - setup that supports weight, absorbs and dampens shock and helps maintain tire contact
The steering system - mechanism that enables the driver to guide and direct the vehicle
The tires and wheels - components that make vehicle motion possible by way of grip and/or friction with the road
The chassis of the car should strong enough to provide rigidity and stability to the car. A good chassis should always fulfill these requirements:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. The body should be light. It should have minimum number of components. It should provide sufficient space for passengers. It should withstand vibrations while in motion. It should offer minimum resistance to air. It should be cheap and easy in manufacturing. It should be attractive in shape and color. It should have uniformly distributed load. It should have long fatigue life
MONOCOQUE CHASSIS
It is a historic design of the chassis which includes body on frame. The frame should be heavy enough so as to provide rigidity and sufficient resistance to forces.
Monocoque is a one piece structure which defines the final shape of the car. Metal sheets are pressed with big stamping machines. These parts are welded (normally spot welding) or riveted together to conform the chassis. These chassis are fast to make. Tolerances are tiny. Nowadays 99% of the production cars use this type of chassis. They are heavy chassis because they use a lot of metal. However, they have really good impact strength. Normally steel is used, steel has 3 times the modulus of Aluminum but only 2 times the weight, and is cheaper and easier to weld.
Advantages: Space efficiency, because the chassis is the outer-shell of the car. Good for mass production. Cheap to produce if in mass production. Inherent crash protection. Disadvantages: Much, much heavier than other types of chassis. Low rigidity since the pressed metal is not as stiff as tubular tubes. Impossible to produce if not in mass production. Who uses it: Almost all mass production cars.
Advantages: Very accurate. High stiffness. Great rigidity. You can select your materials depending on the purpose. Handmade. Tubes need to be cut, shaped, welded manually. Who uses it: Some competition cars. Some sporty road cars use space frame design in some parts of the chassis.