UNIT 1
CHASSIS & BODY
UNIT 1-TOPICS
Classification of vehicle, layout with reference to
power plant, steering location and drive, chassis,
construction and details (frames, sub-frames, defects
in frame, frameless vehicles, vehicle dimensions),
details of chassis & body materials, Integrated body
construction, BIW type and corresponding design
parameters, Vehicle interior system (dash board &
seating system), Console design, Pillar trims (Type
A, B, C), head roofs.
CLASSIFICATION OF VEHICLES
There are three main general classifications of the various types
of vehicles. They are:
Single unit vehicles or load carriers.
Articulated vehicles
Heavy tractor vehicles.
PASSENGER VEHICLES
PASSENGER VEHICLES
GOODS VEHICLES
GOODS VEHICLES
Single unit vehicles or load carriers:
Vehicles are conventional 4 wheel type with two axle design in
which the front axle is a steering non – driving axle and rear axle is
the driving axle.
Articulated Vehicles:
3 wheeler vehicle with single steering wheel in front and a
conventional rear – driving axle.
It can turned about its own tail due to the three wheel construction
and has a greater handling ability in unusual places.
The coupling mechanism between semi – trailer and tractor in most
of these vehicles is designed for automatic connection and coupling
up.
A lever is provided within the drivers approach for coupling
operation.
A pair of retractable wheels in front can be raised or lowered
automatically along with the coupling and uncoupling operation.
Heavy tractor vehicles:
To move heavy loads tractor or independent tractor vehicles are
used.
They commonly operate in pair either in tendon or as puller or
pusher.
Figures like 4x2, 4x4, 6x4 etc are commonly used in the
classification of vehicles, where the first figure represents the total
number of wheels and the second figure the number of driving
wheels.
Broad classification of cars present in the Indian market:
HATCHBACK SEDAN/ ESTATE/
NOTCHBACK STATION
WAGON
MULTI-PURPOSE
SPORTS UTILITY
VEHICLE PICK-UP TRUCK
VEHICLE
MULTI-UTILITY
VEHICLE
VAN
MOTOR CAR
Carries passengers in the sitting position and also accommodates
their luggage.
Light motor vehicles designed to carry passengers and sometimes
goods, are broadly classified as follows:
Saloon/Sedan car . E.g:Indigo Manza, Swift Dzire, Logan
Saloon cars have an enclosed compartment to
accommodate a row of front and row of rear seats without
any partition between the driver and rear passenger seats.
A separate luggage space is made either at the front or the
rear based on the location of the engine.
One or two doors are provided on each side of the car but if
the car is a hatchback a door replaces the luggage space.
E.g. Nano, Indica, Jazz, Punto
Coupe
The coupe is the outcome of changes in
saloon car design and has two doors,
two front seats and a hard roof.
When two additional small seats are
provided at the rear, the layout is
known as 2+2.
Convertible
Normally cars of this type have two
doors and two seats but sometimes two
extra seats are also provided.
Generally these have a soft folding roof
and wind-up windows to make the
compartment either open or closed.
Estate car/station wagon
In this type the passenger roof of
saloon is completely extended to the
back end so that rear space is
increased.
For access a rear door is provided and
sometimes the rear seats are designed
to collapse to provide additional space
for carrying goods.
E.g. Indigo Marina, Octavia.
Pick – up
This type of vehicle is generally
classified as a two – door front –
seating van with an open back to carry
mixed collection of goods. E.g. Xenon,
Scorpio Getaway
VANS
These are light goods vehicles used for
long distances or door – door delivery.
They have seats in the front for the driver
and for only one or two passengers.
The engine is usually located over or just
in front of the front axle. E.g. Winger, Ace
Magic, Omni.
COACHES
Coaches carry passengers travelling on long distance and
hence the interior is designed to provide the best possible
comfort and to minimize fatigue.
For better visibility for passengers large panelled windows are
provided on either side extending the full length of the vehicle
and across the back seats.
Most coaches have two axle arrangement but sometimes an
extra axle is used at the rear for more comfort.
Engines may be mounted longitudinally in the front (position
1) or in the mid – position horizontally (position 2) or at the
rear transversely (position 3).
The location of the engine and transmission depends much on
the length of the coach, the number of passenger seats, the
luggage space and high or low floorboard and seat mounting
requirements.
LORRIES/TRUCKS
Commercial vehicles used for the
transportation of heavy goods are
generally referred to as lorries.
Vehicles are grouped into two categories
Rigid truck
Articulated vehicles
Rigid trucks are further classified based
on the number of wheel hubs and the
number of drive axle hubs
A four wheeler (4 x 2) truck with two
driving wheels
A six wheeler (6 x 2) truck with two
driving wheels
A six wheeler (6 x 4) truck with four
driving wheels
An eight wheeler (8 x 4) truck with
four driving wheels.
ARTICULATED TRACTOR & SEMI TRAILER
Articulated vehicles use a tractor unit for providing the propulsive
power and a semi-trailer for carrying the payload.
The tractor uses a short rigid chassis and two or three axles.
The front axle carries the steered road wheels and the rear axle is
the driving (live) one.
The middle axle may either function as an additional drive axle or
for dual steering.
Fifth wheel coupling : Fifth wheel coupling is the swivel
mechanism used to attach the trailer to the tractor unit
Articulated vehicle further classified as:
4 wheeler and 2 wheel trailer (rigid 4 x 2 tractor and single
axle 2 articulated trailer)
6 wheeler tandem drive axle tractor and 4 wheel trailer ( rigid
6 x 4 tractor and tandem axle 4 articulated trailer)
6 wheeler dual steer axle tractor and six wheel trailer ( rigid 6
x 2 tractor and tri – axle 6 articulated trailer)
Side view and underside view
of a conventional 18-wheeler
semi-trailer truck with an
enclosed cargo space. The
underside view shows the
arrangement of the
18 tires (wheels).
Shown in blue in the
underside view are
the axles, drive shaft,
and differentials.
The legend for labelled parts
of the truck is as follows:
1. tractor unit
2. semi-trailer (detachable)
3. engine compartment
4. cabin
5. sleeper (not present in all
trucks)
6. air dam
7. fuel tanks
8. fifth wheel coupling
9. enclosed cargo space
10. landing gear - legs for
when semi-trailer is detached
11. tandem axles
Typical Engine Configurations –
4 types
Front engine, front wheel
drive can help with the drive-
ability of the vehicle. The engine
weight over the driven wheels
gives greater traction. This can
be particularly useful in adverse
weather conditions.
Front engine, front wheel drive
Front engine, rear wheel drive
configuration has the advantage
of better weight distribution.
However, some traction can be
lost because the bulk of the
weight is not over the driving
wheels.
Front engine, rear wheel drive
Typical Engine
Configurations….
Rear engine, rear wheel drive
provides a larger load to the rear
driving wheels. However, it can
become ‘tail heavy’ which affects
handling of the vehicle. It also reduces
luggage space (which is now in the
front), as the passenger seats need to
be moved forward in order to
accommodate the engine.
Rear engine, rear wheel drive
Mid-engine, rear wheel drive
engines provide good vehicle
handling and good traction at
the rear wheels. They are normally
found on two-seat sports cars where
these factors are important.
Mid-engine, rear wheel drive
FOUR WHEEL DRIVE
This arrangement is safer because of distribution of the drive
to all four wheels.
The sharing of the load between the four wheels during
acceleration reduces the risks of wheel spin specifically on
slippery surfaces like snow and mud.
In addition the positive drive to each wheel during braking
minimizes the possibility of wheel lock- up.
On an icy road or across off-highway a two-wheel-drive vehicle
soon becomes non-drivable due to the loss of grip of one of
the driving wheels which causes the wheel to spin.
Vehicle System
Location - Fuel
Systems
Fuel tank
Fuel pump
Fuel
injectors
Fuel filler cap
and neck
Fuel filter
Vehicle System Location -
Suspension System
The front strut
assemblies typically
comprise a spring and a
shock absorber. These
Rear shock
absorbers
Rear coil
springs
Front strut
devices control the assembly
suspension stiffness.
The lower arms allow
lateral movement of
the suspension system
and connect the front hub
to the vehicle body.
The rear suspension
.
assemblies also contain
springs and shock Rear hub
absorbers. The system Front
shown has a solid rear axle hubs
and is known as ‘non-
independent rear Lower arms
suspension’. Independent
rear suspension systems
are available that do not
Vehicle System Location -
Steering System
The steering wheel
Steering column
allows the driver to Steering
control the direction of rack
the vehicle Front
hub
The steering column
transmits the action of
the steering wheel to
the steering rack
The steering rack
changes a turning
movement into the side-
Steering
to-side movement
wheel
required to turn the
wheels
The track rod (ball
Track The front hub
joint) allows vertical
rod end
and horizontal connects the
movement of the steering rack to the
steering system wheel
Vehicle System Location -
Braking System
The disc and drum
brake assemblies help
to bring the vehicle to a
stop. Disc brakes can be
found on either the front
Handbrake
or rear of a vehicle, and
drum brakes are
normally found on the
rear
Disc of a vehicle
brakes typically
comprise:
a disc, calliper, and Drum brake
Drumbrake
brakes typically
pads Disc assembly
comprise: a brake drum, brake
wheel cylinder and brake assembly
shoes The handbrake provides a mechanical
linkage to the brakes and can be
used to stop the vehicle if the
hydraulic system fails. It can also be
used to hold the vehicle stationary when
it is parked
Vehicle System Location -
Braking System
The master cylinder has a
hydraulic piston that
provides power to the
brakes by pressurizing the ABS modulator
brake fluid when the brake
pedal is depressed by the
The brake driver
servo provides
an increase in power
exerted to the master
cylinder, so helping to
reduce effort given by the
driver at the brake pedal
The ABS modulator Master cylinder and reservoir
consists of a pump and a
number of solenoid
valves that control brake
pressure to each wheel
when the ABS is activated
Vehicle System Location –
Single Exhaust System
The exhaust Tailpipe Catalytic
manifold connects the
exhaust ports of the
engine to the exhaust
converter
pipe
The catalytic
converter removes
harmful gases from
the exhaust fumes,
so they are not
released into the
atmosphere
The silencer reduces Exhaust manifold
the noise from the Silencers
The tailpipe is where
exhaust by the remaining
dampening pressure exhaust gas is
pulsations released outside the
vehicle body from the
silencer
Main parts of the Automobile
The body
The main function of the body is to provide comfort
and protection t the passengers besides giving a
good look.
The body includes the passenger compartment, the
truck, the bumpers, the fenders, the radiator grill,
the hood, interior trim, glass and paint.
Vehicle Body
Components
Roof Rear quarter
The roof, front
wings and rear
quarters can be
used to help
strengthen the
vehicle body.
Other parts can
also help to
Rear strengthen the
Front bumper vehicle body e.g.
bumper glass, doors, sub-
Front wing frames, chassis
and floor-pan
Parts of the Vehicle
Body
Bonnet
Boot lid/ Tailgate
Doors
Car body terminology
B- ROO
A- C-
PILLAR F
PILLAR PILLAR
WINDSHIE
LD BOOT
BONNE
T
GRIL
LE
BUMPE FENDE
DOOR GLASS DOOR
R R
HANDLES
The chassis
The chassis forms the
complete operating unit
and is capable of
running with its own
power.
It is an assembly of
vehicle without body.
The chassis includes the
frame, wheels, axles,
springs, shock
absorbers, engine,
clutch, gearbox,
propeller shaft and
universal joints,
differential and half
shafts, steering, brakes
and accelerator, fuel
tank, storage battery,
radiator and silencer.
VEHICLE ASSEMBLIES
CHASSIS & BODY CONSTRUCTION
Two methods of body and chassis construction, the separate body
and chassis construction and the integral construction.
In separate body and chassis construction, the body is fixed to
chassis frame by means of a number of body bolts, passing
through the base of the body and the frame.
In the integral construction, the body and the chassis frame are
combined as one eliminating the mountings.
The integral construction is also called as chassis – less or unibody
construction.
Unlike commercial vehicles, which have a separate cab attached
to a chassis, car bodies are now mostly integral construction
which is frameless mono box construction.
FRAME
There are two distinct forms of construction in common use:
The conventional pressed steel frame to which all the mechanical
units are attached and on which the body is superimposed.
The integral or frameless construction, in which the body structure
is so designed as to combine the functions of body and frame, the
units normally attached to the frame then being attached directly
to the body.
The frameless construction is however possible only in the case of
a closed car, since the roof, screen pillars, door pillars and rear
panel are essential load – taking parts of the structure.
The frameless construction has the following advantages over the
conventional framed construction:
i. Reduced weight and consequent saving in fuel consumption.
ii. During collision the body crumbles, thereby absorbing the shock
due to impact and thus providing safety to the passengers.
iii. Lower manufacturing cost.
iv. Compared to framed construction lower body position may be
obtained, thus resulting in increased stability of the automobile.
Disadvantage of frameless construction
i. Reduction of strength and durability.
ii. Economical only if frameless construction is adopted in mass
production.
accidents.
iii. Increased cost of repairs in case of damage to body during
iv. Topless cars are difficult to design with the frameless
construction.
Frame construction
A simplified diagram representing the frame shows the
longitudinal members A and the members B.
The frame is upswept at the rear and front to accommodate
the movement of axles due to springing. It also keeps the
chassis height low.
The frame is narrowed down at the front to have a better
steering lock, which gives a smaller turning circle.
The extension of the chassis frame ahead of the front axle is
called front overhang whereas its extension beyond the rear
axle is called rear overhang.
SUB FRAMES
Components are mounted on a separate
frame called sub-frame.
The sub-frame is further supported by
the main frame at three points.
In this way the components are isolated
from the effects of twisting and flexing of
the main frame.
Advantages of sub-frames are:
The mass of the sub-frame alone helps to
damp vibrations.
The provisions of sub-frame simplifies
production on the assembly line and
facilitates subsequent overhaul or repair.
DEFECTS IN FRAMES
The only prominent defect that usually occurs in the frames due
to accidents is the alignment fault.
This may be checked by means of plumb line.
The vehicle is placed on a level surface and by suspending
plumb line from different points on each side of the frame, their
position on the ground is marked
The vehicle is taken away and the diagonals are measured
between corresponding points.
These should not differ by more than 7 or 8 mm.
If any of the corresponding diagonals do differ by more than this
amount, the frame is out of alignment.
The possible cause then may be one of the following:
The dumb irons or side members may be bent.
Cross members may be buckled.
Some rivets may be loose or broken.
If the damage to the frame members is small, they can be
repaired by means of a hydraulic jack and wringing irons.
If the damage is more, the bent frame member may be heated
to straighten it.
Alternative may be to cut the damaged part and weld a new one
instead.
FRAMELESS CONSTRUCTION
In this type of construction heavy side members used in
conventional construction are eliminated and the floor is
strengthened by cross – members and the body, all welded
together.
VEHICLE DIMENSIONS
Wheel track – This is transverse distance between the tyre to
ground centers on the near – side an the off – side.
Wheel base – This is the longitudinal distance between the
centre lines of the front and the rear axles.
Chassis-member cross sections.
A.Square solid bar.
B.Round solid bar.
C.Circular tube with longitudinal slit.
D.Circular closed tube.
E.C-section.
F.Rectangular box section.
G.Top-hat-section.
H.I-section.
I.Channel flitch plate.
INTEGRAL CONSTRUCTION
Around 1934, the all-steel body construction was introduced so that a
separate frame could be eliminated.
This frameless or integral construction provides a stiff, light construction,
which is specifically suitable for mass-produced vehicles.
Since 1945 light cars have used integral construction. When suitably
designed the body shell is capable of withstanding the various frame
stresses.
The floor and roof panels resist the sagging effect caused by the weight
of the occupants.
Since these two members are widely spaced, thin sheet metal is used to
form a strong and lightweight box like structure.
To increase torsional stiffness of the body the scuttle at the front is
strengthened and behind the rear seat squab cross ties are used or a
ribbed metal panel is fitted.
The thickness of the sheet metal depends on the stress to be taken by
the panel. Structural members such as sills, rails and pillars are often
about 1.1 mm thick, whereas panels such as the roof are 0.9 mm thick.
Component attachment points are reinforced with thicker section. Some
cases use a separate sub-frame to mount engine and other members.
Sometimes this sub-frame is connected to the body by rubber insulation
mountings.
INTEGRAL CONSTRUCTION
A very low (0.1 percent) carbon steel is used to provide extremely
good ductility required for the pressing of the panels.
The low strength, 278 MN/m2, of this steel requires stiffening of
the
structural members, which is achieved by spot welding into
position of intricate sections, formed out of thin steel sheet.
A modified construction is necessary in case the roof cannot be fully
utilized as a compression member.
This situation occurs on drop-head coupe models and where a
sunshine roof, or very thin door pillars are used.
To achieve the required strength in these cases a strong under-body
frame is used. In addition, the body-shell parts, which are subjected
to torsion, are provided with extra stiffness.
A body-shell is normally fabricated either by spot-welding the panels,
pillars and pressings together to form a strong box, or by buildings a
skeleton or space frame which provides a high structural strength.
To this frame is attached the shell, aluminium or glass-reinforced
plastic (GRP) body panels, doors, roof, etc.
Steel is the most common material used for manufacturing of
vehicle in high volume, because production costs become lower
once the initial investment on body jigs and other facilities has been
recovered.
The vibration of the panels, which produces an unwanted noise
called drumming, is avoided by fixing a sound-damping material on
the inside of the panels.
The driver and passengers are enclosed in a rigid cell for their safety.
The front and rear of this rigid compartment are fixed with sub-frames,
which are designed to concertina on impact .
The crumple zones of the body absorb the shock of a collision so that the
rate of deceleration experienced by the occupants is reduced.
BODY IN WHITE
Body in white or BIW refers to the stage in automotive design
or automobile manufacturing in which a car body's sheet metal
components have been welded together — but before moving
parts (doors, hoods, and deck lids as well as fenders) the motor,
chassis sub-assemblies, or trim (glass, seats, upholstery,
electronics, etc.) have been added and before painting.
BODY IN WHITE ASSEMBLY
Body components
Windows and door pillars (3,5,6 and 8).
Windscreen and rear window rails(2).
Cantrails(4).
Roof structure.
Window and door pillars (Fig.(3, 5, 6, and 8))
Window screen and door pillars are identified
by a letter coding; the front windscreen to
door pillars are referred to as A post, the
centre side door pillars as BC post and the
rear door to quarter panel as D post. These
are illustrated in Fig
These pillars form the part of the body structure which
supports the roof.
The short form A pillar and rear D pillar enclose the
windscreen and quarter windows and provide the glazing
side channels, whilst the centre BC pillar extends the full
height of the passenger compartment from roof to floor and
supports the rear side door hinges.
The front and rear pillars act as struts (compressive
members) which transfer a proportion of the bending effect,
due to underbody sag of the wheelbase, to each end of the
cantrails which thereby become reactive struts, opposing
horizontal bending of the passenger compartment at floor
level.
The central BC pillar however acts as ties (tensile members),
transferring some degree of support from the mid-span of the
cantrails to the floor structure.
Materials required to make
body parts
The main requirements of the steel sheet used
for making car bodies are as follows:
Low tensile strength and high ductility for ease
of forming.
Easily assembled to form a body unit.
Light in weight.
Cheap as possible.
Materials required to make
body parts
Low-carbon steel has these properties and is
produced in the large quantities for this
purpose.
A typical composition is:
Carbon 0.080%
Silicon 0.002%
Sulphur 0.020%
Phosphorous 0.020%
Manganese 0.350%
Materials required to make
body parts
The liquid steel is cast into large ingots for sub-
sequent hot-rolling to sheet.
Typical sheet thick-nesses in general use are:
10g 3.25mm and 12 g 2.65mm - used for
brackets and supports and heavy internal
construction.
14g 2.03mm, 16g 1.63mm and 18g 1.22mm -
used in the panel assemblies which take the
stress and load,(floor, bulkhead, sills, sub-
frames, cross-member and inner stress panels).
20g 0.95mm and 22g 0.711mm - used for the
outer panel construction(skin panels, doors ,
bonnet , boot lid , roof , wing panels).
Console design-dashboard pod
The dashboard pod is a
binnacle that sits on top of the
dashboard and is ideal for
mounting a radio, extension
speaker etc. It is a small
version of the instrument pod
that houses the speedometer
which comes standard in all
vehicles. Our dash pods are
finished in a vinyl that matches
the dashboard crash pad. Most
crash pads have a vacuum
formed finish. Many of our dash
pods are vacuum formed and
are an exact colour and grain
match.
Console design-half length Centre
floor console
Available for all
transmission types,
column shift, manual
floor shift, and
automatic floor shift.
Suitable for bucket
seats. This design sits
neatly under the
dashboard and
supplies as much flat
facia as possible.
Console design- full length
Centre floor console
Available for all transmission types,
column shift, manual floor shift, and
automatic floor shift. Suitable for
bucket seats only. This design supplies
as much flat facia as possible. It
comes complete with a storage bin
and a hinged lid that forms a padded
armrest. The storage bin is
upholstered on the inside and includes
a removable lining that is held in
place by Velcro tape. This console is
also available for vehicles with a
handbrake between the bucket seats.
The T-bar auto consoles are designed
to house the genuine selector cover
plate. The selector cover plate is not
supplied with the console.
The inside of the
storage bin is fully lined
and comes complete
with a removable velcro
mounted vinyl bag. The
lid/armrest is attached
to a heavy duty steel
hinge and is held in the
open position by a
black webbing retaining
strap.
Console design- Centre floor
compartment
This console is the same as the back section of the full length
centre floor console. Suitable for bucket seats only.
It comes complete with a storage bin and a hinged lid that
forms a padded armrest.
The storage bin is upholstered on the inside and includes a
removable lining that is held in place by Velcro tape.
Centre compartments are also available for vehicles with a
handbrake between the bucket seats. The photos show the
most common designs of centre floor compartment (i.e. plain
or with tray.)
However, there are a large variety of individual designs for
particular models. A radio can be mounted into most centre
compartments inside the storage bin or in a separate facia
panel. If we don't have a pattern for a centre compartment
for your vehicle we can make one with a flat base by using
your measurements. This only applies to vehicles without a
handbrake between the seats.
Console design-"L" Shaped Floor
Tray and "U" Shaped Floor Tray
This console mounts
on the transmission
tunnel, fitting around
the gear lever and
transfer lever. It
consists of two or
three open storage
trays.
VEHICLE INTERIOR SYSTEMS
VEHICLE DASHBOARD
A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel, or fascia) is a
control panel placed in front of the driver of an automobile,
housing instrumentation and controls for operation of the
vehicle.
