AUTOMOBILE

ENGINEERING
 What is a drive system ? Why is it necessary?

 A drive system in an automobile is the system where power from

the engine is transferred to the wheels
 Without a drive system the automobile cannot run or be useful.
 Proper Drive systems place a very important for good grip of the
vehicle to the ground to enable smooth handling and better
efficiency of the vehicle
 Drive systems are of different types
Types of Drive Systems

 Front Engine & Rear Wheel

Drive

 Front Engine & Front Wheel

Drive

 Rear Engine & Rear Wheel

Drive

 Four Wheel Drive

 Front Engine & Rear
Wheel Drive

 In these type of Drives the Power from the engine is

transmitted by a shaft to the rear wheels in order to drive the
Vehicle
The System
 Advantages
• Better handling in dry conditions
• Less costly and easier maintenance
• Even weight distribution 

Disadvantages
• Decreased interior space
• Increased weight 
• A major drawback is the protrusion of the transmission components into
the passenger compartment due to which a larger bulge is produced in
the region of the gearbox and a raised long tunnel down to the centre of
the car floor is formed to accommodate the propeller shaft.
Front Engine & Front Wheel Drive

 In This type of Drive The Power from the front

engine is transmitted directly to the front wheel.
Here a long Shaft is not needed to transmit power.
The System
 Advantages
• Interior space is increased
• Weight is less
• Cost is less and better mileage
• The propeller shaft is eliminated. This permits low chassis height
• The pulls the car than pushing it, avoiding skidding tendency.
• Better road adhesion.

Disadvantages
• The center of gravity of the vehicle is typically farther forward
• The whole arrangement over front wheels is complicated.
• Decrease of tractive forces when the vehicle is up the grade.
 Rear Engine & Rear Wheel Drive

 Engine and differential is connected to the rear axil

and controlling is done from rear axle
 There is no need of propeller shaft.
Advantages
i. Better tractive forces up the grade
ii. Front axle construction is simplified
iii. Absence of propeller shaft allows decrease in chassis height

Disadvantages
i. May lose balance at high speeds.

ii. Complicated linkage is required between the engine,

clutch and gearbox.

iii. Rear position of engine, cooling effect is reduced.

Four Wheel Drive

 In four wheel drive differential is

attached on both the sides of the
shaft and the torque from the engine
is transferred to both the eyes.
4WD
 Vehicles which operate on rough roads and unexpected road profiles, all the four wheels
are the driving wheels
 It has got an extra transfer box, which divides the torque between front and rear wheels.
 Also there is a provision for disengaging the front wheels when not required.
Advantages

All Wheel Drive (or AWD) is a system in which all four

wheels of a car operate simultaneously to improve
traction and handling. While it is possible for a car to
have continuous AWD capabilities, it is far more
common for one pair of wheels to engage only when
sensors detect that the other pair has begun to slip. 
Two Wheeler Layout
Three Wheeler Layout
 Types of Automobile Bodies
The Motor vehicles, designed to carry passenger & goods, are
broadly classified as;

1. Sedan Car
2. Hatchback Car
3. Coupe
4. Convertible Car
5. Estate Car
6. Pick-up
7. Vans
8. Coaches
1. Saloon Car 2. Hatchback Car

 Sedan cars have enclosed compartment to accommodate a row of front & a row of rear
seats.
 Separate luggage space is made either at the front or rear, depending upon engine
location.
 One or two doors are provided on each side of the car.
 In a hatchback, the luggage space is replaced by a door.
 3. Coupe

 Coupe is the outcome of changes in saloon car design.

 It has two doors, two front seats and a hard roof.
 If two additional seats are provided at rear, the layout is known as “two-plus-two”.
 4. Convertible Car

 Have two doors and Two seats.

 Sometimes two small rear seats are provided.
 Have a soft folding roof and windup windows to make the compartment open or closed.
 5. Estate Car

 The passenger roof of saloon is completely extended to the back end, so that rear space
is increased.
 Rear door is provided for access.
 Rear seats are designed to collapse to provide additional space for luggage
 6. Pick-up

 This type of vehicle is classified as a two-door front seating van.

 It has an open back to carry mixed collection of goods.
 7. Vans

 Vans are light goods vehicle used for long distances or door-to door delivery.
 They have seats in front for driver & 1/2 passengers.
 Engine is located just in front of the front axle.
 Two doors are located at front side.
 There are double doors at the rear of the van, which open outward for easy loading.
 The rear axle may have twin road-wheels to have higher load carrying capacity
 8. Coaches

 Coaches carry passengers travelling on long distance

 The interior is designed to provide the best possible comfort & to minimize fatigue.
 Seats are provided facing front to provide passengers the benefit of looking ahead
 For better visibility of passengers large paneled windows are provided extending the full length
of vehicle.
 There is a door adjacent to driver.
 Passenger doors are located opposite side of drivers seat
 Emergency door is provided at the center opposite opposite of passengers door.
 Articulated Vehicles

 Articulated vehicles use a tractor unit for providing the propulsive power & a semi-trailer
for carrying the pay load.
 The tractor uses a short rigid chassis & two or three axles.
 Front axle carries the steered road wheels & rear axle is driving one (live).
 The middle axle may either function as an additional drive axle or for dual steering.
 The semi-trailer has a long rigid chassis (with single/tandem/tri-axle layout at rear end).
 The front end of trailer chassis is supported on rear of the tractor chassis.
 At this point it is free to swivel about a pivot known as fifth wheel coupling
 Fifth wheel coupling

Classification
1. Four wheeler and two-wheel trailer (rigid 4 x 2 tractor & single axle trailer)
2. Six-wheeler tandem-drive-axle tractor & four wheel trailer (rigid 6 x 4 tractor
& tandem axle trailer)
3. Six-wheeler dual-steer-axle tractor & six wheel trailer (rigid 6 x 2 tractor &
tri-axle trailer).
 FRAME
• The frame is the main part of the chassis on which the remaining parts
of the chassis are mounted
• It is a rigid structure that forms a skeleton to hold all the major parts
together.
• Engine, transmission system, Front & rear axles, wheel & tyre
assemblies, steering system, fuel tank.
• The long right & left side members of frame are called long members.
These are joined together with cross members with the help of rivets or
bolts or nuts.

Functions of FRAME
• To support the chassis components & the body.
• To withstand static & dynamic loads with undue deflection or
distortion
 Types of FRAME
The frames are made of the following steel sections:
• Channel section
• Box section
• Tubular section

Basically there are 3 types of frames:

1. Conventional frame
2. Semi-integral frame
3. Integral frame
 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.
iii. Increased cost of repairs in case of damage to body during accidents.
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.
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.
 In Automobiles, there are three major types of construction based on frame,

 Conventional frame construction

 Integral frame construction
 Semi – Integral frame construction
In this type of chassis the body is made as a separate unit and then
joined with ladder frame. It supports all the systems in a vehicle such
as the Engine, Transmission system, Steering system, Suspension
system.
Advantage
Higher load capacity and strength
Disadvantage
The body tends to vibrate easily and the overall vehicle handling
and refinement is lower.

It is used in truck, bus and in SUV cars and bigger

vehicles.
 This frame is used now a days in most of the cars. There is no frame and all the assembly units are
attached to the body.
 All the functions of the frame carried out by the body itself.
 Due to elimination of long frame it is cheaper and due to less weight most economical also.
 The disadvantage is repairing.
In some vehicles half frame is fixed in the front end on which
engine gear box and front suspension is mounted.

It has the advantage when the vehicle is met with accident the
front frame can be taken easily to replace the damaged chassis
frame.

This type of frame is used in some of the European and

American cars.
 Different types of automobile bodies:

Two-door sedan
 CHASSIS
Chassis (carrying unit) is a French term & was initially used to denote
the frame or main structure of a vehicle.

The term Chassis is now extensively used to denote the complete vehicle
expect the body for the heavy vehicles having a separate body.

The chassis contains all the major units necessary to propel the vehicle,
direct its motion, stop it, and allow it to run smoothly over uneven
surfaces.

The chassis of an automobile consists of the following components

suitably mounted:

1) Frame 2) Front axle 3) Steering system4) Rear-axle

5) Suspension system 6) Transmission
7) Brake system 8) Engine 9) Electrical system
1. According to its control:
1. Conventional chassis:
Engine is fitted in front of the driver cabin or driver seat.
Engine portion of the chassis cannot be utilized for carrying passengers & goods.
2. Semi-forward chassis:
Half portion of the engine is in the driver cabin and remaining half
is outside the cabin.
Part of the chassis is utilized for carrying extra passengers.
3. Full-forward chassis:
Complete engine is mounted inside the driver cabin.
Floor area is increased to the extent of accommodating 3 extra
seats.
Driver can see full front road right from the front wheels.
2. According to fitting of engine:
1. Engine at front (FERWD/ FEFWD)
2. Engine fitted at the center of the chassis: provides full space of chassis floor for
use
3. Engine fitted at back

3. According to the number of wheels fitted in the vehicle & no.

of driving wheels:
Parts of Vehicle Body