Frame (vehicle)

What's in a Frame? What is the most important safety feature in your car? Are there a lot of frame-damaged vehicles on the road? How do previously frame-damaged vehicles get back on the road? Can a damaged frame be repaired? Why is minor damage to a vehicle frame so important to my safety? How much frame damage is too much frame damage? Who is AutoScan? Where does AutoScan get its frame measurement comparison data? What is the most important safety feature in your car? Are there a lot of frame-damaged vehicles on the road? How do previously frame-damaged vehicles get back on the road? Can a damaged frame be repaired? Why is minor damage to a vehicle frame so important to my safety?

TYPES OF CHASSIS FRAMES: Car frames and outside members of platform frames shall be made of steel or other metals. There are three main designs for frame rails. Their cross-sections include: 1.C-shaped 2.Boxed 3.Hat or TYPES OF CHASSIS FRAMES: There are three types of frames 1. Conventional frame 2. Integral frame 3. Semi-integral frame Vehicle frames are extremely important components in the crash-worthiness of a vehicle. Crumple zones, impact absorption engineering and other crash and safety parameters of a vehicle are often directly related to the sophistication of the car frame alignment and the integrity of the frame construction. Correct air bag deployment is sometimes compromised by frame damage. Some types of vehicle frame damage can also contribute to recurring vehicle maintenance issues, such as premature tire wear, suspension, wheel alignment and steering problems. How much frame damage is too much frame damage? Given the role a car or truck frame plays in the safety of a vehicle's occupants in a collision, it would seem prudent very little auto frame damage should be tolerated by a safety-minded car owner during automotive testing. Where does AutoScan get its frame measurement comparison data? AutoScan has compiled a complete database of frame measurements. These measurements come from original vehicle manufacturers as well as AutoScan's own measurement department, which collects data independently. AutoScan keeps its frame measurement database current with regular updates. When a frame is damaged, AutoScan compares its measurements to the measurements the car manufacturer used to build the vehicle originally. Traditionally, the most common material for manufacturing vehicle chassis has been steel, in various forms. Over time, other materials have come into use, the majority of which have been covered here. Steel Let's face it. Steel is easy to get. Machinery to manipulate steel is easy to get. People who know how to work with steel are easy to get. Steel is easy - and it's also cheap. This is the main reason why 99% of the cars you find are made from steel, although the fact that it's actually a very useful material plays no small part. Steel is by no means a "does the job" or "poor man's" option - the material has many attributes that render it perfect for vehicle chassis manufacturing. First, yes, the cost and availability (of both the material and what you need to process it) are a major advantage for commercial production, but the physical properties are also highly beneficial. As we've already covered, the main aim with a chassis is to build a stiff structure to ensure other components can work as they're designed to, and steel really scores in this respect, as it's a pretty stiff material. In addition, steel rates well in terms of both yield strength (how likely it is to bend permanently under load) and ultimate strength, particularly if it's carefully alloyed and processed. Steel also resists fatigue failure well (fatigue failure is where a material fails due to repeated loading and unloading, even though the loads involved may be far below the ultimate strength of the material). This last fact is extremely useful - even if the chassis flexes under load, such flexing need not lead to a critical failure. The fly in the ointment with steel is it's weight, or more accurately it's density (mass of material for a given volume). Steel is made from iron, and it's density isn't far off. Most of the time, this wasn't an issue, as the weight of a car didn't use to be of too much concern. As time has progressed, however, saving weight has become more of a priority - partly to aid fuel economy, and partly to allow for the addition of safety equipment without resulting in a vehicle that weighs as much as a small tank. Although steel does corrode when exposed to adverse environments, such corrosion is not too much of a concern: A good coating, properly prepared and applied, will offer excellent protection. Only when damage is sustained which reveals bare metal does this factor become an issue. Overall, the benefits steel has as a material for chassis building far outweigh the problems of using it, and it seems that this is likely to remain the case for the forseeable future where production vehicles are concerned. As a side benefit, no matter where you are in the world, you will always be able to find someone who is able to work on a steel structure. For a family hatchback, this is irrelevant. For a 4x4 being used as an expedition vehicle to the arse-end of nowhere, it's crucial.

Car Suspension Parts