Republic of the Philippines

University of Eastern Philippines

University Town, Northern Samar
College of Engineering

Sumagaysay, Charlie T.
BS Mechanical Engineering 3
202098

Assignment #2

-Definition of Chassis-

A chassis is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports

the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the
under part of a motor vehicle, on which the body is mounted; if the running gear such as
wheels and transmission, and sometimes even the driver’s seat, are included, then the
assembly is described as a rolling chassis.

In most passenger cars through the middle of the 20th century, a pressed-steel frame of the
vehicle’s chassis formed a skeleton on which the engine, wheels, axle
assemblies, transmission, steering mechanism, brakes, and suspension members were
mounted.

The body was flexibly bolted to the chassis during a manufacturing process typically referred
to as body-on-frame construction. This process is used today for heavy-duty vehicles, such
as trucks, which benefit from having a strong central frame, subjected to the forces involved
in such activities as carrying freight, including the absorption of the movements of the
engine and axle that is allowed by the combination of body and frame.

In modern passenger-car designs, the chassis frame and the body are combined into a single
structural element. In this arrangement, called unit-body (or unibody) construction, the
steel body shell is reinforced with braces that make it rigid enough to resist the forces that
are applied to it.
Separate frames or partial “stub” frames have been used for some cars to achieve better
noise-isolation characteristics. The heavier-gauge steel present in modern component
designs also tends to absorb energy during impacts and limit intrusion in accidents.
 -Functions of Chassis-

 Supports or bears the load of the vehicle body

 Provide the space and mounting location for various aggregates of vehicle
 Supports the weight of various systems of the vehicle such as engine, transmission
etc.
 Supports a load of passengers as well as the luggage
 Withstands the stresses arising due to bad road conditions
 Withstands stresses during braking and acceleration of the vehicle

-Examples of Use-

In the case of vehicles, the term rolling chassis means the frame plus the “running gear”
like engine, transmission, driveshaft, differential, and suspension. An underbody (sometimes
referred to as “coachwork”), which is usually not necessary for the integrity of the structure,
is built on the chassis to complete the vehicle.

For commercial vehicles, a rolling chassis consists of an assembly of all the essential parts of
a truck without the body being ready for operation on the road. A car chassis will be
different from one for commercial vehicles because of the heavier loads and constant work
use.

Commercial vehicle manufacturers sell “chassis only”, “cowl and chassis”, as well as “chassis
cab” versions that can be outfitted with specialized bodies. These include motor homes, fire
engines, ambulances, box trucks, etc.

In particular applications, such as school buses, a government agency like National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the U.S. define the design standards of chassis and
body conversions.

An armored fighting vehicles hull serves as the chassis and comprises the bottom part of the
AFV that includes the tracks, engine, driver’s seat, and crew compartment. This describes
the lower hull, although common usage might include the upper hull to mean the AFV
without the turret. The hull serves as a basis for platforms on tanks, armored personnel
carriers, combat engineering vehicles, etc.

In the intermodal trucking industry, a chassis is a type of semi-trailer onto which a cargo
container can be mounted for road transport.
 -Components of Chassis-

 Frame
 Front suspension
 Steering mechanism
 Silencer
 Storage battery
 Rear springs
 Road wheels
 Shock absorbers
 Brakes and braking system
 Propeller shaft
 Engine, clutch, gearbox
 Radiator
 Fuel tank

-Types of Chassis-

1. Ladder Frame Chassis

One of the oldest chassis, the ladder chassis gets its name from the shape of has which
simply put is like a ladder. It has two long and heavy beams which are supported by two
short beams. The main selling point of the ladder chassis was how easy it was to
manufacture.
During the beginning of the era of the automobile, technology was not really advanced and
the simplicity of the ladder chassis made it easier to mass-produce. The chassis also makes
the car assembly easier. The ladder chassis is quite heavy and thus still finds use in vehicles
that need to tow heavy stuff around.

Advantages
 Easier to assemble as parts can be easily put in.
 Construction method makes it quite tough.
 Easier to fix as parts are not permanently attached.

Disadvantages
 The ladder chassis has a weak tensional rigidity making it bad for cornering.
  Heavyweight makes it not ideal for sports cars or hatchbacks.

2. Backbone Chassis
It also gets its name from how it’s constructed: A rectangular cross-section cylindrical tube
through the middle of the chassis that connects the top and the bottom suspension; the
backbone. It’s present in cars like Skoda Rapid and DMC DeLorean. The cylindrical tube
actually covers the driveshaft thus making it safer from getting damaged which can also be a
disadvantage.

Advantages
 Due to its construction, the half axle has better contact with the ground when off-
roading.
 The driveshaft is covered by the chassis makes it more likely to survive off-roading.
 The structure has good torsional rigidity allowing it to withstand more twist than
ladder chassis.

Disadvantages
 The driveshaft repair is complicated if it fails as the main chassis covers the entire
shaft which makes it necessary to open it.
 The manufacture of backbone chassis is quite expensive which increases the cost of
cars it is in.

3. Monocoque Chassis
A unibody structure, it too gets its name from its structural look. Monocoque being french
for ‘single shell’ or a ‘single hull’. The monocoque was first used by ships and then by
airplanes. It took quite some time to figure out that they can be used in cars as well.
A monocoque is a shell around the car made by using both chassis as the frame in a single
construction. This is the most commonly used chassis right now due to the number of
advantages of has over the other two chassis.

Advantages
 It’s safer than both the other chassis due to its cage-like construction.
 The chassis is easy to repair as well.
 It has superior tensional rigidity.

Disadvantages
 The chassis is obviously heavy as it’s both the frame and chassis as one single entity.
 Producing it in small quantities is not financially feasible and thus it cannot be used
for cars that are not mass-produced.

4. Tubular Chassis
Tubular chassis were mainly used in race cars due to the unrivaled safety they provide.
These were an upgrade from the ladder chassis as they were three-dimensional and were
stronger than the ladder chassis. They employed the use of a strong structure below the
doors to get more overall strength. Tubular chassis are rarely used on passenger cars.

Advantages
 Better rigidity compared to other chassis in the same weight.
 Offers the best weight/rigidity ratio allowing the car to be lightweight while being
strong.
 Best choice for race cars due to lightweight and better rigidity than other chassis.

Disadvantages
 Tubular chassis are complex structures and cannot be made using autonomous
methods.
 Tubular chassis are time-consuming to build and cannot be mass-produced.
 Not feasible to be used on passenger cars.
 The structure raises the door which makes it difficult to access the cabin.