The chassis of the car - what is it?

Any vehicle, regardless of its type and purpose, consists of three main parts: engine, body and chassis. The chassis of the car is a system consisting of assembled units of the chassis, transmission and control gear. It is one of the most important parts of the vehicle, as it allows to ensure the perception and transfer of all the forces that act on it during the movement.

Chassis functions

The suspension elements of the undercarriage reduce the load and compensate for fluctuations when driving on a bumpy road and off-road. The subframe allows you to install on the chassis the body, engine and other units. The front and rear axles transmit the rotational motion by means of wheels and thus ensure the movement of the car.

The first cars produced in the last century, had some difference from those that today travel on roads. All cars - both cars and trucks - used to have a frame on which all units and components (body, transmission, engine, etc.) were installed. Over time, the frame chassis of the car was left only for trucks and buses. In passenger cars, the frame functions began to perform the bodywork.

Classification of the chassis

Thus, we can distinguish two different schemes of the chassis of vehicles.

• The frame chassis, which in general is a few solid beams, on which all the units of the car are installed. This design allows cars to carry large loads and easily cope with various dynamic loads.

• Bearing body. In pursuit of reducing the weight of cars, all the functions of the frame have been redefined on the body. This frame does not allow you to move large loads, but at the same time provides greater comfort and speed.

Depending on the purpose of the car, the following types of structures can be used:

• Spar;

• Spinal ridges;

• Peripheral;

• Fork-spine;

• Lattice.

Truck chassis

The most common are the spar frames. They are two longitudinal beams connected by cross-beams. The shape of such beams can be completely different: tubular, X- or K-shaped. In the most loaded part, the frame has an enlarged section of the channel. The parallel arrangement of the spars (beams are located at an equal distance throughout the chassis) is used in trucks. In passenger cars with increased terrain, spars can be used that have a certain discrepancy between the axes both in the horizontal and in the vertical plane.

Spinal frame is a single longitudinal support beam, on which cross-pieces are attached. Often, this beam has a circular cross section, so that it can accommodate the elements of the transmission. This frame provides greater torsional stiffness than the spars. Also, the use of a chassis of the spinal type implies the use of an independent suspension of all wheels.

The wedge-backbone frame has a branching of the longitudinal beam in the rear or front part. That is, it combines spars and a spinal beam.

The other chassis frame types are not used for trucks.

Other meanings of the term

In addition to the definition above, the word "chassis" can be used to describe self-propelled vehicles intended for the installation of various machines and mechanisms. This term is also applied to that part of the aircraft used for movement on the aerodrome, take-off and landing. As in the case of the chassis of the car, this part mitigates the impacts and loads during ground-based aircraft movement. Aviation chassis, unlike automobile, can have a design with wheels, skis or floats.

Often the meaning of the word chassis is confused with the concept of driving a car. Wrong interpretation of terms is due to the fact that they relate to almost the same part of the vehicle. Car owners are free to say that their car has a 4x2 chassis. But it should be understood that 4x2 is just a layout scheme, from which you can find out the number of driving wheels, but no more. About the same as the chassis, it has already been said above. Despite the fact that the wheels and drive are part of the chassis system, it is inappropriate to apply this term only for such a narrow description.

Suspension types

The chassis of the car can have different types of suspension:

A) dependent:

• On longitudinal springs;
• With guide paired levers;
• With two longitudinal arms;
• With a drawbar;

B) independent.

Suspension brackets are equipped with levers, gaskets, shock absorbers and springs. The main purpose of this vehicle assembly is to absorb vibrations and vibrations while driving. The front and rear suspension differ, since the design of the steered wheels requires the use of more complex components.