Unit - 4 Basic Automobile ENgineering Chassis System and Transmission System

Unit - 4
What is a Chassis?
Automobile chassis is defined as the Internal Framework which consists

of Frame Supporting the Vehicle and all the Major Units responsible for
Propelling and Controlling of the vehicle.
Conventional Chassis :-
Engine is fitted in front of the driver cabin or driver seat such as in cars.
Chassis portion can not be utilized for carrying passengers and goods.
The frame sections are used generally.

a. Channel Section -
Used in long section of the frame
Good resistance to bending
b. Tabular Section -
Good resistance to Torsion

Tubular section is used these days in three wheelers , scooters pick - ups
c. Box Section -
Used in short members of frames

Good resistance to both bending and Torsion
Semi - Forward Chassis:-
Half portion of the engine is in the driver cabin & and remaining half is
outside the cabin such as in tata trucks.
In this arrangement a part of the chassis is utilized for carrying extra
passengers.
Full Forward Chassis :-
Complete engine is mounted inside the driver cabin.

Driver seat is just above the front wheel
Drivers visibility is good
Space is utilized atmost
Types of Conventional Chassis:-
Ladder Frame:-
 The ladder frame is the simplest and oldest of all designs.
 It consists of merely two symmetrical rails.
 This design offers good beam resistance because of its continuous
rails from front to rear.
 Poor resistance to torsion.
Tabular Space Frame:-
It is 3-dimensional design:
 Tubular space frame chassis employs dozens of circular section tube,
positions in different directions to provide mechanical strength
against force from anywhere.
 These tubes are welded & forms a very complex structure.
 For higher strength required by sports cars, tubular space frame
chassis usually incorporate a strong structure under both doors.
Monocoque Frame:-
 Monocoque is a one-piece structure which defines overall shape of
the car. while ladder , tabular & backbone provide only stress
members
 Today 99% car produced in this planet are made of steel
 Monocoque chassis.
 Chassis are made by welding of several pieces(Spot winding)
 Monocoque is made of steel
ULSAB (Ultra Light Steel Auto Body) Monocoque:-

Ultra light steel auto body.
• It has same structure as a conventional Monocoque.
• It differs from its donor is in minor detailed the use of “hydro form”
parts , Sandwich steel & laser beam winding.
Backbone Frame:-
 Colin chapman invented backbone chassis in his elan roadstar
 A strong tubular backbone connects the front & rear axle & provide
 nearly all mechanical strength.
 The whole drivetrain , engine & suspensions are connected to both
ends of the backbone.
 The body is built on backbone are usually made of glass-fibre.
 Its strong enough for small sports car but not upto the job high-end
one.
Aluminium Space Frame:-
 ASF consist of extrude aluminum sections, vacuum diecast
component & , aluminum sheet of different thickness.
 Audi A8 is the first mass production car featuring aluminium space
frame chassis
 Developed in conjugation with us aluminum maker alco , ASF is
intended to replace conventional steel monocoque mainly for benefit
of lightness
 Audi A8 ASF is 40% lighter than BMW 740 I
Carbon Fibre:-
 Carbon frame Monocoque:
 Carbon fibre is found in aircraft , superbikes, spaceship , racing cars
because of superior rigidity to weight.
 Carbon fibres are used in the body panels or in area where extreme
stiffness & lightweight is beneficial.
Transmission System:-
 The mechanism that transmits the power developed by the engine of

the automobile to the driving wheel is called the transmission system
or the power train.
 It is composed of the clutch, the gear box, propeller shaft, universal
joints, rear axle, wheels and tyres.
 The vehicles which have front wheel drive in addition include a
second set of propeller shafts, universal joints, final drives and
differentials for the fronts units.
REQUIREMENTS OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM:-

 To provide for disconnecting the engine from the driving wheels.
 When the engine is running , to enable the connection to the driving
wheels to be made smoothly and without shock.
 To enable the leverage b/w the engine and driving wheels varied.
 Speed reduction b/w engine and the drive wheels in the ratio of about
5:1.
 To enable power transmission at varied angles and varied lengths.
 To drive the driving wheel at different speeds when required.
 To enable diversion of power flow at right angle.
Clutch:-
Clutch is a mechanism which enables the rotary motion of one shaft to be
transmitted at will to second shaft ,whose axis is coincident with that of
first.
 Clutch is located between engine and gear box.
 Clutch is disengaged when

 a) Starting the engine,
 b) Shifting the gears,
 c) Idling the engine
 Clutch is engaged only when the vehicle is to move and is kept
engaged when the vehicle is moving.
Functions of Clutch:-
 To permit engagement or disengagement of a gear when the vehicle is

stationary and the engine is running.
 To transmit the engine power to the road wheels smoothly without
jerks to the transmission system while setting the vehicle in motion.
 To permit the engaging of the gears when the vehicle is in motion
without damaging the gear wheels.
Requirements of a clutch:-
 It should be engage gradually to avoid sudden jerks.

 It should be easily operated (i..e it should consume minimum physical
effort at the time of engagement and disengagement)
 It should be dynamically balanced (particularly required in case of
high speed engine clutches)
 It should be free from slip when engaged.
 It should be as possible so that it will occupy minimum space.
 It should be easily accessible and have simple means of adjustment.
 It should be suitable mechanism to damp vibrations and to eliminated
noise produced during the power transmission.
 It should be able to dissipate large amount of heat which is generated
during the clutch operation due to friction.
 The wearing surfaces should have long life.
Gear Box:-
 The gearbox is the second stage in the transmission system, after the
clutch .
 It is usually bolted to the rear of the engine , with the clutch between
them.
 Modern cars with manual transmissions have four or five forward
speeds and one reverse, as well as a neutral position.
 The gear box is necessary in the transmission system to maintain
engine speed (or torque) at the most economical value under all
conditions of vehicle movement.
 An ideal gear box would provide an infinite range of gear ratios, so
that the engine speed should be kept at or near that the maximum
power is developed whatever the speed of the vehicle.
Function of Gear box:-
 Helps to select torque ratio between the engine and wheels to be

varied for rapid acceleration and for climbing gradients.
 It provides means of reversal of vehicle motion.
 Transmission can be disconnected from engine by neutral position at
gear box
Propeller Shaft:-
 A drive shaft connecting the gearbox to a rear differential is called

a propeller shaft, or prop-shaft.
 A prop-shaft assembly consists of a propeller shaft, a slip joint and
one or more universal joints.
Function of Propeller Shaft:-
The drive shaft (also called propeller shaft or prop shaft) is a component
of the drive train in a vehicle, with the purpose of delivering torque from
the transmission to the differential, which then transmits this torque to the
wheels in order to move the vehicle.
Types of propeller shaft:-

Universal Joints:-
Universal joints are capable of transmitting torque and rotational motion
from one shaft to another when their axes are inclined to each other by
some angle, which may constantly vary under working conditions.
Universal joints are incorporated in the of vehicle’s transmission

system to perform three basic applications :
(a) Propeller shaft end joints between longitudinally front mounted

gearbox and rear final drive axle.
(b) Rear axle drive shaft end joints between the sprung final drive and the
unspring rear wheel stub axle.
(c) Front axle drive shaft end joints between the sprung front mounted
final drive and the unspring front wheel steered stub axle.
TYPES OF UNIVERSAL JOINTS
Variable velocity joint

A) Cross or spider type:-
 This type of joint is also called a Hooke-type coupling as it was
developed from the joint invented by Robert Hooke in the seventeenth
century.
 This joint is commonly used today.
 The joints in Fig. A and B represent the basic and developed forms
respectively.
 They use two yokes set at 90 degrees to each other and a cross-shaped
trunnion block joins these yokes.
 In more developed joints like Hardy Spicer type, contact between the
two parts is made by needle roller bearings held in a hardened steel
cup retained in each arm of the yoke.
B) Constant velocity joint:-

 Constant-velocity joints ( CV joints) allow a drive shaft to transmit
power through a variable angle, at constant rotational speed, without
an appreciable increase in friction or play.
 They are mainly used in front wheel drive vehicles and 4x4 drive
vehicles.
 The angle up to 30 degrees

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Unit - 4

Automobile chassis is defined as the Internal Framework which consists

The frame sections are used generally.

Good resistance to Torsion

Used in short members of frames

Semi - Forward Chassis:-

Complete engine is mounted inside the driver cabin.

Types of Conventional Chassis:-

ULSAB (Ultra Light Steel Auto Body) Monocoque:-

 The mechanism that transmits the power developed by the engine of

REQUIREMENTS OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM:-

 Clutch is located between engine and gear box.

 Clutch is disengaged when

 To permit engagement or disengagement of a gear when the vehicle is

 It should be engage gradually to avoid sudden jerks.

Function of Gear box:-

 Helps to select torque ratio between the engine and wheels to be

 A drive shaft connecting the gearbox to a rear differential is called

Function of Propeller Shaft:-

Types of propeller shaft:-

Universal joints are incorporated in the of vehicle’s transmission

(a) Propeller shaft end joints between longitudinally front mounted

TYPES OF UNIVERSAL JOINTS

Variable velocity joint

B) Constant velocity joint:-

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