Design features Vehicle frame

pickup truck chassis holding vehicle s engine, drivetrain, suspension, , wheels

while appearing @ first glance simple form made of metal, frames encounter great amounts of stress , built accordingly. first issue addressed beam height, or height of vertical side of frame. taller frame, better able resist vertical flex when force applied top of frame. reason semi-trucks have taller frame rails other vehicles instead of being thicker.

as looks, ride quality, , handling became more important consumers, new shapes incorporated frames. visible of these arches , kick-ups. instead of running straight on both axles, arched frames sit lower—roughly level axles—and curve on axles , down on other side bumper placement. kick-ups same thing, don t curve down on other side, , more common on front ends.

another feature seen tapered rails narrow vertically and/or horizontally in front of vehicle s cabin. done on trucks save weight , increase room engine since front of vehicle not bear of load back. design developments include frames use more 1 shape in same frame rail. example, pickup trucks have boxed frame in front of cab, shorter, narrower rails underneath cab, , regular c-rails under bed.

on perimeter frames, areas rails connect front center , center rear weak compared regular frames, section boxed in, creating known torque boxes.