This document defines various terms used in vehicle body construction. It discusses terms like angle of approach, angle of departure, which determine a vehicle's ability to climb obstacles. It describes ways to increase these angles like higher ground clearance, shorter overhangs, and rounded bumper designs. Other terms defined include ground clearance/ride height, cross bearers, seat rails, cant rail, waist rail, roof stick, rub rail, skirt rail, gussets, valance, fender, wheel arch. The document provides descriptions and examples for each term.

1. Module 1
Terms Used in Body Building
Construction

2. Angle Of Approach
 The approach angle will be the degree between a forward
line on a flat or level surface where the front tires make
contact with the ground and another line from that point to
the part of the front bumper that is likely to make contact
with the ground or an obstacle first.

3. Angle of Departure
 The departure angle will be the degree between a
rearward line on a flat or level surface where the rear tires
make contact with the ground and another line from that
point to the part of the rear bumper that is likely to make
contact with the ground or an obstacle first.

6.  The approach and departure angles will determine the height
of an obstacle or how steep of a hill a vehicle can approach,
climb over and exit or leave the obstacle without having the
obstacle or the ground scratching or dragging the front or
rear edge of the vehicle.
 A vehicle may have an engine with more than
enough torque to carry the vehicle up a particular hill but if
the start of the incline is not a smooth transition and the
approach angle is too small to engage the hill then all of that
torque will be useless for that hill.

8. How to increase Approach and
departure angle
 A higher ground clearance obviously and it now common for
luxury off road vehicles to use air suspension to raise the
ground clearance when the vehicle is required to go offroad.
 Shorter overhangs which is the distance between the edge of
the vehicle and the closest point of the tire.
 Designing the front and rear edges of the bimper round-ish
and not with distinct edges. One example is the design of the
front bumper of the 2011 Porsche Cayenne.

9. Porshe cayenne 2011

10. GROUND CLEARANCE

12. Also known as ride height
 Ride height (also called ground clearance or
simply clearance) is the amount of space between the base
of an automobile tire and the underside of the chassis; or,
more properly, to the shortest distance between a flat, level
surface, and any part of a vehicle other than those parts
designed to contact the ground (such as tires, tracks, skis,
etc.).
 Ground clearance is measured with standard vehicle
equipment, and for cars, is usually given with no cargo or
passengers.

15. Cross Bearers
 The cross bearers and bolsters are of the built-up type and
are formed of pressed diaphragms and cover plates. The
diaphragms are all perforated to remove unnecessary metal
and to provide openings for air-brake pipes and control
conduit. Suitable diagonal bracing has been provided to
insure the rigidity of the under frame.
 The cross-bearer is U-shaped and open towards the bottom
of the vehicle.

16. Floor & Roof Longitudes

17. POSTS
POSTS

18. Seat Rails
A horizontal member at the front of a seat
(as a chair or sitter)

19. CANT RAIL
 The structural member which usually sits squarely on top of
the B-pillar forming the top edge of the door frame aperture,
and which may run (visually) seamlessly into the A and C
pillars,
 Side curtain airbags are located on the inside of cant rail
 The Citroen Pluriel and Smart Roadster have removable
Cant Rails.

21. Citroen Pluriel

22. WAIST RAIL
 Longitudinal vehicle body structural member at mid height
between floor and cant rail. This is normally the level at
which any upper body tapering of the bodyline begins.
Waist rail

23. Roof Stick
 The parts of the
Automobiles, Which
sticks in the Roof is
mainly Known as Roof
Stick

24. Rub Rail

25. Skirt rail
Skirts of a vehicle

26. Gussets
 Gusset plates are thick sheets of steel that are used to
connect beams and girders to columns or to
connect truss members.
 A gusset plate can be fastened to a permanent member either
by bolts, rivets or welding or a combination of the three.
 Gusset plates not only serve as a method of joining steel
members together but they also strengthen the joint

28. Valance

29. Valance

30. Fender

31. Wheel arch
 Wheel Arch is the part of an automobile, motorcycle or
other vehicle body that frames a wheel well (the fender
underside). Its primary purpose is to prevent sand, mud,
rocks, liquids, and other road spray from being thrown into
the air by the rotating tire.
 Wheel arch are typically rigid and can be damaged by contact
with the road surface. Instead, flexible mud flaps are used
close to the ground where contact may be possible.

32. Wheel arch
 The fender is called the wing (this usually only refers to
the panels over the front wheel arches, in modern cars,
since the rear 'fenders' are more an integral part of the
car's body shape).
 The equivalent component of a bicycle or motorcycle,
or the "cycle wing" style of wing fitted to vintage cars,
or over tires on lorries which is not integral with the
bodywork, is called a mudguard

34. Post Diagonals

35. Let us Conclude the Terms