Title: Development of a lightweight wheel carrier for commercial vehicles

Authors: Marko Tirovic

Addresses: Reader in Automotive Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield MK43 0AL, UK

Abstract: A wheel carrier is a commercial vehicle-specific component which connects the wheel to the wheel bearing and transfers the loads between the two parts. This paper presents a novel design, manufactured from an aluminium alloy. Finite Element (FE) modelling was extensively used to ensure structural strength, and brake cooling tests were used to assess improvements in heat dissipation. The newly developed prototype carrier has only half the mass of the original Spheroidal Graphite (SG) design, saving 11 kg per 'wheel end'. Brake cooling is also considerably improved, with the average convective heat transfer coefficient being increased by 50%.

Keywords: lightweight wheel carriers; wheel assembly; wheel end; disc brakes; heat dissipation; stress analysis; commercial vehicles; vehicle design; aluminium alloys; finite element method; FEM; modelling; structural strength; brake cooling; spheroidal graphite; convective heat transfer; heat transfer coefficient.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2012.049163

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2012 Vol.60 No.1/2, pp.138 - 154

Received: 22 Feb 2011
Accepted: 27 Oct 2011
Published online: 23 Apr 2013 *

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