
Learn the full chassis frame design process from vehicle specifications to a finished sheet metal concept using Fusion 360, covering design methodology, manufacturing considerations, and durability.
Compare body-on-frame and unibody (monocoque) construction, detailing how frame-based designs handle loads, durability, and off-road performance, versus lighter, integrated bodies and improved crash safety.
Learn the basic ladder frame construction with side rails, cross members, and mounting provisions; see how engine, suspension, body mounts, and fuel-tank brackets attach as the vehicle foundation.
Identify four primary chassis frame design considerations: mounting and packaging of systems, design for manufacturing, durability and crash absorption. Explore how vehicle dynamics are affected by frame stiffness.
Explore a step-by-step ladder frame design methodology from concept to production, building concepts, system layouts, and detailed manufacturing-ready designs with mounting provisions for engine, transmission, suspension, and fuel tank.
Prioritize stiffness and rigidity in the full frame, including bending stiffness and local bracket stiffness, while incorporating durability under powertrain, road, and body loads, and packaging-friendly serviceable mounting provisions.
Explore bending stiffness in vehicle frames, modeled as a 3D frame with center load on a simply supported beam, and learn how deflection under load defines rigidity and durability.
Explore torsional stiffness as a measure of frame rigidity, computed from load divided by the twist angle under opposing wheel loads, and its impact on off-road performance and durability.
Explore methods to increase bending and torsional stiffness in sheet metal chassis frames, including section height, cross members, and joinery, while balancing weight and packaging trade-offs.
Design the chassis mid-section to meet the target bending stiffness using the simply supported beam deflection formula; choose a hollow rectangular cross-section to reach the required moment of inertia.
Explore design for durability and fatigue in sheet metal chassis frames by locating stress concentrations, distributing loads, and applying liberal fillets and smooth transitions for lightweight strength.
Design the frame from vehicle specifications by defining wheel track, wheelbase, and overhang limits, suspension travel, and payload. Establish a CAD coordinate system to size frame members and brackets.
Set wheel coordinates and establish the wheel base and ground plane to define the chassis frame in Fusion 360, then derive the side member dimensions from precise coordinates and sections.
Designs spring dome and upper control arm mounting brackets for a chassis frame using Fusion 360, extracting surfaces, creating offset planes, locating pivot points, sketching profiles, extruding, and joining features.
Design and assemble the chassis frame in Fusion 360 by creating flat radii, sketching the spring dome, and lofting surfaces. Align shock absorber mounting with proper clearance and preload considerations.
Create offset planes, split the body, and loft edges to form a smooth spring dome and upper control arm mounting with proper clearance and robust brackets.
Design the spring dome and upper control arm mounting by converting surfaces into solids, trimming bodies, and adding holes and mounting provisions for the shock absorber in Fusion 360.
Design a front lca cross member in Fusion 360, applying offset planes, sketches, lofts, fillets, and flanges to prepare for sheet metal stamping with two halves overlapped for welding.
Plan two phases, split body, trim sections, and create planes to form a flange for front LCA cross member. Sketch, sweep, stitch, adjust overlaps, and set thickness to 2.4.
Design a front lca bracket by sketching and lofting profiles to mount on cross member. Offset and stitch surfaces, extrude edges, trim, and add relief and fillets for assembly clearance.
Design and refine the front LCA bracket part 2 for a sheet metal chassis frame in Fusion 360, detailing sketches, trims, fillets, cutouts, midplane splitting, sweeps, and holes.
Design rear control pivot brackets in Fusion 360 by planning, sketching on a plane, applying dimensions and offsets, then create patches, cutouts, trims, and fillets for clearance and articulation relief.
Extract the site member surface with offset, trim the interior, and hide the body to reveal the skin, then center profiles and extrude to create sheet metal parts.
Design a chassis engine mount bracket for hydro hydraulic mount. Sketch on the mounting plane, form cylindrical profiles for two mounting points, and loft to create a reinforced bracket.
Use construction planes, sketches, extrudes, and lofts to shape the engine mount bracket, then patch and offset edges to integrate with the chassis frame.
Design the transmission crossmember attachment bracket by offsetting the top surface, extruding the profile, and creating sketches to loft, trim, and add a flange for attachment to the side member.
Design the center fuel tank cross member in Fusion 360 for sheet metal stamping, planning, sketching, lofting, and trimming to ensure proper clearance and bracket mounting.
Design and reinforce a fuel tank cross member in Fusion 360 by extracting the inner surface, creating mounting faces, intersecting geometry, applying patches, and adding thickness for rigid chassis support.
Learn to design a fuel tank rear cross member and mounting bracket in Fusion 360, including sketching, extruding, lofting, trimming, filleting, and arranging parts for assembly.
Duplicate the bracket, measure hole-to-hole distance, move by 146.444 units to place it, create a copy, yielding two brackets, and prepare for the front mounting of the fuel tank.
Design a fuel tank front cross member and bracket in Fusion 360, establishing center-plane sketches, offsets, and lofted profiles to ensure flush mounting and proper clearance.
Design a bracket for the rear trailing link in Fusion 360, detailing sketching, projection, lofting, mirroring, stitching, trimming, and fillets to form a stampable chassis component.
Design a rear upper link mount bracket for chassis frame in Fusion 360, using offset planes, sketches and patches, lofts and fillets, then split the body for a welded assembly.
Design a rear coil spring mounting bracket by constructing concentric circles, projecting outer geometry, and using sketch, extrude, trim, loft, stitch, and fillet operations to integrate with the cross member.
Design the bottom outriggers for the chassis frame in Fusion 360 by sketching the mounting face, concentric circles, and nine-degree extrudes to form the body brackets.
Design a body mount outrigger bracket for a chassis frame in Fusion 360 by sketching profiles, lofting between three planes, sweeping features, and trimming and joining to form the bracket.
design the third outrigger by sketching mounting faces, creating a mounting circle, and sweeping and lofting along the periphery, then patch, trim, and join bodies to finalize a welded bracket.
Design the bottom bracket and rear cross member for the outrigger in Fusion 360, using a 2.6 offset plan, sketches, extrusion, joining, and mirroring to integrate the chassis frame.
This is a project based course which takes you through the complete design process of a full chassis Frame for a SUV vehicle.
Section 1 consists of an introduction to some basic concepts related to chassis design and the design methodology associated with design of chassis frame in a vehicle development project
Topics covered :
Vehicle construction - Body on frame vs monocoque (Unibody) construction
Construction of a typical ladder frame
Design considerations
Design methodology from concept to detail design
primary design criteria which govern initial design
What is Bending stiffness ? how is it measured and its practical importance
What is torsional stiffness ? how is it measured and its practical importance
How to improve stiffness locally with examples
Design for durability and a logical process to follow with examples
Converting vehicle specifications to Design specifications
Developing the dimensions for side members
Design Workflow of front suspension mounting cluster
Design Workflow of Powertrain mounting cluster
Design Workflow of Fuel tank mounting cluster
Design Workflow of Rear suspension mount cluster
Design workflow of Body mounting cluster
A deep dive into the world of chassis design with sheet metal components
Input files are provided which can be used to develop your own designs following the workflows.
The course is a one of a kind practical course which details the intricacies of design along with covering the holistic implications of various aspects .