What is a car chassis? Types of chassis frames explained!

Unless you are a car enthusiast, you might not know the technical nuances of a car. But knowing about them can help you understand the actual potential and limits of a car you want to buy. Car chassis is one of the important technicalities of a car. This article explains different types of chassis in cars and how it impacts the performance of a vehicle.

What is chassis in a car?

The chassis or frame is the main support component in a car’s structure. It bears the forces experienced by a car while it’s standing still or moving at high speeds.

A vehicle chassis is like a human skeleton. It provides the structural shape and support to the entire body of a vehicle. The role of this structure is to keep the car intact while experiencing the forces of driving, turning, braking, etc. Some of the key functions of a car chassis are mentioned below.

Functions of an automobile chassis

• It supports and handles the car’s load.

• It provides mounting locations and spaces for multiple parts of a car.

• It withstands and supports the added pressure of the luggage and passengers in a car.

• It manages the stresses on the vehicle while driving in rough road conditions.

• It manages the stresses on the vehicle during acceleration and braking.

While the basic functions of a vehicle chassis remain the same, not every vehicle is manufactured with the same type of chassis. The form varies based on the type and purpose of a vehicle.

Also, read: How to Find Chassis Number, VIN and Engine Number of Your Car?

How many types of chassis frames are there?

Based on the application, the following are the major types of chassis in cars.

1. Monocoque chassis

2. Ladder chassis

3. Backbone chassis

4. Tubular chassis

We have explained all four types of automobile chassis in detail in the following sections.

What is a monocoque chassis?

Monocoque is one of the most commonly used chassis frames in cars nowadays. It is a single-body structure that constitutes all mechanical parts and other components.

Thus, components like the exterior panels, seats, suspension, engine and gearbox remain attached to the frame construction. It allows the overall vehicle construction to stay compact and lightweight. This is why a monocoque chassis is popularly used in compact and small hatchbacks. 

A monocoque vehicle chassis is also considered highly safe, which makes it a suitable choice for the construction of modern compact SUVs (Sport Utility Vehicles).

Advantages of monocoque chassis

• Compact and lightweight structure makes a monocoque chassis perfect for small vehicle construction.

• Due to a single-shell structure, the chassis can easily manage dynamic forces and maintain stability while taking turns.

• The cage-like design adds to the safety of the car as well as the passengers.

• The lightweight construction helps to create budget-friendly cars with high fuel efficiency. 

Disadvantages of monocoque chassis

• The single-body structure makes a monocoque chassis stiff, which reduces the off-roading abilities of the car.

• The single-shell structure makes it difficult to repair if required.

Monocoque chassis cars in India

Here are a few models that have monocoque frame car chassis.

What is a ladder-on-frame chassis?

The body on a frame or ladder frame chassis is heavily used in the manufacturing of SUVs, especially the SUVs that are supposed to have off-roading capabilities.

This type of chassis contains two heavy beams supported by smaller ones. The cabin and chassis are constructed separately and attached later. The frame provides a layer of protection between the cabin and the road, enabling enhanced off-roading capabilities. 

Advantages of a ladder-on-frame chassis

• A ladder frame is quite easy to assemble.

• Separate constructions of chassis and cabin make ladder frames useful for different kinds of car bodies.

• This chassis is highly flexible and agile, which gives better off-roading capabilities to the car.

• The separation between the road and cabin due to this frame provides a quieter and more comfortable driving experience. 

Disadvantages of a body-on-frame chassis

• The increased height of the car’s structure requires more effort and attention while driving.

• The heavy components of this automobile chassis are not suitable for hatchbacks or sports cars.  

Ladder frame chassis cars in India

Here are a few models that have ladder frame car chassis.

Body-on-frame vs monocoque chassis

In a nutshell, here is how a ladder frame and monocoque vehicle chassis differ from each other.

What is a backbone chassis?

The name ‘Backbone chassis’ reflects the shape of this frame. It contains a rectangular hollow cross-section with a cylindrical tube that passes through it to connect the rear and front suspension. This creates a human spine-like structure, giving it the name backbone chassis. 

Advantages of backbone chassis

• This frame structure provides better connectivity between the axles and the ground.

• The car with this chassis gets more stability than other chassis options.

• While off-roading, this frame can handle the hits to the ground quite effectively.

• The rigidity allows it to withstand twists better than a ladder frame.

Disadvantages of backbone chassis

• The cylindrical tube covers the driveshaft, so the repair requires opening the whole backbone.

• Due to high manufacturing costs, the backbone chassis adds to the price of a car. 

What is a tubular chassis?

This type of chassis is mostly used while manufacturing racing cars due to the enhanced safety they offer. It creates a three-dimensional cage-like structure. The entire vehicle is designed around this chassis. The frame contains tubular pipes, hence, it is called a tubular chassis. 

Advantages of tubular chassis

• It offers higher rigidity than other frames with similar weight.

• The balanced rigidity-and-weight ratio of this chassis allows the cars to be strong and lightweight at the same time.

Disadvantages of tubular chassis

• Tubular frame designs are complicated and can’t be created using conventional methods.

• Mass production of this chassis is not possible, hence the construction takes a lot of time.

• It is not feasible for manufacturers to create passenger cars with this type of chassis.

• The design of this chassis increases the height of the floor, making cabin access a bit difficult. 

Frequently asked questions

Below are the frequently asked questions related to different types of chassis.

How is a chassis different from the frame?

The chassis is the foundational base on which the body of a vehicle is designed. On the other hand, the frame of a car serves as the main structure of the chassis, which is used to fasten all the components of the vehicle’s body.

What is the meaning of rolling chassis?

A rolling chassis is a chassis that does not have the bodywork yet but contains the drivetrain and engine. This chassis works as a base structure used while manufacturing a vehicle.

Which material is used to make the car chassis?

Typically, a car chassis is manufactured with carbon steel. However, some types of chassis are manufactured with aluminium alloys in order to obtain a more lightweight structure. Aluminium is known for its properties like low density, high strength, high corrosion resistance, great machining behaviour, and excellent thermal conductivity. These properties make aluminium alloys a suitable choice for chassis construction.

What does a reinforced chassis mean?

Different types of chassis can be reinforced to obtain a stronger than the default structure. It is done by replacing the usual material of a chassis with a stronger option. This helps to increase the rigidity of a chassis more than its typical construction.

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