Floor pan
The floor pan is the lower part of a self-supporting body (sometimes referred to as the body in white ). It carries the fixation points for the axles , the chassis components, the exhaust system and / or the drive train .
The counterpart to a non-self-supporting body is called a chassis , chassis or frame.
There are also special cases, e.g. B. the VW Beetle . In the models with a short front section (1200, 1300 and 1500), the body was only bolted to the floor pan and had no load-bearing function. Numerous companies used this to assemble their own structures made of sheet steel , wood or fiberglass-reinforced plastic . The so-called “ Superbeetle ”, Beetles with a long front end (1302 and 1303), had a load-bearing body. Here, the MacPherson strut - front axle supported itself on the top of the body .
There is a smooth transition to what extent two or more cars are the same or consist of the same components. Typical levels are:
- Identical design - brand logo, radiator grille and possibly headlights are different (see badge engineering )
- Same floor pan - the lower part of the self-supporting body is the same.
- Same platform - different bodies with the same fixation points so that the wheel suspension, engine, transmission, etc. can be exchanged (see platform (automobile) ).
literature
- Max Bohner, Richard Fischer, Rolf Gscheidle et al. : Expertise in automotive engineering. Verlag Europa-Lehrmittel , 30th edition, 2013, ISBN 3808522402