Front apron
The front apron is that part in the front region of a passenger car - body , which is located directly beneath the hood. It is so large and stable that it also takes on the function of shock absorption . Older models have a bumper as a separate component between the bonnet and front apron .
Similar to the front apron, cars also have a rear apron at the rear .
In earlier decades, the front and rear aprons were made of painted sheet steel and, because they were located in the splash area of the wheels, were part of the body parts susceptible to rust on many models . Only in the course of the 1980s and 1990s did manufacturers switch to making aprons out of plastics . From the VW Golf II , for example , you can still see significantly more specimens with sheet metal aprons than with plastic aprons today (as of 2010), as the conversion to plastic did not take place until around 1990, i.e. shortly before the end of this model generation.
Openings for the entry of cooling air are usually integrated in the front apron. Fog lights can also be installed there. Front aprons usually also have an integrated front spoiler . The air flow under the vehicle is significantly influenced by the front apron, which is why the apron is one of the most important parts for the aerodynamic design.
In the case of railway vehicles , too , the component below the bumper is called the front apron .
literature
- Jan drum mans: The car and its technology. 1st edition, Motorbuchverlag, Stuttgart, 1992, ISBN 3-613-01288-X