System under chassis

The term "chassis" is used to designate the complete car minus the body. The
chassis therefore consists of the engine, power-transmission system, and
suspension system all suitably attached to, or suspended from, a structurally
independent frame. Although this construction is widely used, an almost equal
number of automobile makers employ a design in which the frame and body are
welded together to form an integral unit.

Chasis consists of an internal vehicle frame that supports an artificial object in its
construction and use, can also provide protection for some internal parts. An
example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame
(on which the body is mounted). If the running gear such as wheels and
transmission, and sometimes even the driver's seat, are included, then the
assembly is described as a rolling chassis.

Power-Transmission system
The mechanism that transmits the power developed by the engine of automobile
to the engine to the driving wheels is called the TRANSMISSION SYSTEM (or
POWER TRAIN).
Transmission system Provide means of connection and disconnection of engine
with rest of power train without shock and smoothly. Provide a varied leverage
between the engine and the drive wheels Provide means to transfer power in
opposite direction. Enable power transmission at varied angles and varied
lengths. Enable speed reduction between engine and the drive wheels in the ratio
of 5:1. Enable diversion of power flow at right angles. Provide means to drive the
driving wheels at different speeds when required. Bear the effect of torque
reaction , driving thrust and braking effort effectively.

Suspension system
Any system used in vehicle to reduce road shocks and vibration. Springs, shock
absorber torsion bar etc. are components of suspension system. Suspension
system also provide the vehicle stability in running condition.
The main work of suspension system is to isolate the vehicle and the passenger to
the road shock and vibration so that the passengers will enjoy a comfortable ride.

Front Suspension
The front wheels of most passenger cars are independently suspended from the
frame. Independent suspension reduces the front-end vibration associated with
the rigid front axle that formerly was used, and it also improves vehicle riding and
handling qualities. The movement of each front wheel is, within the limitations
discussed below, completely unaffected by the movements of the other.

Rear Suspension
Although a few American cars feature independent, or swing-axle, rear-wheel
suspension, the majority use a fixed rear axle suspended from either laminated
(layered) leaf springs or a coil-springs-trailing control-arm arrangement.
Whichever suspension system is used, it must be designed not only to absorb
road shocks but also to provide a means for absorbing the torque reactions
resulting from driving and braking.

Shock Absorbers
The shock absorber is a hydraulic damping device that controls the oscillations of
the springs and prevents their being excessively compressed or expanded. Most
commonly used is the direct-acting type, involving a double-acting piston-and-
cylinder arrangement. Rear shock absorbers are installed between the axle
housing and the frame; front shock absorbers usually are mounted inside the coil
springs between the lower control arm and the frame.

Brakes
All American automobiles are equipped with two independent brake systems: 4-
wheel hydraulic service brakes operated by a pedal and mechanical parking
brakes usually operated by a lever. In some older cars the parking brake consists
of a brake-drum-and-band arrangement mounted on the propeller shaft directly
behind the transmission. More commonly, however, the parking-brake system
consists of steel cables and linkage that mechanically actuate only the rear-wheel
service-brake shoes. By incorporating a positive mechanical lock, most automatic
transmissions provide what is, in effect, another parking brake. Its engagement is
controlled manually through the transmission-selector lever.

Wheels and Tires

The automobile wheel has progressed from the original wooden-rim-and-wire-
spokes affair borrowed from the bicycle to the present all-steel safety wheel
designed specifically for automotive applications. Made of two steel stampings
welded together, the modern wheel combines great strength with relatively light
weight. Most compact cars are equipped with 13-inch-diameter wheels (33 cm);
all other American cars use either 14- or 15-inch wheels (36 or 38 cm).

Tires also have undergone some radical changes over the years. For example,
pressure has dropped from the 65 pounds per square inch used in early tires to
the 24 pounds per square inch now commonly recommended for low-profile tires.
The tubeless tire, introduced in 1955 and now standard equipment, has added
considerably to automotive safety.

Steering Gear
Through a suitable mechanism and connecting linkage, the steering gear permits
the driver to control the vehicle's direction of travel by simultaneously changing
the angle of both front wheels. Rotary motion applied to the steering wheel rim is
transferred via a steel shaft to a lubricant-filled steering mechanism bolted to the
frame of the vehicle. Here it is translated into the lateral movement required to
position the steering-wheel linkage.
Manual and Automatic Clutches
To understand the difference between how a manual and automatic transmission
operate the clutch, it’s important to understand what the clutch is and how it
works. A clutch is made of up a flywheel and clutch plate that connect the engine
and the transmission respectively and works due to the friction between the two.
When the clutch is not engaged, springs push a pressure plate against the clutch
disc on the engine side which then puts pressure against the flywheel. The result
is an equal spinning speed for both the engine and transmission input shaft. To
make a vehicle stop with stopping the engine, the wheels need to stop separately
from the engine. Therefore the clutch is required, to be able to rotate the wheels
at a different speed than the engine.

Manual Transmissions and Clutches

With a manual transmission, when your foot presses the clutch pedal, there is a
cable that pushes on the release fork and presses a bearing in the middle of the
diaphragm spring. What this does is pull the pressure plate away from the clutch
disc, releasing the clutch from the engine and allowing the wheels to spin at a
different speed.

Automatic Transmissions and Clutches

When it comes to an automatic transmission, there is more than one clutch. The
different clutches are used to engage and disengage various planetary gears
powered by hydraulic fluid. This is different from the manual transmission, which
relies on the clutch pedal. The level of pressure associated with the fluid
determines which clutches are engaged using that same spring concept from the
manual transmission. The clutches are locked using evenly spaced ridges that lock
into the gears and clutch housing.

Parts and functions

Hydraulic automatic transmissions

The predominant form of automatic transmission is hydraulically operated; using
a fluid coupling or torque converter, and a set of planetary gearsets to provide a
range of gear ratios.

Torque converter
A type of fluid coupling, hydraulically connecting the engine to the transmission.
This takes the place of a friction clutch in a manual transmission.[7] It transmits
and decouples the engine power to the planetary gears, allowing the vehicle to
come to stop with the engine still running without stalling.[6]

Planetary gears train

Consisting of planetary gear sets as well as clutches and bands. These are the
mechanical systems that provide the various gear ratios, altering the speed of
rotation of the output shaft depending on which planetary gears are locked.[8]

Hydraulic controls
Uses special transmission fluid sent under pressure by an oil pump to control
various clutches and bands modifying the speed of the output depending on the
vehicle's running condition.[6][8]

E-CVT
Main article: Hybrid Synergy Drive
Some hybrid vehicles, notably those of Toyota, Lexus and Ford Motor Company,
have an electronically controlled CVT (E-CVT). In this system, the transmission has
fixed gears, but the ratio of wheel-speed to engine-speed can be continuously
varied by controlling the speed of the third input to a differential using motor-
generators.