Frame (vehicle) facts for kids
A vehicle frame, is the main structural element of a motor vehicle. All other components are connected to the frame. Another term for this design is body-on-frame construction. A vehicle's frame is part of the chassis.
The first motor vehicles were almost all built on a frame. Since then, nearly all cars have changed to unibody construction (see below). The last UK mass-produced car with a chassis was the Triumph Herald, which was discontinued in 1971. By contrast, today nearly all trucks and buses still use chassis frames.
Contents
Types
Ladder Frame
Named because it resembles a ladder, the ladder frame is the simplest and oldest of all designs. It has two rails, or beams, and crossmembers connecting them. Most manufacturers stopped using them on cars around the 1940s. They are now seen mainly on trucks.
Unibody
In a unibody (also unit body) design, the sheet metal of the body is also the frame. It may use subframes in certain areas. Unibody designs first appeared in the 1930s on some Citroën automobiles. Many modern vehicles use unibody construction including cars, minivans and crossovers. A few SUVs use unibody construction. An example is the Dodge Durango.
Images for kids
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Ladder frame pickup truck chassis holds the vehicle's engine, drivetrain, suspension, and wheels
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The unibody - for unitized body - is also a form of frame. Shown, a Proton Prevé
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A vehicle's bare ladder frame
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Pickup truck frame. Notice hat-shaped crossmember in the background, c-shape rails and cross member in center, and a slight arc over the axle.
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High-performance custom frame, using boxed rails and tube sections
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Ladder chassis with diagonal cross-bracing and lightening holes
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Backbone chassis of the 1962 Lotus Elan
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Rolling X-frame chassis
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Bertone FW11 prototype with perimeter frame
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Jaguar C-Type frame
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The Lamborghini Aventador has a carbon fibre central monocoque, with front and rear steel subframes, mounting the mechanicals
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