The Automotive Chassis Volume 1: Components Design

This textbook draws on the authors’ experience gained by teaching courses 

for engineering students on e.g. vehicle mechanics, vehicle system design, and chassis 

design; and on their practical experience as engineering designers for vehicle and 

chassis components at a major automotive company.

The book is primarily intended for students of automotive engineering, but also for all 

technicians and designers working in this field. Other enthusiastic engineers will also 

find it to be a useful technical guide.

The present volume (The Automotive Chassis – Volume 1: Component Design) focuses 

on automotive chassis components, such as:

• the structure, which is usually a ladder framework and supports all 

the remaining components of the vehicle;

• the suspension for the mechanical linkage of the wheels;

• the wheels and tires;

• the steering system;

• the brake system; and

• the transmission system, used to apply engine torque to the driving wheels.

This thoroughly revised and updated second edition presents recent developments, 

particularly in brake, steering, suspension and transmission subsystems. Special 

emphasis is given to modern control systems and control strategies.

Giancarlo Genta received his degree in aeronautical engineering (1970) and in aerospace engineering (1971) from the Politecnico di Torino. He started his professional career at the Politecnico di Torino as Assistant of Machine Design and Technologies. In 1983 he was appointed Associate Professor of Aeronautical Engines Design at the Aerospace Engineering School of the Politecnico di Torino; in 1990, he was appointed full professor of the same course. From 1989 to 1995, he served as Director of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Politecnico di Torino. He hold the course of Applied Stress Analysis - II for the joined Master of Science University of Illinois/Politecnico di Torino, at the Politecnico di Torino. He served as a lecturer in the frame of cooperation projects with developing countries, such as in Kenya (2 years), Somalia (6 months), India (1 month) and at the Bureau International du Travail. Since 1996 and 1999, respectively, he has been corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Turin and the International Academy of Astronautics; he was elected full member of the latter in 2006. Since 1997 he has been coordinating the Research Doctorate in Mechatronics at Politecnico di Torino. He has been active in research in the field of Machine Design, with a focus on static and dynamic structural analysis. He is author of more than 270 scientific publications, covering many aspects of mechanical design. He is the author of 25 scientific books and 3 science fiction novels.

Lorenzo Morello received his degree on Mechanical Automotive Engineering in 1968 from the Politecnico of Torino. He started his professional career at the Politecnico as an Assistant of Machine Design and Technologies. In 1971 he moved to FIAT, and contributed to the development of some cars and of experimental prototypes for the ESV US Program. He also developed some mathematical model for vehicle suspension androad holding simulation. In 1977, he was appointed manager of the Vehicle Research Unit at FIAT, where he lead the development of many prototypes, such as a urban bus with unitized thin steel sheet body and spot welded joints and a hybrid car. In 1980 he was appointed manager of the Engines Research Unit in the same company. In 1983, he was appointed Director of Products Development. His Division of about 400 people was carrying out power train, chassis and bodies studies, as well as prototype construction. He then joined Fiat Auto and lead to the development of some new car petrol engines and the direct injection diesel (the first in the world for automobile application). He was appointed Director for Power Train Engineering in 1987. In 1994, he was appointed Director of Vehicle Engineering at Fiat, and guided the design and testing of bodies, chassis components, electric and electronic systems, wind tunnels, safety center and other facilities. Upon his retirement in 1999, he became consultant of strategic planning at Elasis. Together with the Fiat Research Center, Lorenzo Morello contributed to the planning of some courses at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering of the Politecnico di Torino. He served as contract professor of Vehicle System Design and of Automotive Transmissions Design at both the Politecnico di Torino and the University of Naples. He coauthored The Automotive Body, published by Springer in 2011 (ISBN 978-94-007-0515-9).