body and chassis...

[USJ27Resident]

Would like to know...

1. What is a platform with regard to passenger vehicle ?

2. Waja used the Volvo S40 platform, what does this mean ?

The "platform" :p is the chassis.... where the wheels and engine sits... and the body is bolted to...

Was told that the Waja 'chassis' was actually acquired from Mitsubishi when Mitsubishi pulled out from their JV with Volvo... Proton took it and with their Lotus connections, improved on the road handling & holding... that is about the only best thing about the Waja. The rest is cosmetics and facelifts after facelifts.

And oh, the never-ending story about the power windows. That one - you have remove the door panel and see for yourself. The window motor (mechanism) sits on a 3 legged PLASTIC moulding that everytime you UP and DOWN your electric windows, the winding action puts tremendous pressure on these 3 plastic "legs" which eventually WILL SNAP or BREAK. The motor is actually fine.. but once the mounting breaks - it fouls up the cabling system and you end up buying a new internal frame/mounting with new motor for the window. THAT IS WHY you'd probably see ONLY Proton (esp the WAJA) drivers open their door at toll booths instead of their windows!:p

[Rhiga]

The "platform" :p is the chassis.... where the wheels and engine sits... and the body is bolted to...

Was told that the Waja 'chassis' was actually acquired from Mitsubishi when Mitsubishi pulled out from their JV with Volvo... Proton took it and with their Lotus connections, improved on the road handling & holding... that is about the only best thing about the Waja. The rest is cosmetics and facelifts after facelifts.



Thanks Bro.,

For passenger vehicle, there is no chassis.

The chassis for passenger vehicle is an integral part of the body and it is called monocoque design or to be more precise a body-frame integral design. Some super sports car is a true monocoque in which the whole vehicle body is one piece.

Chassis is for commercial vehicle like bus and truck where the vehicle body is mounted onto the chassis later.
This mean the OEM only sell the vehicle chassis with engine, without the body. You may have seen such weird "chassis" travelling on road before.

I think "platform" have something to do with the dimesional jigs for the maufacturing process but I am not sure...

I am asking a technical question, hence have different expectation of the answer.

Cheers

[kwchang]

...Chassis is for commercial vehicle like bus and truck where the vehicle body is mounted onto the chassis later... If I am not wrong, my Toyota Innova is built around a chassis.... like a mini lorry. hahah, trust the Indonesians with their Kijang design :heheheh:

[Rhiga]

If I am not wrong, my Toyota Innova is built around a chassis.... like a mini lorry. hahah, trust the Indonesians with their Kijang design :heheheh:

If this is the case, i.e the Innova has an independant chassis..

You will only get the chassis plus the engine from Toyota... then you have to send your Innova to a body-builder in Balakong or Senawang to build the vehicle body, install the seats, etc, etc all by yourself....:p

[kwchang]

... then you have to send your Innova to a body-builder in Balakong or Senawang to build the vehicle body, install the seats, etc, etc all by yourself.... heeheeehe, I would have loved that and end up with all the fancy looking vans they have in Indonesia, some of them absolutely luxurious... hey, SiangMalam, is that the case still over at the archipelago? When I had the good fortune to do a course there in Java many years ago, I was admiring their love for their customised vans... ;)

[Henry T]

There is a good explanation here on automotive platform: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_platform

:)

[Rhiga]

There is a good explanation here on automotive platform: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_platform

:)

Thanks.

It is indeed a very good write-up on automotive platform . :)