Performance Comparison of Rims of Wheels with Different Materials based on Finite Element Method

Abstract

In view of the phenomenon of wheel sway, tire burst and steel shortage in process of high-speed driving, this paper aims at analysis the changes of wheel force and displacement under different materials. Wheel rim is the main load-bearing part of the vehicle in process of high-speed driving, the wheel rim will be affected by the axial and radial loads, thus bend and twist deformation of the rim will be produced, in order to select the high performance material of wheel rim. Based on simulation software of Solid Works, the wheel rim of BMW3’s wheel was selected, aluminum alloy (Al) and magnesium alloy (Mg) materials were selected for the rim material, and the changes of the force and displacement of the rim which using three materials were compared and analyzed. From the result of radial loading test, the maximum stress of Al and Mg is 64.09Mpa and 64.11Mpa, the maximum displacement is 0.578mm and 0.89mm, which developed at the inner bead seat. And from the result of bending test, the maximum stress of Al and Mg is 78.68Mpa and 78.39Mpa, the maximum displacement is 1.358mm and 1.533mm. If considering the influence of radial loading test, Al has advantages, while in bending test, the stress of Al is bigger than that of Mg, and the displacement of Al is smaller than that of Mg.