Wheelbase - what is it in a car?

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

There are many technical parameters in the car - engine size, trunk capacity, ground clearance. Also one of the parameters is the wheelbase. Beginners often ask themselves the question - what is it, and why is this base needed? Today we will try to answer this question.

Characteristic

So let's start with the definition itself. Wheelbase is the distance between the center of the rear and front axles of a vehicle. In other words, this is the center length of the car. There are different wheelbase widths. Distinguish between long and short wheelbase vehicles. They have different characteristics of control, maneuverability, cross-country ability, etc.

Some novice car owners confuse this term with ground clearance. However, the latter means ground clearance. This is the distance between the lowest point of the vehicle and the road surface. Values rarely exceed 20 centimeters (except for off-road vehicles). The size of the wheelbase starts from two meters. And the larger the car, the greater this parameter.

Classes

Surely youheard that each machine belongs to its class. The last one is in alphabetical order. What influences whether a car belongs to a particular segment? It's the wheelbase that matters. These can be cars of the following classes:

• A is the smallest segment. The distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels does not exceed 2400 millimeters.
• B - wheelbase (mm) is between 2400 and 2500.
• С - from 2580 to 2750.
• D is business class. The wheelbase is 2850 mm.
• E - no less than D, but no more than 2950 millimeters.

Distance may vary depending on bodywork. The longer it is, the higher the class. Accordingly, the cost of the car also changes.

Resizable

In the 70s of the last century, American manufacturers practiced a variable base parameter. The figure depended on the arrangement of the chassis. So, the suspension of cars was built on trailing arms. Often they were installed at the back. The front wheels were fixed in terms of expansion. So, depending on the load, there was an expansion of the wheelbase or its narrowing. Now this design is used only on commercial vehicles.

Some French-made cars had uneven wheelbases. This meant that the front side was narrower than the back by a few centimeters. At Renault 16, this parameter was 6.5 centimeters. Do not confuse an uneven base with different-wide disks. The latter are installed for the purpose of aesthetics. In the standard, all parameters remain

Long wheelbase

These are representative cars, as well as SUVs. What are the advantages of such cars?

Long base - the key to comfort, especially for rear passengers. The higher the setting, the more space in the cabin. On frame SUVs, thanks to the long base, they can fit up to seven passengers (in three rows). But free space is not the only plus of this design. Due to the long body, the car swallows holes and other irregularities better. On the track, such a car is more stable, has better weight distribution and easier to enter turns.

Recently, more and more manufacturers began to equip their long-wheelbase cars with front-wheel drive. And there are reasons for that. After all, laying a long cardan through the entire cabin is quite difficult. Plus, it noticeably hides free space. The tunnel creates an uneven floor.

Short base

This segment includes all cars A, B and C-class. Surprisingly, they are more popular and common than their long wheelbase counterparts. What are the benefits? First of all, it is maneuverability. Short-wheelbase cars respond better to the steering wheel, which gives confident handling in densely populated cities. Another plus is the permeability. Such machines are characterized by short overhangs, due to which they take a higher angle of ascent. Not always a short base - it's only cars. This segment also includes crossovers (for example, Opel Mokka).

The car has high ground clearance and handling. And all-wheel drive modifications are able to give odds to long-wheelbase frame SUVs. But many still cannot choose what class it is better to buy a car.

Which is better - long or short base?

There is no definite answer to this question. Both types of cars have both pros and cons. Consider first long wheelbase cars. Their main advantage is the availability of free space in the cabin. Also, the owners note a roomy trunk, especially on station wagons in this segment. The car holds the road perfectly on the track, enters the turns like a glove. But some manufacturers still use a rear-wheel drive layout, which is why the cost of such cars immediately rises by 30 percent. This is one of the significant drawbacks of the D- and E-class.

Also, these cars are difficult to go off-road. On the primer, you can easily sit on your belly. And if you manage to overcome the obstacle, then there is a risk of hooking the front or rear bumper due to long overhangs. It makes no sense to buy frame SUVs with the goal of going out of town once a month.

Now let's move on to short wheelbase cars. They cost an order of magnitude cheaper than their long counterparts. These cars also handle better. Another significant plus is compactness (especially for big cities). Finding a parking space for such a car will not be a problem. Also, you can easily drive through the narrow streets. Off-road, it is the short wheelbase that wins. VAZ "Niva", for example,has been considered the best budget off-road car for decades.

Among the shortcomings - a small capacity of the trunk and the lack of free space in the cabin. However, some cars are arranged in such a way that a 2-meter passenger (a Mercedes C-class, for example) fits inside without problems.

But on the track, this car behaves "loose" than the E- or S-class. More than 150 kilometers per hour on such a car will not work, because it is uncomfortable.

Dependence of gauge and base

Today, manufacturers have adopted certain standards for the ratio of these two parameters. So, ideally, this figure is 1.6-1.8. For example, take the popular Japanese Toyota Camry sedan. The track is 1565 millimeters, the wheelbase is 2775. Divide the base by the track and get a figure of 1.77. It is this parameter that is the key to the correct ratio of driving comfort and handling characteristics. For trucks, tractors always use a short base.

This allows for the best maneuverability and weight distribution when towing a semi-trailer. But in general, on trucks, the base-to-track ratio also does not exceed 1.8. On dump trucks, on the contrary, a long base is a priority. This makes it possible to ensure high smoothness of movement when loading the body. The load on each of the axles is also taken into account.