Car Wheel Statics: Calculating Radial Force at 1m

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the radial force on a car wheel bearing located 1 meter from the engine's center. The user correctly identifies that the engine weight can be split and multiplied by the distance to yield a torque value of 250 kg·m. This torque is then converted to force by multiplying by the gravitational constant (9.81 N), resulting in a force of 2.452 kN. The conversation emphasizes the importance of understanding torque and the role of free body diagrams in visualizing external forces acting on the system.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of statics and equilibrium in mechanical systems
  • Knowledge of torque calculations and their implications
  • Familiarity with free body diagrams for analyzing forces
  • Basic principles of force conversion from mass to weight (using gravitational constant)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the principles of torque and its applications in mechanical systems
  • Learn how to create and interpret free body diagrams for complex structures
  • Explore the calculations involved in converting mass to force using gravitational acceleration
  • Investigate the effects of external forces on static equilibrium in engineering contexts
USEFUL FOR

Mechanical engineers, physics students, and anyone involved in automotive design or analysis who seeks to understand the forces acting on car wheel bearings and the principles of statics.

Mechaman
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Homework Statement


http://imgur.com/a/IYbP1
A Car sitting on a frame with an attached bar pressing down on the hinged section (Orange). A hinged section coming off the frame with a wheel attached (Blue)

How to calculate the radial force on the wheel bearing at 1m away from centre of engine?

Homework Equations


Statics, sum of the directions.

The Attempt at a Solution


I have split the engine weight into 2 and multiplied by the distance 1m to get 250kg.m

If I multiply 250kg by 9.81N I get 2.452kN of force.
I'm negating the bar pushing down because that will be set equal to the Fxd at that location, so I can ignore that for the wheel location?

How is 250kgm equal to 250kg even though it's 1m away? How do I convert this properly to get a force?
 
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Mechaman said:
and multiplied by the distance 1m to get 250kg.m

Can you explain why you calculated the torque? The torque would be trying to bend the frame and would be resisted by equal internal forces.

How about drawing a free body diagram just showing all the external forces?
 

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