W

 

 

WANDER

Reference to steering where vehicle moves or rambles from a fixed course without control.

 

WARNING LIGHT

A red light mounted in the instrument cluster indicating ACRS system readiness or malfunction.

 

WARNING SYSTEM

The lamp and buzzer used in conjunction with the ignition interlock.

 

WASHOUT

Violent stop signal made by waving both arms in a downward circle or by swinging lamp in wide, low semi circle across the track by night.

 

WASTE MOLD

A negative mold destroyed or wasted in freeing the positive cast.

 

WASTEGATE

Louvers or textured grille that permits the exhausting of air. Can be either function or merely ornamental.

 

WATT

Unit of electrical measurement of power.

 

WAYBILL

A document prepared at the point of origin of a shipment, showing the point of origin, destination, route, consignor, consignee, description of shipment and amount charges for the transportation service, and generally forwarded with the shipment to the agent and destination.

 

WEAVE

A combined roll and yaw motion.

 

WEIGHMASTER

A person who operates a scale for the weighing of freight or motor vehicles.  A certified weight master is one who has been licensed by some governmental authority as skilled in the art of proper weighing.

 

WEIGHT

The attraction between an object and the earth gives objects their weight.  W= m x g

 

WEIGHT SHEETS

Itemized list furnished by shippers to weighing bureaus, itemizing articles in each consignment.

 

WEIGHT SHIFT

A transfer of weight from one portion of a vehicle to another as a consequence of an acceleration or deceleration.  It is not caused by a movement of weight, or mass, within the vehicle, but is caused by the redistribution of external forces that must occur when a body of finite size is accelerated or decelerated by non Centrodial forces.

 

WELD

Fusion of metal by electric arc or gas heat.

 

WELD LINE

Area designated to complete all spot welding after removal of side frames.

 

WELD STUDY

A study in layout form depicting welding for all areas of the body assembly.

 

WET CLUTCH

A type of clutch that operates in an oil bath.

 

WET GOODS

Liquids.

 

WET TANK

Part of the air brake system.  Compressed air produced by the compressor goes to the wet tank, which collects any water and engine oil that the air has in it.  This tank must be drained at least once a day.

 

WHEEL ALIGNMENT

The mechanics of keeping all the parts of the steering system in correct relation to each other.

 

WHEEL BASE

The distance from the center of the front wheels to the center of the rear wheels or, if there is a tandem axle, the distance to the midpoint between the to tandem axles.

 

WHEEL CENTER

The point at which the spin axis of the wheel intersects the wheel plane.

 

WHEEL COVER

An ornamental disc that covers the wheel of a car, mounted on the rim. Sometimes called wheel disc. (Also see hubcap.)

 

WHEEL CYLINDER

A wheel cylinder is a piston and cylinder assembly mounted at the wheel of a vehicle.  It is connected to a hydraulic line from the master cylinder, and the pressure in the line causes the pistons to move within the wheel cylinder. The movement of the pistons causes the friction material to press against the brake rotor ( in a disk brake system) or against the drum ( in a drum brake system).

 

WHEEL FLANGE

The protecting edge or rim on the circumference of a car wheel for keeping it on the rail.

 

WHEEL FLUTTER

Forced oscillation of steerable wheels about their steering axes.

 

WHEEL HOP

Tendency of tire and wheel to hop during braking or acceleration of vehicle.

 

WHEEL HOUSE

The encasement around the front and rear wheels.

 

WHEEL PLANE

The central plane of the tire, normal to the spin axis.

 

WHEEL SKID

The occurrence of sliding between the tire and road interface which takes place within the entire contact area.  Skid can result from braking, driving and/or cornering.

 

WHEEL TRACK

(wheel tread)  The lateral distance between the centers of tire contact of a pair of wheels.  For vehicles with dual wheels, it is the distance between the points centrally located between the centers of tire contact of the inner and outer wheels.  (see SAE J693)*

 

WHEEL WOBBLE

A self-excited oscillation of steerable wheels about their steering axes, occurring without appreciable tramp.

 

WHEELBASE

Distance between centerlines of front and rear axles or to centerline of tandem axles.

 

WHEELFLIGHT

A rotary disturbance of the steering wheel produced by forces acting on the steerable wheels.

 

WHEELIE

A slang term for the event that sometimes takes place under rapid acceleration, where by the front wheel becomes airborne and looses contact with the road surface.

 

WHISKERS

Flashout or expulsion at spotweld location of heated metal.

 

WINCH

Manual or power device employing a drum with cable or rope for pulling objects where great power is required. Power generated by vehicle engine and transmitted through power take-off on transmission.

 

WIND RESISTANCE

The force of the atmosphere against a moving vehicle; atmospheric drag factor; a combination of forces produced by motion of the vehicle through the air and motion of the air itself.  Under certain circumstances, wind may assist rather than resist the motion of a vehicle.

 

WINDCORD

A narrow cord that frames a door opening and serves to finish the edge and close the gap.

 

WINDLACE

Molding or trimstrip used to finish pinch weld flanges in door openings.

 

WINDOW FRAME

Metal frames reinforcing door windows above the belt in some body styles.

 

WINDOW MOLDING

Any molding that frames the window of a vehicle; usually stainless steel or bright finished.

 

WINDSHIELD

Glass sheet formed to enclose the forward-viewing area of a vehicle's passenger compartment.

 

WINDSHIELD POST

See "A" pillar.

 

WINDSHIELD SIDE FRAME

Pillar that defines the sides of the windshield openings.

 

WIRES

Wire wheels or wheelcovers that simulate wire wheels.

 

WIRING HARNESS

The means of providing electrical continuity for the air cushion system.

 

WOBBLE

A motion of the fork assembly about the steer axis.

 

WOOD MODEL

A three-dimensional replica of a part make of "impreg" and used in construction of the tooling and checking fixture.

 

WORK

Work is a physical quantity caused by moving a force through a distance.

 

WORM GEAR

Rear axle gear assembly having corkscrew-type pinion.

 

WRAP DISTANCE

The distance measured from the ground below the front bumper of a vehicle up over the front face of the vehicle, around the hood edge, and back along the hood to the point of head impact.  The wrap distance is typically within a few centimeters of the pedestrian's height.

 

WRAP TRAJECTORY

The kinematics of the impacted pedestrian where the torso and head pivot over and onto the hood during impact.  The pedestrian achieves the velocity of the vehicle and may stay with the vehicle until the vehicle comes to a stop.

 

WRAPAROUND

Any surface that goes laterally across the car and around a corner, I.e., wraparound windshield, bumper or taillights.