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Floor consoles or Center consoles are an indispensable part of Automotive Cockpit systems in modern passenger vehicles. It occupies space between the front seats in the car and has a lot of utilities and functionalities. The center console design can be very simple as just providing an enclosure for the gear shifter and parking brake and as complex as having storage bins with armrest which can slide. Now-a-days a lot of functionalities are being provided by the center console such as housing the AC vents at the rear, provision for USB and power outlets etc. All these utilities within the center console demand a certain amount of structural rigidity to meet the functional requirements as well as applicable regulatory requirements. The console mounting bracket usually serves to attach the plastic center console to the steel underbody. It also acts as a load carrier for the console and its design influences the overall stiffness and modal characteristics of the console system.

The Radial fatigue test is intended to find the structural performance of a wheel for normal highway use on passenger cars, light trucks and multipurpose vehicles. The wheel has to withstand repeated radial loading for a defined number of cycles in order to pass the test. The fatigue life of a wheel subjected to the repeated loading is calculated from the stress values obtained from static analysis. The accuracy of stress value depends on various parameters like tire modeling, simulation methods, load applications etc. This paper describes the tire finite element model representation and its validation, radial fatigue test simulation process and the physical testing correlation. Tire vertical stiffness plays a vital role in the radial test as the tire transfers the load from driven drum to the wheel. Tire vertical spring rate testing is done as per the SAE J2704 standard and the same condition has been simulated in CAE.