Durability and stiffness without the penalty of weight and cost are key requirements in chassis design. Defiance has experience in providing product development support for a variety of chassis and suspension components and systems to help achieve these requirements. We have worked many global chassis suppliers in the development of components and systems. These include:

• Frames
• Cradles
• Suspension/Steering Modules
• Towing Hitches
• Suspension Links & Control Arms
• Active Suspension
• Anti-sway Bars
• Mounts & Brackets

The Full Frame Fatigue Test has been developed with OEM’s and suppliers to apply real-phase inputs at critical locations such as wheel centers, body mounts and powertrain CG. In some instances, a fixture is developed through FEA modeling to simulate body stiffness for a more accurate test.

Defiance is one of the only independent labs capable of handling a full frame development program. We have (6) Full Frame Fatigue rigs with up to 16 channels per rig to meet the most demanding schedules.

Safety and durability are key factors in the development of towing devices. Defiance is a recognized leader in tow hitch development and has dedicated test stands to support your validation needs. Some of these tests include:

• FMVSS J684
• APG Trailer Tow, Fatigue Testing
• Emergency Vehicle Tow Test