Drive shaft modelling affects frontal crash finite element simulation. A 35mph rigid barrier impact of a body on frame SUV with a one piece drive shaft and a unibody SUV with a two piece drive shaft have been studied and simulated using finite element analyses. In the model, the drive shaft can take significant load in frontal impact crash. Assumptions regarding the drive shaft model can change the predicted engine motion in the simulation. This change influences the rocker @ B-pillar deceleration. Two modelling methods have been investigated in this study considering both joint mechanisms and material failure in dynamic impact. Model parameters for joint behaviour and failure should be determined from vehicle design information and component testing. A body on frame SUV FEA model has been used to validate the drive shaft modelling technique by comparing the simulation results with crash test data. These drive shaft models have also been applied to a unibody SUV model to demonstrate the contribution of drive shaft for simulated frontal impact performance.
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