Rolling Chassis: Down But Not Out

Automotive Industries, March, 2001 by Cheryl Jensen

The idling of Daimler-Chrysler's Campo Largo truck plant in Brazil has also put the brakes on Dana Corp.'s rolling chassis, which was used to build Dodge Dakotas there (see Al Aug. 1998, p.57). The concept, however, hasn't been abandoned.

The plant's scheduled idling was the result of a wicked combination of DaimlerChrysler's financial woes, problems with the Brazilian economy and arguably the decision to build a full-size pickup truck that was not quite right for the market.

The experiment began in July 1998, with the automaker giving Dana responsibility for a modular rolling chassis. Dana built the chassis at a 77,000-squarefoot facility just two miles from DC's plant. It was shipped by truck to final assembly where the body, engine and transmission were installed.

The rolling chassis isn't the problem, says James N. Hall, vice president of industry analysis for AutoPacific Inc. in Southfield, Mich. "The company is hemorrhaging cash. I think it was a classic example of looking at how much they were putting into Brazil and what they were getting out in sales and saying 'this doesn't make any sense.

"Our Campo Largo plant produced 5,600 vehicles last year, says Trevor Hale, public relations manager for manufacturing and labor at DaimlerChrysler. "Some plants do that in three or four days."

With a capacity of 20,000 units per shift, the plant was heavily under-utilized. The demand just wasn't there for the Dakota, but the concept was sound.

"Chrysler was able to go to another country in partnership with suppliers and do something very quickly. Speed to market was 100 percent successful," asserts Gary Corrigan, vice president of corporate communications at Dana.

"Supply chain integration works, just-in-time works," says Corrigan. "The fact that we did it not using the traditional amount of square footage and number of people, these are 100 percent successes. The investments were spread around rather than one large investment from one company that did everything."

"The concept of a rolling chassis is alive and well," adds Steve Hanley, vice president of modules and systems group at Dana. He says Dana is talking to one global manufacturer about a rolling chassis for a medium-sized pickup and to another about a rolling space frame, which would leave even less for the OE to add.

The rolling space frame "is the next logical step from building just the underpinnings of the car to building the whole car," Hall notes.

Hanley says many opportunities are being created for the rolling chassis because of the scores of new models and niche vehicles being planned. It is ideal for models in the 20,000 to 75,000 volume range.

DaimlerChrysler has not given up on the rolling chassis for trucks either.

"Do it where it makes sense," Hale asserts. "If you can consolidate and reduce the number of suppliers and number of parts into one bigger piece like the rolling chassis, it seems to make sense."

When asked if DaimlerChrysler has any plans to resurrect the rolling chassis concept Hale says, "Stay tuned; that's all I'll say."