PROTECTION DEVICE IN WHEEL HOUSING OF UNFINISHED VEHICLE BODY OF AUTOMOBILE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To protect an end wall against excessive deformation and invasion of a wheel, and prevent the wheel from deflectingly moving from a wheel housing to the side range of a door. SOLUTION: This protection device in the wheel housing 11 of the unfinished vehicle body 10 of an automobile is provided with a deformable zone 14 in which two longitudinal members 13 extend along the inside of side wheel housings corresponding to the vehicle longitudinal direction, a wheel 17 held in the corresponding wheel housing 11 by a wheel guide member 19, an end wall 25 dividing the wheel housing 11 from a vehicle compartment on the far side from the deformable zone 14, and a protection means against excessive invasion of the end wall 25 due to the wheel 17 moving toward the end wall 25 in the case of collision. The protection means is provided between the rolling circumference 23 of the wheel 17 and the end wall 25. As a means protecting the end wall 25 against excessive invasion, a tension strut 22 is fitted to the corresponding longitudinal member 13 at the fitting part, and the side receiving part of the tension strut projects outward in the lateral direction against the side longitudinal member 13.