VEHICLE BODY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD

摘要

A method of manufacturing a vehicle body (10) includes coupling a frame assembly (14) to a platform assembly (12), wherein the platform assembly (12) is in a cambered and unloaded condition, and wherein the frame assembly (14) has a degree of play at coupling points with the platform assembly (12) and securing the coupling points to eliminate the degree of play and thereby to provide substantially zero residual stress in the vehicle body (10) in the cambered condition. The platform assembly (12) is movable under load between a cambered position and a substantially non-cambered position, the frame assembly (14) has a plurality of structural members (30, 32), and a first slip joint plate (38) secures the frame assembly (14) to the platform assembly (12), the first slip joint plate (38) is matingly engageable to at least one of the structural members (30, 32) of the frame assembly (14) and is fixedly attached to the platform assembly (12).