An apparatus and method, according to an exemplary aspect includes, among other things, a bracket system having a first portion fixed to a vehicle panel and a second portion that is moveable relative to the first portion for adjustment purposes. At least one first fastener holds the first and second portions together prior to assembly of the vehicle panel to a pillar. The at least one first fastener is loosened to adjust a position of the second portion relative to the pillar. At least one second fastener secures the second portion to the pillar subsequent to adjustment, and the at least one first fastener is tightened subsequent to adjustment to hold the vehicle panel in a desired position relative to the pillar.

A vehicle body lateral section structure includes: a side panel outer (2) that is made of an aluminum alloy; a reinforcing member (4) that is made of steel and overlaps inside the side panel outer (2); an inner panel (3) that is made of steel and overlaps inside the reinforcing member (4); a plurality of mechanical coupling portions (5) that are provided at an interval (P1) of 40 mm or more and 80 mm or less in a longitudinal direction of the opening flange; and resistance welded portions (6) that are provided between the plurality of mechanical coupling portions (5) in the longitudinal direction to join the reinforcing member (4) and the inner panel (3) to each other in a state where the side panel outer (2), the reinforcing member (4), and the inner panel (3) overlap each other in three layers.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a front pillar outer that has high strength and high rigidity. In an area in which the first door-side flange part and a second door-side flange part overlap with each other, the first door-side flange part and the second door-side flange part are joined to each other. In an area in which the first glass-face-side flange part and the second glass-face-side flange part overlap with each other, the first glass-face-side flange part and the second glass-face-side flange part are joined to each other.

This vehicle body side structure includes: side sills provided at both end portions of a floor section in a width direction of a vehicle and extending in a forward/rearward direction of the vehicle; a pillar extending upward from each of the side sills and having a pillar outer provided on an outside in the width direction of the vehicle; a crushing member provided on an inside in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to the pillar outer, having a lower portion joined to the side sill, and extending upward; an impactor which is provided above the crushing member, which is joined to an inside of the pillar outer in the width direction of the vehicle, and in which the impactor and the crushing member at least partially overlap in an upward/downward direction; and a seatbelt winding device provided on the outside in the width direction of the vehicle with respect to the crushing member and disposed inside an accommodation concave section formed in the impactor.

A vehicle shown herein is a side by side utility vehicle having frame configured to effectively transfer various loads throughout the frame as whole. The vehicle may further or alternatively include a routing tray configured to retain various fluid lines of the vehicle, a transmission including a passive duct acoustical attenuation device, a door seal configured to allow the frame to contact the seal at an angle, a modular door actuating mechanism, and/or a modular skid plate.

A vehicle body structure for reinforcing a pop-up seat mounting part includes a pair of rear side members engaged with a floor panel of a vehicle body, the pair of rear side members being spaced apart from each other by a spacing distance, a transverse member having a length corresponding to the spacing distance between the pair of rear side members, the transverse member being connected at opposite ends thereof to ends of upper surfaces of the pair of rear side members, and a back panel in contact with one surface of the transverse member.

A vehicle center frame module includes a pair of side sills, each side sill including a side sill inner having a closed cross section and a side sill outer having a closed cross section, wherein an inboard side surface of the side sill outer and an outboard side surface of the side sill inner are joined, and a plurality of crossmembers connecting the pair of side sills in a transverse direction of a vehicle, the crossmembers including a first crossmember and a second crossmember disposed behind the first crossmember in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.

A method for manufacturing a unitary body side structural frame for a vehicle is provided. The method comprises providing a plurality of blanks, joining the blanks to each other to form a composite blank wherein joining the blanks includes forming one or more overlapping regions formed by partially overlapping two blanks and deforming the composite blank to form the unitary body side structural frame. A unitary body side structural frame as obtained by any of the methods herein described is also provided.

The invention relates to an elongate steel structure (10) for a vehicle comprising:—first steel sheet element (11), and a second steel sheet element (12), said first and second steel sheet elements constituting opposite ends of the elongate steel structure and said first and second steel sheet elements overlapping each other in a mid-portion of said elongate steel structure, wherein the first and the second steel sheet elements have an overlapping hat profile including a central portion (17), two webs (18), and two flanges (19), wherein at least one of the first and second steel sheet elements include cut-outs (13) along the flanges (19) such that the overlap is interrupted along said flanges (19).

An embodiment vehicle load distribution system includes a dash crossmember, a pair of front side members extending from the dash crossmember toward a front of a vehicle, and a pair of rear lower members extending from the dash crossmember toward a rear of the vehicle, wherein a front end of each rear lower member is aligned with a rear end of a corresponding front side member.