Patent ID: 8226097

Claim:
An integrated steering gear, frame structure and engine mount base for a vehicle, comprising: an elongate housing that includes: at least one sidewall, a pair of opposing endwalls formed as a unitary piece with the at least one sidewall, an aperture in each endwall, a hollow portion extending between the apertures of the endwalls, the hollow portion being enveloped by the at least one sidewall, and at least one mounting portion proximate each of a first housing end and a second opposing housing end, the at least one mounting portion extending from the at least one sidewall; a steering gear comprising a steering gear input and a pair of opposingly-oriented tie rods, the steering gear being at least partially disposed within the hollow portion of the housing such that the steering gear input and the tie rods extend from the interior of the housing; and an engine mount base integrated into the housing, the engine mount base being sized and shaped to receive an engine mount, the integrated steering gear, frame structure and engine mount base being mountable to a support frame of the vehicle to function as a subframe member of said support frame.