Patent ID: 7481485

Claim:
In a vehicle having a vehicle body mounted on a vehicle frame by body mounts that permit a limited range of lateral side to side movement of the body relative to the frame, an apparatus for transferring a side load from a vehicle body rocker structure to a vehicle frame rail that is spaced laterally away from the rocker structure, comprising; at least one strut attached to the frame rail and extending laterally toward the rocker structure, said strut being a hoop of metal including a first arm and a second arm attached to the frame rail and extending toward the rocker structure and a vertical leg that is integral with the first and second arms and spaced from the rocker structure by a distance greater than the dimension of the limited range of lateral side to side movement between the rocker structure and the frame rail so that only upon side load induced excursion of the rocker structure toward the frame rail is there engagement of the strut with both the rocker structure and the frame rail, said strut being deformed and collapsing during the transfer of the side load from the rocker structure to the frame rail.