Patent ID: 7303200

Claim:
A frame for a heavy-duty vehicle, said frame supporting at least one axle/suspension system having a pair of suspension assemblies, each one of said suspension assemblies including a beam having a pair of ends and having a bushing assembly at a selected one of said ends, said frame including at least a pair of elongated, longitudinally-extending parallel main members, and a plurality of cross members extending between and being rigidly attached to said main members in generally the same horizontal plane as the main members, wherein the improvement comprises: at least one downwardly-facing channel formed in at least a portion of each one of said main members, said beam bushing assembly ends nesting in said channels of respective ones of the main members and being pivotally attached to said main members generally in said same horizontal plane of the main members and said cross members, whereby said frame is free of depending hangers for attaching said beams to the frame.