Vehicle body rear support arrangement

Abstract

An open-top vehicle rear cross car beam body support arrangement for an open-top vehicle having a passenger compartment defined in part by a front floor pan ending in an elevated rear floor pan together with right and left rear inner wheelhouse panels. The beam arrangement includes forming each wheelhouse panel upper inboard portion with a recessed step defining opposed upstanding riser portions each having a lower edge terminating in an inboard extending tread portion. An upper horizontal gusset panel of the beam is welded to upper portions of spaced apart front and rear downstanding gusset panels, while lower flanges of the front and rear gusset panels are welded to the rear floor pan forming a closed section cross beam. The outboard ends of the upper gusset panel terminate in connector portions, each formed with an upstanding shroud having a top panel defined by fore and aft downstanding side walls together with an inboard wall. Each shroud, welded together with its associated underlying wheelhouse tread and riser portions, define a box-shaped stiffener enclosing a pair of upstanding strut fastener receiving spacers. The spacers, in combination with their stiffener, are adapted for transferring their associated strut loads to the cross beam, thereby minimizing the transmission of road noise into the passenger compartment.