JP2024118703A - Vehicle underbody structure - Google Patents

Abstract

To enable a steering gear box to be selectively arranged on a vehicle front side or a vehicle rear side of a drive shaft.SOLUTION: A vehicle lower part structure includes: a drive shaft arranged above a suspension frame 1; and a steering gear box 11 attached to the suspension frame 1. The suspension frame 1 includes: a front attachment part 22 to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is arranged on a front side of the drive shaft; and a rear attachment part 32 to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is arranged on a rear side of the drive shaft.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle undercarriage.

For example, the suspension frame, steering gear box, etc. are usually arranged in the lower part of the front of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the lower part of the vehicle). The suspension frame arranged in the lower part of the vehicle extends in the vehicle width direction, and arm mounting parts for mounting suspension arms are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction. In addition to the above-mentioned steering gear box, heavy objects such as a drive unit having a drive shaft connected to the front wheels and a drive transmission unit are also attached to the suspension frame. For this reason, high rigidity is required of the suspension frame.

The suspension cross member (suspension frame) disclosed in Patent Document 1 is formed in a symmetrical shape in the vehicle width direction, and has an upper plate extending in the vehicle width direction, two lower plates provided separately from the upper plate, and a reinforcing member extending in the vehicle width direction to connect the front parts of the left and right lower plates. These members form a frame structure, ensuring the rigidity of the suspension cross member. In addition, a lower arm that supports the front wheels is attached to the side of the suspension cross member.

In this example, a steering gearbox is attached to the suspension cross member. The steering gearbox is one of the devices that make up the steering mechanism for steering the left and right front wheels with the steering wheel. The steering gearbox uses gears to amplify the force of the steering shaft, which rotates in response to the operation of the steering wheel, allowing the driver to operate the steering mechanism with less force.

The steering gearbox is usually attached to the upper side of the vehicle on the suspension frame that corresponds to the front wheels. Here, the positional relationship between the steering gearbox and the drive shaft can be classified into a so-called front-pull structure, in which the steering gearbox is located further forward of the drive shaft, and a so-called rear-pull structure, in which the steering gearbox is located further rearward of the drive shaft. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a rear-pull structure in which the steering gearbox is located rearward of the drive shaft.

Patent No. 4720147

On the other hand, parts are sometimes standardized across different vehicle models as a means of increasing vehicle production efficiency. For this reason, it is sometimes considered to use the same suspension frame across different vehicle models. For example, it is desirable to be able to choose between a front-pull structure and a rear-pull structure with a single suspension frame. However, typically, different suspension frames are prepared for each of the front-pull structure and the rear-pull structure.

For example, the suspension cross member (suspension frame) disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a rear-pulling structure and is therefore not applicable to a front-pulling structure. Although no examples are given, a suspension frame with a front-pulling structure cannot be applied to a rear-pulling structure. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the structure of the above example in terms of being able to select the mounting position of the steering gear box while ensuring the rigidity of the suspension frame.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a vehicle undercarriage structure that allows the steering gear box to be selectively positioned forward or rearward of the drive shaft while ensuring the rigidity of the suspension frame.

The vehicle underbody structure according to the present invention, which is intended to achieve the above object, comprises a suspension frame disposed under the vehicle, a drive shaft disposed above the vehicle of the suspension frame, extending in the vehicle width direction and connected to the front wheels so as to be capable of transmitting power, and a steering gear box attached to the suspension frame and housing a steering gear. In the vehicle underbody structure, the suspension frame comprises a front mounting portion to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is disposed further forward of the drive shaft, and a rear mounting portion to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is disposed further rearward of the drive shaft.

According to the present invention, it is possible to select whether the steering gearbox is positioned forward or rearward of the vehicle relative to the drive shaft while ensuring the rigidity of the suspension frame.

1 is a perspective view of a suspension frame in a first embodiment of a vehicle underbody structure according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a steering gear box and the like are attached to the suspension frame of FIG. 1 and the suspension frame is used as a rear-pulling structure. This is the upper part of Figure 2. FIG. 3 is a left side view of FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a right side view of FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a steering gear box and the like are attached to the suspension frame of FIG. 1 and the suspension frame is used as a front-pulling structure. This is the top view of Figure 6. FIG. 7 is a left side view of FIG. 6 . FIG. 7 is a right side view of FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a suspension frame in a second embodiment of a vehicle underbody structure according to the present invention. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a steering gear box and the like are attached to the suspension frame of FIG. 10 and the suspension frame is used as a rear-pulling structure. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which a steering gear box and the like are attached to the suspension frame of FIG. 10 and the suspension frame is used as a front-pulling structure.

A first embodiment of a vehicle underbody structure according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings (Figs. 1 to 9). In the drawings, the direction of the arrow Fr indicates the front in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction, and Rr indicates the rear. In the description of the embodiment, the "front (front end) and rear (rear end)" correspond to the front and rear in the vehicle's fore-and-aft direction. Additionally, the arrows R and L indicate the right and left sides when an occupant looks forward of the vehicle. The arrow Up indicates the upper part of the vehicle.

The vehicle undercarriage structure of this embodiment is a structure in the lower part of the front of the vehicle, and has a suspension frame 1 arranged under the vehicle, a drive shaft 2, and a steering gear box 11. A drive unit 5 is arranged on the upper part of the suspension frame 1. The drive shaft 2 is arranged on the upper side of the vehicle above the suspension frame 1 and extends in the vehicle width direction. One end of the drive shaft 2 is connected to the front wheels so that power can be transmitted, and the other end is connected to the drive unit 5. In this embodiment, the power unit 5 is shown diagrammatically by dashed lines in Figures 3 and 7.

The steering gear box 11 is one of the devices constituting the steering mechanism 10 for steering the left and right front wheels with a steering wheel (not shown). The steering mechanism 10 has a steering shaft (not shown) extending from a steering wheel (not shown) arranged inside the vehicle cabin, and the steering shaft is directly or indirectly connected to the steering gear box 11. In this example, a connection part 15 to which the steering shaft is connected is provided on the side (right side) of the steering gear box 11 in the vehicle width direction. The steering gear box 11 in this embodiment extends in the vehicle width direction, and a steering gear is housed inside the steering gear box 11.

A tie rod 12 extending outward in the vehicle width direction is connected to the outer side of the steering gear box 11 in the vehicle width direction. A dust boot 13 is provided at the connection between the tie rod 12 and the steering gear box 11 to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the steering gear box 11. The tie rod 12 is connected to the front wheels.

Next, the suspension frame 1 will be described. The suspension frame 1 of this embodiment has a front mounting portion 22 to which the steering gear box 11 can be attached and which is located further forward of the drive shaft 2, and a rear mounting portion 32 to which the steering gear box 11 can be attached and which is located further rearward of the drive shaft 2.

In this embodiment, either the front mounting portion 22 or the rear mounting portion 32 is selected based on the vehicle specifications, and the steering gear box 11 is attached to the selected one of the front mounting portion 22 and the rear mounting portion 32. In other words, the suspension frame 1 of this embodiment can select whether the steering gear box 11 is disposed in front of the drive shaft 2 or in the rear of the vehicle, and the above-mentioned front-pulling structure or rear-pulling structure can be selected. For example, Figures 2 to 5 show the rear-pulling structure, and Figures 6 to 9 show the front-pulling structure. Here, the suspension frame 1 is the same.

By providing mounting sections at both the front and rear of a single suspension frame 1 to which a steering gear box 11 can be attached, a single suspension frame 1 can accommodate a variety of vehicle configurations, reducing the number of platforms and enabling a reduction in labor and costs.

The structure of the suspension frame 1 of this embodiment is described in detail below.

The suspension frame 1 has a front cross member 20, a rear cross member 30, and a pair of side members 40 arranged on the left and right. The side members 40 are arranged on the sides of the suspension frame 1, extend in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle, and are highly rigid members made of metal material. In this example, the side member 40 has a substantially rectangular closed cross section formed by joining an upper member and a lower member.

The front cross member 20 is located in front of the suspension frame 1, further forward of the drive shaft 2 (Figures 4 and 7). The front cross member 20 is a member that extends in the vehicle width direction, and is a highly rigid member made of a metal material, just like the side members 40. The front cross member 20 is joined to the front of the side member 40. In this example, the front cross member 20 is joined to a portion of the side member 40 slightly rearward of the front end thereof.

The front cross member 20 has a front wall 21a, a rear wall, and a front upper surface portion 21c. The front wall 21a has a front surface facing the front of the vehicle. The rear wall is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front wall 21a with a gap therebetween. The front upper surface portion 21c is a portion connecting the upper ends of the front wall 21a and the rear wall, and has a flat surface facing the upper part of the vehicle. The front upper surface portion 21c is provided with two front mounting portions 22 to which the steering gear box 11 can be attached. The two front mounting portions 22 are disposed on the vehicle front side of the drive shaft 2, and are disposed on the left and right with a gap between them. In this example, the front mounting portions 22 have through holes, and the steering gear box 11 is fixed by inserting fastening members through the through holes (FIGS. 2 to 5).

A flange is provided at the outer end of the front upper surface portion 21c in the vehicle width direction, and the flange is joined to the upper surface of the side member 40, for example, by spot welding. Flanges may be provided at the outer ends of the front wall 21a and the rear wall in the vehicle width direction and joined to the inner surface of the side member 40. A bottom surface portion may also be provided to connect the lower ends of the front wall 21a and the rear wall.

Next, the rear cross member 30 will be described. The rear cross member 30 is located at the rear of the suspension frame 1, further rearward of the vehicle than the drive shaft 2. Like the front cross member 20, the rear cross member 30 is a member that extends in the vehicle width direction, and like the side member 40, is a highly rigid member made of a metal material. The rear cross member 30 is also joined to the rear of the side member 40. In this example, the rear cross member 30 is joined to a portion of the side member 40 slightly rearward of the front end thereof.

The rear cross member 30 has a front wall 31a, a rear wall, and a rear upper surface portion 31c, similar to the front cross member 20. The front wall 31a has a front surface facing the front of the vehicle and faces the rear wall of the front cross member 20. The rear wall of the rear cross member 30 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front wall 31a with a gap therebetween. The rear upper surface portion 31c is a portion connecting the upper ends of the front wall 31a and the rear wall, and has a flat surface facing the upper part of the vehicle. The rear upper surface portion 31c is provided with two rear mounting portions 32 to which the steering gear box 11 can be attached. The two front mounting portions 22 are disposed on the vehicle rear side of the drive shaft 2, and are disposed with a gap between them on the left and right. The rear mounting portion 32 in this example has a through hole, similar to the front mounting portion 22, and the steering gear box 11 is fixed by inserting a fastening member through the through hole (FIGS. 6 to 9).

As with the front cross member 20, a flange is provided on the outer end of the rear upper surface portion 31c of the rear cross member 30 in the vehicle width direction, and the flange is joined to the upper surface of the side member 40, for example, by spot welding. Note that flanges may be provided on the outer ends of the front wall 31a and rear wall in the vehicle width direction and joined to the inner surface of the side member 40. A bottom surface portion may also be provided to connect the lower ends of the front wall 31a and rear wall.

In this embodiment, a pair of side members 40, a front cross member 20, and a rear cross member 30 form a substantially rectangular frame structure 50. In addition, when viewed from above the vehicle, the drive shaft 2 and the steering gear box 11 are preferably arranged to overlap the frame structure 50. This makes it possible to support the steering gear box 11 in a position with high rigidity.

The suspension frame 1 of this embodiment further has a front vehicle body connection part 45 (vehicle body connection part), a front arm attachment part 41, and a rear arm attachment part 42, and the front cross member 20 is disposed rearward of the vehicle body connection part and forward of the front arm attachment part 41. The front vehicle body connection part 45, the front arm attachment part 41, and the rear arm attachment part 42 are described below.

The front body connection part 45 is located at the front of the suspension frame 1. In this example, it is located at the front of the upper surface of the side member 40. The front body connection part 45 extends outward in the vehicle width direction from the upper surface of the side member 40 toward the top of the vehicle. The upper part of the front body connection part 45 is attached, for example, to a member (not shown) that constitutes the body frame.

The front arm attachment portion 41 is provided on the outer side of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction. In this embodiment, the front arm attachment portion 41 is disposed between the front cross member 20 and the rear cross member 30 in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front arm attachment portion 41 also has a joint portion 41c that is joined to the outer side of the side member 40, a front wall portion 41a that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the front end of the joint portion 41c, and a rear wall portion 41b that protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction from the rear end of the joint portion. In this example, the front wall portion 41a and the rear wall portion 41b are disposed with a gap in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the front wall portion 41a, the rear wall portion 41b, and the joint portion 41c form a U-shape in a plan view.

Between the front wall portion 41a and the rear wall portion 41b, a cylindrical bush 61 is provided, which extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. The front portion of the suspension arm 60 is attached via the cylindrical bush 61. The suspension arm 60 will be described later.

The rear arm mounting portion 42 is provided on the outer side of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction. The rear arm mounting portion 42 is disposed on the vehicle rear side of the front arm mounting portion 41 with a gap therebetween. The rear arm mounting portion 42 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction as a whole, and in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the front end of the rear arm mounting portion 42 is disposed at a position corresponding to the rear cross member 30, and the rear end of the rear arm mounting portion 42 is disposed slightly forward of the rear end of the side member 40.

The rear arm attachment portion 42 has an upper surface portion 42a, a lower surface portion 42b, and a rear wall portion 42c. The upper surface portion 42a is joined to the outer side of the upper surface of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction, protrudes from the outer portion of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction, and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The lower surface portion 42b is joined to the outer side of the lower surface of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction, protrudes from the outer portion of the side member 40 in the vehicle width direction, and extends in the vehicle front-rear direction. The rear wall portion 42c connects the rear end of the upper surface portion 42a and the rear end of the lower surface portion 42b, and protrudes in the vehicle width direction from the outer portion of the side member 40. The upper surface portion 42a and the lower surface portion 42b are arranged with a gap in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the upper surface portion 42a, the lower surface portion 42b, and the rear wall portion 42c form a U-shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

Between the upper surface portion 42a and the lower surface portion 42b, a rubber disk-shaped bushing 62 having a predetermined thickness in the vertical direction is provided. The rear portion of the suspension arm 60 is attached via the disk-shaped bushing 62. In addition, the upper surface portion 42a in this example is provided with a rear vehicle body connection portion 46 for attaching the suspension frame 1 to the vehicle body.

The suspension arm 60 is a member that determines the direction and range of movement of the wheels (front wheels) (not shown), and extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle as a whole. The front part of the suspension arm 60 in this example protrudes outward in the vehicle width direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, for example, and the inner part of the front part of the suspension arm 60 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the front arm connector via a cylindrical bush 61. The outer part of the front part of the suspension arm 60 in the vehicle width direction is connected to the front wheel (not shown). The rear part of the suspension arm 60 is connected to the rear arm connector via a disk-shaped bush 62.

Below, an example in which a steering gear box 11 is attached using the suspension frame 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 8. First, the state in which the steering gear box is attached to the rear cross member 30 will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figures 2 to 5 show a vehicle undercarriage structure with a rear pulling structure.

The rear of the steering gear box 11 is provided with two frame mounting parts 11a spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, and the two frame mounting parts 11a are attached to the two rear mounting parts 32 via fastening members or the like. As described above, the steering gear box 11 is disposed above the frame structure 50. In this example, the position of the front end of the steering gear box 11 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is approximately aligned with the position of the front end of the rear cross member 30 (Figure 3). In addition, in the rear-pull structure, the front cross member 20 functions as a reinforcement.

By positioning the steering gear box 11 to form a rear-pull structure, the drive unit 5, such as the engine or motor, is positioned further forward in the space at the front of the vehicle, and is positioned within the range of the suspension arm 60 in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to make the lower structure at the front of the vehicle more compact.

Next, the state in which the steering gearbox is attached to the front cross member 20 will be described with reference to Figs. 5 to 8. Figs. 5 to 8 show a vehicle underbody structure with a front-pull structure. Two frame mounting parts 11a are provided at the front of the steering gearbox 11, spaced apart from each other in the vehicle width direction, and the two frame mounting parts 11a are attached to two front mounting parts 22 via fastening members or the like. In this example, the rear end of the steering gearbox 11 in the vehicle fore-and-aft direction is approximately aligned with the rear end of the front cross member 20 (Fig. 7). In addition, in the front-pull structure, the rear cross member 30 functions as a reinforcement.

In this example, the front cross member 20 is disposed in front of the steering gear box 11, and the rear cross member 30 is disposed behind it. The front arm mounting portion 41 is attached to the side member 40 between the front cross member 20 and the rear cross member 30. This allows the suspension frame 1 to have improved rigidity against external forces in the lateral direction (vehicle width direction). In addition, because the front cross member 20 is disposed close to the front arm mounting portion 41 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the angle of the tie rod 12 can be made shallow, making it possible to suppress a decrease in link efficiency. As a result, the steering rigidity is also improved.

In addition, because the front cross member 20 is joined to the side member 40 at a position adjacent to the front body connection part 45 in the vehicle longitudinal direction, the left and right body connection parts are directly linked to each other, improving rigidity, which makes it possible to improve the torsional rigidity of the vehicle body and improve rigidity against external forces from the side. Furthermore, it is possible to make the length of the suspension frame 1 in the vehicle longitudinal direction more compact, making effective use of the space at the front of the vehicle.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front cross member 20 is disposed rearward of the front vehicle body connection portion 45 and forward of the front arm attachment portion 41. In other words, the front vehicle body connection portion 45 is provided forward of the steering gear box 11. This makes it possible to protect the steering gear box 11 from impact loads in the event of a frontal collision or the like, and makes it possible to prevent a deterioration in steering performance.

Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle underbody structure according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 10 to 12). This embodiment is a modification of the embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9, and parts that are the same as or similar to those in the embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals and will not be described again.

In the suspension frame 1 of this embodiment, the length of the rear cross member 30 in the vehicle longitudinal direction is set to be longer than the length of the rear cross member 30 in the vehicle longitudinal direction of the first embodiment. In addition, the portion (outer portion 40A) corresponding to the side member 40 in the first embodiment is integrally formed with the rear cross member 30. In this example, the outer portion 40A extends from the vehicle width direction side of the rear cross member 30 toward the front of the vehicle. A front vehicle body connection portion 45 is provided in the front portion of the outer portion 40A, and the front cross member 20 is joined to the lower portion of the front vehicle body connection portion 45.

In addition, in this embodiment, two front mounting portions 22 are provided on the front wall 21a of the front cross member 20, and the two front mounting portions 22 are arranged at a distance from each other in the vehicle width direction. The front mounting portions 22 may be configured as separate members from the front cross member 20 and joined to the front wall 21a.

In an example in which a steering gear box 11 is attached using the suspension frame 1 of this embodiment, FIG. 11 shows a rear-pulling structure, and FIG. 12 shows a front-pulling structure. The front-pulling structure and rear-pulling structure of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. In this example, the front cross member 20 is joined to the lower part of the front body connection part 45, so that the left and right body connection parts are more easily directly linked to each other than in the first embodiment. As a result, it is possible to improve the torsional rigidity of the body.

The description of this embodiment is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and does not limit the invention described in the claims. Furthermore, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

For example, in the first embodiment, the front mounting portion 22 is provided on the front upper surface portion 21c, but this is not limited to this. For example, the front mounting portion 22 may be provided on the front wall 21a or rear wall of the front cross member 20. Also, the front mounting portion 22 may be provided on all of the front upper surface portion 21c, the front wall 21a, and the rear wall, and the mounting position may be set according to the configuration of the steering gear box 11. The same applies to the rear mounting portion 32.

Furthermore, the front cross member 20 and the rear cross member 30 of the first embodiment may be formed into a substantially rectangular closed cross-sectional shape, for example, by joining an upper member and a lower member, similar to the side member 40. Furthermore, in the front cross member 20 of the first embodiment, for example, if it is not possible to provide a bottom surface portion, a reinforcement may be provided inside the front cross member 20. By providing a reinforcement, it is possible to improve the mounting rigidity compared to, for example, attaching the frame mounting portion 11a directly to the front upper surface portion 21c.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Suspension frame 2 Drive shaft 5 Drive device 10 Steering mechanism 11 Steering gear box 11a Frame mounting portion 12 Tie rod 13 Dust boot 15 Connection portion 20 Front cross member 21a Front wall 21c Front upper surface portion 22 Front mounting portion 30 Rear cross member 31a Front wall 31c Rear upper surface portion 32 Rear mounting portion 40 Side member 40A Outer portion 41 Front arm mounting portion 41a Front wall portion 41b Rear wall portion 41c Joint portion 42 Rear arm mounting portion 42a Upper surface portion 42b Lower surface portion 42c Rear wall portion 45 Front vehicle body connection portion 46 Rear vehicle body connection portion 50 Frame structure 60 Suspension arm 61 Cylindrical bush 62 Disc-shaped bush

Claims (6)

A vehicle underbody structure having a suspension frame disposed under a vehicle, a drive shaft disposed on an upper side of the suspension frame, extending in a vehicle width direction, and connected to a front wheel so as to be capable of transmitting power, and a steering gear box attached to the suspension frame and accommodating a steering gear,
The suspension frame is
a front mounting portion to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is disposed forward of the drive shaft;
a rear mounting portion to which the steering gear box can be attached and which is disposed rearward of the vehicle relative to the drive shaft;
A vehicle underbody structure comprising: One of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion is selected based on a vehicle specification,
2. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 1, wherein the steering gear box is attached to a selected one of the front mounting portion and the rear mounting portion. the suspension frame includes a front cross member disposed forward of the drive shaft and extending in a vehicle width direction, and a rear cross member disposed rearward of the drive shaft and extending in the vehicle width direction,
3. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 1, wherein the front mounting portion is provided on the front cross member, and the rear mounting portion is provided on the rear cross member. The front cross member has a front upper surface portion facing toward the upper side of the vehicle, and the front mounting portion is provided on the front upper surface portion,
4. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 3, wherein the rear cross member has a rear upper surface portion facing upwardly of the vehicle, and the rear mounting portion is provided on the rear upper surface portion. The suspension frame is
a vehicle body connection portion disposed at a front portion of the suspension frame and attached to a vehicle body;
a front arm attachment portion disposed on an outer side of the suspension frame in a vehicle width direction, to which a suspension arm is attached;
a rear arm mounting portion to which the suspension arm is attached, the rear arm mounting portion being disposed on an outer side in a vehicle width direction of the suspension frame and toward the rear of the vehicle relative to the front arm mounting portion;
having
4. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 3, wherein the front cross member is disposed rearward of the vehicle body connection portion and forward of the vehicle arm attachment portion. the suspension frame has a pair of side members disposed on both outer sides in a vehicle width direction and extending in a vehicle front-rear direction,
a frame structure is formed by the pair of side members, the front cross member, and the rear cross member,
4. The vehicle underbody structure according to claim 3, wherein the drive shaft and the steering gear box are arranged to overlap the frame structure in a top view of the vehicle.

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