Motor vehicle frame assembly

A frame assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

• a main frame structure having a motor vehicle body affixed thereto and including a pair of side rails having a rear kick-up portion which extends rearwardly along the side rail, the body extending rearwardly and downwardly from the kick-up portion,
• a pair of frame members pivotally attached to the side rails, each frame member extending rearwardly and positioned lower than the kick-up portion of the side rail to which it is attached, the rear axle of the motor vehicle being attached to the frame members near the rear ends of the frame members;
• and
• a pair of springs, each spring of said pair being positioned between the rear end of one of said frame members and the underside of the rear end of the body behind the rear axle, said springs transmitting the weight of the rear end of the vehicle from points behind said axle, through the rear ends of said frame members to said axle to inhibit pitching motion of said body;
• said frame members extending outwardly from their point of attachment to the kick-up portion as well as downwardly and rearwardly from their point of attachment to a level below the kick-up portion of the side rails, the assembly further comprising a pair of spring holders, one of said spring holders being rigidly attached to each of said side rails at a point laterally outside of the side rail and directly under the body behind the rear axle, each of said springs having a lower end mounted to one of said frame members at the rear end thereof and an upper end received in one of said spring holders, the lower ends of said springs being horizontally spaced from each other a greater distance than the spacing between said side rails at said spring holders to inhibit lateral roll motion of said body.