Motor vehicle frame assembly and method of forming the same

A frame assembly for a motor vehicle comprising:

• a rearward frame module having a pair of generally parallel longitudinally extending rearward frame siderails;
• a forward frame module comprising a pair of generally parallel tubular forward frame siderails;
• and
• a central frame module comprising a pair of generally parallel longitudinally extending central frame siderail siderails each having a generally U-shaped transverse cross-sectional configuration including a base portion and a pair of generally parallel leg portions extending from opposite transverse ends of said base portion, said U-shaped central frame siderails each being bent at two longitudinally spaced locations so that
• 1) at a first of said locations
• a) said base portion is bent generally within its plane,
• b) one of said leg portions extending from one transverse end of the base portion is substantially stretched longitudinally, and
• c) an opposite one of said leg portions extending from an opposite transverse end of said base portion is substantially compressed longitudinally, and so that
• 2) at a second of said locations
• a) said base portion is bent generally within its plane,
• b) said one of the leg portions extending from one end of said base portion is substantially compressed longitudinally, and
• c) said opposite one of said leg portions extending from said opposite transverse end of said base portion is substantially stretched longitudinally;
• said central frame module having respective forward ends of each of said central frame siderails connected with respective rear ends of each of said forward frame siderails and having respective rearward ends of each of said central frame siderails connected with respective forward ends of said rearward frame siderails.