Vehicle battery support platform assembly and cross tie alignment tool

A truck comprising at an intermediate stage of assembly;

• a chassis having a pair of parallel, longitudinally extending frame rails, the frame rails being C-shaped;
• a plurality of cross support members positioned under the frame rails parallel to the plane of the frame rails, the cross support members being oriented parallel to one another and perpendicular to the frame rails, each cross support member having an upwardly opened channel running from end to end of the cross support member;
• a pair of vertical braces extending upwardly from each cross support member, each pair of vertical braces being mutually spaced on their respective cross support member to bracket snugly the pair of longitudinally extending frame rails, and each vertical brace being attached to one of the frame rails;
• and
• at least a first alignment member comprising an elongated member and a plurality of protuberances extending from one side of the elongated member shaped and sized to fit snugly into the upwardly opened channels, said at least first alignment member being laid parallel to the frame rails across the plurality of cross support members.

A method of assembling a vehicle comprising the steps of:

• providing a frame comprising two longitudinally extended, parallel frame rails;
• providing components for a battery and accessory support platform comprising hangers for attachment to the frame rails and cross support rails depending from the hangers, the cross support rails having an open channel along one side thereof;
• suspending a first cross support rail from and perpendicular to the frame rails with the open channel upwardly oriented;
• providing a cross tie alignment tool having an elongated member as a main body and a plurality of protuberances extending from one side of the elongated member;
• and
• aligning the remaining cross support rails on the first cross support rail as each is suspended from the frame rails by placing the cross tie alignment tool in an orientation with the protuberances down and with one protuberance snugly fitted into the open channel of the first cross support frame rail with a cross tie alignment tool.