Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–1
Page 1B2–1
Section 1B2
Body Builders Guide
ATTENTION
Before performing any Service Operation or other procedure described in this Section, refer to Section 00
WARNINGS, CAUTIONS AND NOTES for correct workshop practices with regard to safety and/or property
damage.
1 General Information............................................................................................................................... 2
2 Guidelines............................................................................................................................................... 3
2.1 Vehicle Selection....................................................................................................................................................3
Type of Load...........................................................................................................................................................3
Body and Payload Weight .....................................................................................................................................3
Performance ...........................................................................................................................................................3
Fuel Tank.................................................................................................................................................................3
Exhaust Systems....................................................................................................................................................3
Wheels and Tyres...................................................................................................................................................3
2.2 Explanation of Terms.............................................................................................................................................4
Operating Masses ..................................................................................................................................................4
GVM ...................................................................................................................................................................4
GCM...................................................................................................................................................................4
Kerb Mass ..........................................................................................................................................................4
Load Capacity.....................................................................................................................................................4
Payload...............................................................................................................................................................4
Front and Rear Axle Loads.................................................................................................................................4
3 Rear Subframe ....................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1 Modifications..........................................................................................................................................................5
3.2 Welding ...................................................................................................................................................................6
Welding Precautions..............................................................................................................................................6
4 Tray and Body........................................................................................................................................ 7
4.1 Recommended Clearances....................................................................................................................................7
Cab Clearance ........................................................................................................................................................7
Tyre Clearances......................................................................................................................................................8
4.2 Mounting Points.....................................................................................................................................................9
Mounting Dimensions..........................................................................................................................................10
4.3 Tray and Body Sizes............................................................................................................................................11
5 Torque Specifications......................................................................................................................... 12
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–2
Page 1B2–2
1 General Information
Certain customer requirements may require the fitting of a custom built tray or van style body to the MY 2003 VY Regular
Cab. To meet those requirements, the Body Builders Guide supplies guidelines for the building of a custom built tray or
body.
The information contained in this guide is of a general nature only and is not specific to any particular MY 2003 VY
Regular Cab.
This Section provides the body builder with body mounting point dimensions, as well as general guidelines and
recommendations for the construction of a custom built tray or body.
When constructing a custom built tray or body, the body builder will need to take into consideration the whole vehicle, its
operating environment and how the vehicle will perform as a complete package.
It must be emphasised that there are certain requirements that must be met in order for the vehicle to meet the design
requirements and perform in a manner for which the vehicle was intended.
When constructing custom built trays and bodies, it is the body builders’ responsibility to ensure compliance to the
various state vehicle and transport authority regulations that may exist.
It must also be emphasised that any change to the basic vehicle design may severely inhibit its ability to perform the
function for which it was designed. Mechanical and structural failures, component unreliability, vehicle instability and
general dissatisfaction by the owner or operator can often be traced to inappropriate design and application of a custom
tray, body, equipment and or accessories.
It must be remembered that there are certain design and safety requirements that also must be adhered to in order to
comply to statutory regulations and that certain modifications may invalidate Australian Design Rule (ADR) requirements.
An application for re-certification of the vehicle may be required after such modifications.
Generally, an Engineers report is required for modifications to any component or part of a vehicle covered by an ADR.
Any component or part of the vehicle that is covered by an ADR and is modified or will be affected by a modification may
need to be recertified by an approved Engineer and an Engineers report issued for that modification.
A custom built tray or body must be fitted with the appropriate lighting as required by any state vehicle and transport
authority regulations. These regulations will also determine the appropriate positioning of any such lights.
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–3
Page 1B2–3
2 Guidelines
2.1 Vehicle Selection
The following points should be considered when selecting a particular vehicle or model for use with a known body or
equipment.
Type of Load
All calculations which are carried out by the body builder's design engineers assume that, within reasonable limits the
load to be placed in the body will be evenly distributed along and across the body. If the body or equipment to be carried
constitutes an unevenly distributed load, calculations should then be made with regard to axle loads in the laden,
unladen and part laden conditions.
For information regarding axle and vehicle loads, refer to Section 0A, General Information.
Body and Payload Weight
The type of body, its weight and the payload capacity required, must be determined.
Performance
Calculations must be carried out to ensure that the complete vehicle meets customer expectations and requirements with
respect to performance characteristics. This must be met without interfering with or modifying the base vehicle
specifications.
Fuel Tank
The fuel tank, fuel lines or filler neck must not be modified and any relocation of the fuel system components is not
permitted.
Exhaust Systems
Modifications or relocation of the exhaust system is not permitted or recommended.
Wheels and Tyres
Adequate clearance must be provided between the rear tyres and the underside of the body and mudguards. The
clearance must allow the axle to reach its maximum travel without the tyres fouling on the body, refer to
4.1 Recommended Clearances.
For further information relating to wheels and tyres, refer to Section 10 Wheels and Tyres.
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–4
Page 1B2–4
2.2 Explanation of Terms
Operating Masses
To ensure the selected vehicle performs satisfactorily and reliably, it is important that the manufacturer's specified
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) and Gross Combination Mass (GCM) for the specified vehicle is not exceeded.
For further information and specifications relating to operating masses, refer to Section 0A, 7 Vehicle Weights.
GVM
Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) is the combined weight that the vehicle is allowed to carry when fully loaded. This must
include luggage, passengers and a full tank of fuel.
GCM
Gross Combined Mass is the maximum allowable combined weight of a vehicle with passengers, luggage, a full tank of
fuel plus the weight of a loaded trailer or caravan.
Consideration needs to be taken into account when the trailer or caravan has either over-run brakes, electric style brakes
or is an un-braked trailer, as the GCM specification can alter depending on which braking system the towed vehicle is
fitted with.
Kerb Mass
Kerb mass is the weight of the base vehicle including all fluids plus a full tank of fuel.
Load Capacity
Load capacity is the maximum load able to be carried and is usually expressed as the difference between GVM and kerb
mass.
To establish the load capacity, subtract kerb mass from the GVM. Load capacity includes body or tray, accessories, and
full tank of fuel, passengers and luggage payload.
Payload
Payload is the maximum weight that can be loaded after the body or tray including all accessories and fittings are
attached to the vehicle and includes the weight of any passengers and luggage. This varies with the weight of the rear
body or tray and the number of passengers and accessories fitted to the vehicle.
To calculate the payload, subtract from the GVM the kerb mass, which requires the following to be added to the kerb
mass, before being subtracted from the GVM to arrive at the final maximum payload.
• The weight of any passengers and luggage
• The weight of any options or accessories
• The weight of the fitted tray
Front and Rear Axle Loads
The maximum allowable front axle load is 1180 kg. The maximum allowable rear axle load is 1800 kg. However, the
combined load for the front and rear axle should never exceed the maximum GVM.
It should be emphasised that the tow ball load needs to be taken into account when determining the rear axle load.
To maintain drivability, it is recommended that the vehicle maintain a minimum front axle weight of 900 kg at full load.
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–5
Page 1B2–5
3 Rear Subframe
3.1 Modifications
No modifications to the rear subframe or cabin design are permitted, including heating, drilling, welding or the fitting of
any extra attachments to the rear subframe.
Existing holes in the rear subframe must not be bored out.
The installation of special equipment can result in localisation of stresses on certain areas of the rear subframe. Cracking
and / or bending of the rear subframe members may result if the custom built tray or body to be fitted is not properly
installed.
The flex that has been designed into the vehicle, including the rear subframe, must be taken into consideration when
designing and building a custom body or tray.
Only the existing body mounting points are to be used to mount a custom body or tray. Refer to 4.2 Mounting Points for
the dimensions and fixing locations of the body mounting points.
It must be emphasised that when building a custom body or tray that the main support rails are aligned with the upright
sections of the rear subframe and the correct clearances specified are strictly adhered to, refer to 4.1 Recommended
Clearances.
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–6
Page 1B2–6
3.2 Welding
Welding or heating of the rear subframe or
any of the original attachments is strictly not
permitted and the use of any ox y acetylene or
similar equipment must not be used to make
holes in the rear subframe.
Although welding of the subframe assembly is not permitted, in certain circumstances it may be necessary for the body
builder to weld the custom body or tray while it is still attached to the vehicle. It is therefore recommended that where
possible, the tray or body should be removed from the vehicle prior to performing any welding.
When removing the tray or body is not possible and welding near the subframe is required, the following welding
precautions need to be adhered to.
Disconnection of the battery affects certain
vehicle electronic systems. Before any
welding is carried out on the vehicle the
battery must be disconnected.
For further information relating to battery disconnection, refer to Section 00, 6. Battery Disconnection Procedures before
disconnect ing the batt ery .
NOTE
Disconnecting the battery leads may not always
be adequate to overcome voltage surges that can
occur during welding operations. MIG or arc
welding produces transient voltages that may
damage the electronic control devices. Always
disconnect both terminals of the battery and
remove the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)
before repairing any part of the vehicle.
Welding Precautions
The process of welding produces fumes which if inhaled may have short or long term health effects.
Welding metals containing certain alloys, are galvanised or are specially treated may increase the health risk.
While the risks to the body builder are slight, it is imperative that any welding is performed in a well-ventilated area.
Where it is not possible to ensure good ventilation, a suitable respirator should be worn.
Ensure that the earth clamp is located as close as possible to the welding site.
In the vicinity of any welds, disconnect the wiring harness body earth points.
Ensure that the locations of weld earth points, does not result in damage to bearings.
When welding near the fuel tank or fuel lines, remove the fuel tank assembly and cover or remove any fuel lines when
welding.
Use a suitable means to protect pipes, wires, rubber components, body panels, leaf springs, etc. against heat and the
effects of weld spatter.
After welding, do not use water to cool the welds.
Check behind the section being welded for wiring harnesses, and reposition any harnesses to avoid damage.
Completely remove paint from the areas that are to be welded.
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–7
Page 1B2–7
4 Tra y and Body
4.1 Recommended Clearances
Cab Clearance
The rear subframe and cab have been designed and engineered with a certain amount of flexing and rigidness.
To prevent contact between the cab and the tray or body due to flexing it is important that the minimum clearance
specified of 20 mm between the cab and the tray or body be maintained, refer to Figure 1B2 – 2.
It should be noted that the main longitudinal support rails (1) on the underside of the tray or body, refer to
Figure 1B2 – 2, must align with the rear subframe uprights. These support rails must protrude slightly further forward
than the main portion of the tray, so that the support rails contact the subframe uprights early, in the event of a rear end
collision. The specified clearance for the main longitudinal support rails (1) to the rear outer trim panel (2), which covers
the subframe upright is to be between 10 to 20 mm, refer to Figure 1B2 – 1.
Figure 1B2 – 1
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–8
Page 1B2–8
The main longitudinal support rails (1) on the underside of
the tray or body to the outer mating surfaces are to be
between a minimum of 1080mm and a maximum of
1200mm apart and must align with the subframe uprights at
the rear of the cab.
Figure 1B2 – 2
For subframe dimensions, refer to Figure1B2 – 5.
For further information relating to the rear outer trim panel, refer to Section 1A9, 2.7 Rear Outer Trim Panel and NVH
Foam.
For body and rear subframe dimensions, refer to Section 1A2 Body Dimensions. For tray mounting point dimensions,
refer 4.2 Mounting Points.
Tyre Clearances
Adequate clearance must be provided between the rear tyres and the lowest point on the underside of the body or tray
and between the mudguards and tyres. The clearance must allow the axle to reach its maximum travel without the tyres
fouling on the body or the mudguards.
The clearance required between the mudguard and tyre will be determined by its mounting location and pitch of the
mudguard. It is therefore recommended that the body builder, when designing and constructing a custom built tray or
body, determines the mudguard to tyre clearance requirements.
It must be remembered that when determining tyre and mudguard clearance requirements for custom trays and bodies, it
is the body builder's responsibility to ensure compliance to the various state vehicle and transport authority regulations
that may exist for the particular vehicle and its area of operation.
The minimum clearance required, between the top surface
of the rear subframe longitudinal (1) and the lowest point on
the underside of the tray or body (2) including any
extrusions or crossbeams is 205 mm.
It must be emphasised that the minimum clearance is based
on the vehicle being fitted with the standard wheel and tyre
options.
For further information and specifications on wheels and
tyres, refer to S ect ion 10 Whe els and Ty res.
Figure 1B2 – 3
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–9
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4.2 Mounting Points
NOTE
When constructing or mounting bodies or trays of
a rigid nature, such as steel trays, the flexibility of
the rear subframe must not be restricted.
The MY 2003 VY Series Regular Cab vehicle has six mounting points (1) each comprising of four M10 threaded holes (2)
for the mounting of a tray or body. The tray or body must be mounted using all of these six existing mounting points
attached to the rear subframe and the four M10 fixings, refer Figure 1B2 – 4.
Only high tensile plated bolts with the appropriate nuts and washers are to be used where bolted attachments are fitted
and are to be tightened to the specified torque.
Mounting point bolt...........................................50.0 N.m
Existing holes in the rear subframe frame must not be bored out.
Figure 1B2 – 4
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–10
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Mounting Dimensions
The following figure shows the dimensions for the six, tray or body mounting points and the dimensions of the four M10
threaded holes. The main datum surface (1) is the underside of the front side rail assembly, Figure1B2 – 5.
For further information relating to body or subframe dimensions, refer to Section 1A2 Body Dimensions.
Figure1B2 – 5
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–11
Page 1B2–11
4.3 Tray and Body Sizes
The body builder needs to take into account the recommended maximum overall dimensions of any custom built tray or
body fitted to the MY 2003 VY Regular Cab vehicle. Figure 1B2 – 6 shows the maximum recommended overall width and
length of a custom tray or body.
It is the body builder's responsibility to ensure that the vehicle complies to any state vehicle and transport authority
regulations which may exist regarding the maximum height of a custom tray or body and that any such tray or body
complies to all relevant state transport authority regulations and any Australian Design Rule.
The body builder needs to take into consideration that when building a custom tray or body that any added height of a
tray or body including any load being carried will add higher loads to the subframe mounting points. Appropriate
mounting to the subframe is required to take into account these possible increases in loads due to the higher centre of
gravity.
The operator of the vehicle also needs to be notified that they have a duty of care when loading a vehicle that has been
fitted with a custom tray or body and placing a load high on the tray or body increases the load on the subframe
mounting points and that incorrect positioning of the load will have an effect on the steering and handling of the vehicle.
Consideration must also be taken into account for interference or obstruction of rear vision through external rear vision
mirrors. It is the body builder's responsibility to ensure that any custom built tray or body does not restrict the vision
through the external mirrors. All Australian Design Rules (ADR) and any relevant state vehicle and transport authority
regulations must be complied with.
Figure 1B2 – 6
Legend
A – A
B – B
C – C
D – D
Maximum overall length
Maximum height
Maximum overall width
Maximum overhang from rear of subframe to
rear of the tray.
2335 mm
Refer to 3.1 Modifications and this section.
1855 mm
370 mm
Body Builders Gui de Page 1B2–12
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5 Torque Specifications
Mounting point bolts...................................................................................................50.0 N.m