Abstract: A body structure includes at least one aluminum side rail, which allows the assembly of an aluminum cradle of a vehicle by an aluminum casting including an upper surface attached under the side rail, one or more lower portions attached to the cradle, and an opening allowing the passage of an drive shaft. The casting can also incorporate suspension interfaces.

Abstract: The invention concerns an assembling device including a splice bar (1) and a backing plate (2) for securing at least first (3) and second (4) structural elements received between the splice bar (1) and the backing plate (2). The invention is characterized in that the backing plate (2) includes a number of fixing points (M, N) less than the number of fixing points (P, Q) of the splice bar so that the first (3) and second (4) structural elements are fixed between the splice bar (1) and the backing plate (2) by a number of fixing points (M+N) less than the number of fixing points (P+Q) of the structural elements on the slice bar (1), the assembly being thus a non-symmetrical assembly, at least one of the structural elements being an element made of composite materials.