A hollow vehicle suspension beam has opposed side walls formed with
recesses in which an axle wrap is located and secured by welded jointing.
The welded jointing is located internally and externally of the opposed
side walls to provide a strong joint between the beam and the axle wrap.
The beam includes at least one component of a generally U-shaped section
having opposed limbs that provide at least part of the opposed side walls
of the beam. The mouth of the component provides an access opening into
the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing to be made at
the axle wrap. In one example, the beam includes two U-shaped components
disposed with their mouths opening in opposite directions to provide
access to the interior of the beam for the internal welded jointing to be
made at the axle wrap. The mouths are then closed by closure components.
The opposed side walls formed in combination by the opposed limbs of the
U-shaped component and the space between the plate components are closed
off by closure components after the internal welded joint has been made.