1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the assembly of a damper, e.g. a strut or shock absorber, in a vehicle. In particular, the present invention is concerned with a mounting assembly and method for quickly retaining the upper end of a damper to support structure of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical vehicle suspension assembly includes a damper, e.g. a strut or shock absorber, mounted at each wheel. The lower end of the damper is connected to a road wheel assembly in any suitable manner. The upper end of the damper is mounted to support structure of the vehicle, usually in a mounting tower.
During a conventional strut-to-support structure assembly process, the damper is supported in an upright or inclined orientation with respect to a mounted wheel. Support for a damper can be accomplished by manual labor, a support bracket, etc. An end cap having upwardly projecting fasteners is mounted on the upper end of the damper. The fasteners are positioned through complementary openings in the mounting tower. Respective bolts are threaded on each of the fasteners.
It is desirable to reduce the amount of time required to initially mount the upper end of a damper to a mounting tower. In particular, it is desirable to temporarily and quickly connect the damper to the mounting tower and delay threading nuts onto fasteners at a later point in the assembly process.