Patent ID: 7690711

Claim:
An endgate assembly connectable to a vehicle body for opening and closing a vehicle bed formed by the body, comprising: an endgate supportable by the vehicle body at a pivot connection and openable and closable by pivoting about the pivot connection between an open position and a closed position; a keyed support member securable to the vehicle body and having a shank with a protruding key feature; a damper connected to the endgate and having a damper end with a first keyhole feature; wherein the damper end is configured to slide over the shank when the first keyhole feature is aligned with the protruding key feature; a cable connected to the endgate and having a cable end with a second keyhole feature; wherein the cable end is configured to slide over the shank when the endgate is held in a position between the open position and the closed position and the second keyhole feature is aligned with the protruding key feature, and to move out of alignment with the protruding key feature when the cable end is rotated relative to the shank; wherein the cable end is between the damper end and the protruding key feature and the cable is configured so that the second keyhole feature remains out of alignment with the protruding key feature once the cable end is so rotated to thereby retain the damper and the cable to the shank when the endgate is in the open position, in the closed position, and is pivoted between the open and closed positions; wherein the damper end and the cable end are configured to be removed from the keyed support member when the cable end is rotated relative to the keyed support member to align the second keyhole feature with the protruding key feature while the endgate is held in the position between the open position and the closed position, and when the damper end is aligned with the protruding key feature.