Vehicle steering column installation

A steering column bracket assembly for a steering column of a vehicle body, the steering column assembly bracket comprising:

• a filled polymeric plastic modular unit carried by the vehicle body having a U-shaped beam with an inner surface and an outer surface and a panel where the panel and beam define an air duct and the U-shaped beam having an upper wall, a side wall and a lower wall and at least one wall having a groove and the walls having a plurality of holes;
• a support bracket having a plurality of flanges for engaging the outer surface of the U-shaped beam and a protrusion for aligning with and being received by the groove of the U-shaped beam and a plurality of embossments for aligning with and being received by the holes in the beam;
• mounting means for securing the steering column to the support bracket;
• and
• an insert bracket for engaging the inner surface of the U-shaped beam and having a recess for aligning with and receiving the groove of the U-shaped beam and having a plurality of embossments for aligning with and being received by the holes in the U-shaped beam whereby the embossments of the brackets are connected securing the support bracket to the beam to secure the steering column to the vehicle body.

A method of mounting a steering column to a vehicle which comprises:

• engaging an insert bracket having a recess and a plurality of embossments with an inner surface of a non metallic U-shaped beam having a groove that the recess of the insert bracket aligns with and receives and a plurality of holes that the embossments align with and receive;
• engaging a support bracket having a protrusion for aligning with and being received by the groove of the beam and a plurality of embossments for aligning with and being received by the holes in the beam;
• securing the support bracket to the beam by welding the embossments of the brackets together through the holes in the beam sandwiching the beam;
• mounting the steering column to the support bracket;
• and
• mounting the U-shaped beam to the vehicle.