an automotive shock absorber including a working cylinder , an outer cylinder mounted coaxially about the working cylinder , a piston rod attached to a piston slidably carried within the working cylinder , and a rod guide engaged with the outer cylinder for locating the piston rod coaxiallyl with the working and outer cylinders includes a unitary striker plate for maintaining engagement of the rod guide with the outer cylinder , wherein the striker plate comprises an annular ring formed from the outer cylinder and extending radially inwardly from the outer periphery of the outer cylinder with the annular ring having a u - shaped cross section oriented such that the legs of the u - shaped section lie generally perpendicular to the axis of the outer cylinder .