A steering assembly having an inner steering member; an outer member, where the inner steering member is adapted to translate relative to outer member; and a bearing component disposed around a portion of the inner steering member, where the bearing component includes a bearing having a unitary substrate and a polymer layer overlying the substrate, where the bearing has a generally arcuate shape and is adapted to support the inner steering member disposed in the outer member, where the bearing has a support region for supporting an inner steering member, and a plurality of feet comprising a first foot and second foot spaced apart from each other such that the support region extends there between, and where the first and second feet extend in radial direction beyond the support region such that upon assembly between inner steering member and outer member, wherein the bearing exerts a force against the inner steering member.

A steering assembly including an inner steering member; an outer steering member; a leaf spring disposed between the inner steering member and the outer steering member and adapted to bias the inner steering member, wherein the leaf spring comprises an inner portion and a plurality of outer portions, wherein the outer portions comprise end portions of the leaf spring that are folded over such that the outer portions overlie the inner portion, forming a folded edge; and a low friction layer supported by the leaf spring.

Disclosed is a steering apparatus of a vehicle in which a rack housing of a gear box may be accurately mounted on a vehicle body part without coming off, and when an angle difference of the vehicle body part is present, the angle difference may be compensated for when the rack housing is mounted. The steering apparatus has a mounting structure configured to fixedly mount the rack housing on the vehicle body part. The mounting structure includes a coupling part formed on the rack housing and having a coupling hole, a mounting part provided on the vehicle body part and having a mounting hole, a nut pipe installed at the mounting part and provided with an insertion part, a washer coupled to an outer circumference of the insertion part, and a bolt inserted into the coupling hole, the washer and the mounting hole and threadedly engaged with the nut pipe.

Described herein are steer-by-wire systems and methods of operating these systems in vehicles. A steer-by-wire system comprises a steering wheel assembly, comprising a steering wheel, sensors, and a torque generator. The system comprises a rack assembly, comprising a steering rack, sensors, and a rack actuator. The steering wheel assembly and the rack assembly are communicatively coupled by a steer-by-wire system controller, without having any direct mechanical links between the assemblies. In some examples, the controller instructs the rack assembly to control the steering rack position based on the steering input, such as changes in the steering wheel position. A steering map is used to determine the desired steering rack position based on the current steering wheel position. In some examples, a steering map is selected from a steering map set based on, e.g., the vehicle speed, vehicle direction, driver preference, and the like.

An ATV is shown having a steering system comprised of a power steering unit having drive and driven pitman arms coupled to a drag link. The drive pitman arm is laterally offset from a vehicle centerline and is driven by the power steering unit. An alternate power steering system includes a pack and pinion subassembly coupled to a power steering motor, which then couples to steering arms of the ATV.

A method for machining a toothing with variable pitch on a rack implemented by a machine tool other than a ball nose milling cutter and includes at least five axes allowing positioning the cutting tool relative to the rack, namely a first, a second and a third axis of translation, forming a three dimension space, a first axis of rotation allowing modifying a yaw position, about a yaw axis parallel to the first axis of translation, and a second axis of rotation allowing orienting a roll position about the second axis of translation, and includes at least one cutting phase during which the cutting tool is controlled in five continuous axes, by simultaneously modifying, during the same iteration, the spatial control component of each of the five axes, whereas the cutting tool rotates and is applied in contact with the surface of the tooth which is being trimmed.

A steering gear apparatus includes a rack shaft, a pinion shaft, and a housing. The rack shaft has rack teeth and moves in an axial direction to steer front wheels. The pinion shaft has pinion teeth and rotates in accordance with steering operation of a steering wheel. The housing supports the rack shaft and the pinion shaft, and houses a meshing area between the rack teeth and the pinion teeth. When the steering wheel is in its neutral position, the pinion teeth mesh with the rack teeth at a rotational position of the pinion shaft that minimizes torque required to move the rack shaft in the axial direction during one rotation of the pinion shaft.

A rack assembly for a vehicle steering system includes a first rack component extending longitudinally from a first outer end to a first inner end, the first rack component having a first shoulder extending radially outwardly from a neck region to a head region. The rack assembly also includes a second rack component extending longitudinally from a second outer end to a second inner end, the second rack component having a second shoulder extending radially outwardly from a neck region to a head region. The rack assembly further includes a coupling assembly having an inner surface defining a hollow region that the head region of the first rack component and the head region of the second rack component are each disposed within, the inner surface having a first radial protrusion in abutment with the first shoulder and a second radial protrusion in abutment with the second shoulder.

A steering device includes an electric motor and an electronic control unit controls the electric motor. The electronic control unit includes a first friction torque computation circuit, a second friction torque computation circuit, a first load torque-column angle estimation circuit, a pinion angle estimation circuit, a second load torque estimation circuit, and an axial force estimation circuit. The first friction torque computation circuit computes first friction torque. The second friction torque computation circuit computes second friction torque. The first load torque-column angle estimation circuit estimates first load torque and a column angle. The pinion angle estimation circuit estimates an estimated pinion angle value. The second load torque estimation circuit estimates second load torque. The axial force estimation circuit estimates an axial force that acts on a rack shaft.

A power steering system having at least one steering wheel, steering mechanism provided with rack, and at least one servo motor, the method having, outside steering phase during which power steering system is assigned to driving of vehicle to cause vehicle to follow trajectory which is determined as function of the situation of vehicle with respect to its environment, step (a) of automatically activating the servo motor, during which step computer is used to automatically generate and apply the servo motor, without requiring any external action on steering wheel, activation instruction that follows one or more cycles referred to as pre-established exploration cycles in order to measure, during at least one exploration cycle or at the end of at least one exploration cycle, at least one indicator parameter which is specific to response by power steering system to automatic activation of servo motor and which is characteristic of desired property.