A steering assembly includes a housing having a bore, and a non-plastic support ring disposed within the bore. The non-plastic support ring has an annular wall with an outer periphery and an inner periphery. A plurality of rack engagement features extend radially inwardly from the inner periphery of the annular wall. The plurality of rack engagement features are arranged to engage a steering rack to prevent bending of the steering rack.

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.

According to the present embodiments, noise can be reduced by compensating for clearance caused by the wear of a rack bar support member, assembly convenience can be improved by simplifying a structure, and an installation space can be easily ensured by reducing the overall size of a steering apparatus.

A steering apparatus includes: a pinion shaft coupled to a steering wheel and having a pinion; a rack shaft having a rack engaged with the pinion and a shaft back located on opposite side of the rack with an axial center of the rack shaft in between; a rack shaft housing that houses and slidably supports the rack shaft; and a rack shaft supporting mechanism having a pressure applying member that applies a pressure onto the shaft back toward the pinion. The shaft back includes a predetermined region provided across a midpoint of the rack which corresponds to a neutral position of the steering wheel. The predetermined region is a right-to-left steering wheel angle region having a height higher than a height of any other region of the shaft back.

A steering mechanism for a vehicle having a frame and a prime mover is disclosed. Two steered wheels, steered by a steering mechanism, are near the front of the vehicle and a single non-steered wheel is near the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle has a deck that houses rotatable cutting blades. Portions of the deck are positioned in front of and adjacent each side of the rear wheel. A first rotatable cutting blade is positioned adjacent a first side of the rear wheel and a second rotatable cutting blade is positioned adjacent the opposite side of the rear wheel. One or more additional cutting blades are positioned in front of the rear wheel.

A rack and pinion steering system includes a housing, a rack, a pinion gear, and a radially preloaded rack bearing. The rack is supported by the housing, and the pinion gear is meshed to the rack. The radially preloaded rack bearing is supported and preloaded to the housing and is preloaded to the rack.

A rack-and-pinion steering for a motor vehicle, having a rack which has a longitudinal axis, a rack housing in which the rack is guided for axial displacement, and at least one end stop damping assembly for the rack, the end stop damping assembly being received in the rack housing, the end stop damping assembly including a compression body for damping an end stop and a stop member which is mounted to the rack housing for limited displacement in the axial direction, the stop member resting against a first supporting surface of the rack housing at least partly by means of the compression body in a first axial direction and resting against a second supporting surface of the rack housing in an opposite, second axial direction.

Technologies and techniques for determining a gear rack force of a steer-by-wire steering system that includes a steering handle, for specifying a steering angle as a function of a steering handle position. A vehicle wheel actuator is configured to set the steering angle by movement of a gear rack of the steering system, by applying an actuating force, the gear rack being coupled to at least one vehicle wheel. A reaction force actuator may produce a reaction force on the steering handle in accordance with a gear rack force. Friction operation is determined, in which gear rack movement does not occur when the steering handle position is changed, and, if friction operation is present, the gear rack force is determined on the basis of the actuating force of the vehicle wheel actuator.

A steering gear for a steer-by-wire steering system of a motor vehicle may include a coupling rod mounted in a steering gear housing. A threaded spindle may be formed on the coupling rod and surrounded by a spindle nut as part of a spiral gear. The coupling rod may be displaceable along a longitudinal axis by way of the spiral gear. The coupling rod can be mounted in the steering gear housing by way of a plain bearing so as to be displaceable along the longitudinal axis. The plain bearing is configured to compensate for thermal expansions between the steering gear housing and the spindle nut.

A steering system for a motor vehicle comprising a steering linkage, a steering drive, a gearbox transmitting a driving movement of the steering drive to the steering linkage, and a multi-piece housing that at least partially surrounds the steering linkage, the steering drive and/or the gearbox, having a drainage groove formed in a first contact surface of a first housing part of the multi-piece housing, the first contact surface being seated against a mating second contact surface of a second housing part of the multi-piece housing.