Steering assembly including a steering wear compensator system having an active pressure control system

A wear compensator for a rack and pinion steering assembly having a rack in engagement with a pinion shaft gear in a steering housing, the wear compensator comprising:

• a rack follower configured to slidably engage the rack;
• a hydraulic plunger configured to selectively apply pressure to the rack follower;
• a source of hydraulic pressure operatively connected to the hydraulic plunger;
• a rack profile sensor configured to detect forces on the rack;
• and
• an active pressure controller operatively connected to the rack profile sensor and the source of hydraulic pressure, the active pressure controller activating the source of hydraulic pressure to actively apply hydraulic pressure on the hydraulic plunger selectively forcing the rack follower against the rack based on signals from the rack profile sensor.

A method of biasing a rack against a pinion to compensate for wear in a steering assembly, the method comprising:

• monitoring hydraulic pressure on a hydraulic plunger;
• determining whether the hydraulic pressure is within a selected pressure range;
• adjusting pressure on the hydraulic plunger if the hydraulic pressure is not within the selected pressure range;
• and
• adjusting pressure on a rack follower of the steering assembly with the hydraulic plunger.