Auto-bleeder bi-directional valve to avoid hard steering issue in a hydraulic power steering gear

A hydraulic steering assembly for a vehicle, comprising:

• a housing including a substantially cylindrical portion extending in an axial direction;
• a forged rack piston disposed in the hollow portion, defining a cavity extending in the axial direction, and having a first plurality of gear teeth in a bottom section of the rack that engage with a second plurality of teeth of a sector shaft,
• wherein the forged rack piston divides the hollow portion in to an upper cylinder above the forged rack piston and a lower cylinder below the forged rack piston and the forged rack piston defines a rack cavity,
• an auto-bleeder bi-directional flow valve disposed in the forged rack piston and configured to allow for flow of air and hydraulic fluid in and out of the rack cavity,
• wherein the auto-bleeder bi-directional flow valve defines a flow path through the forged rack piston between the rack cavity and the upper cylinder, and having a steel ball disposed in the flow path between a first spring and a second spring, such that when a differential pressure between the upper cylinder and the lower cylinder is greater than a predetermined threshold, the steel ball blocks the flow path by compressing the first spring or the second spring, and
• wherein when the differential pressure between the upper cylinder and the lower cylinder is less than a predetermined threshold, the first spring and the second spring hold the steel ball in a neutral position to allow for the flow of air and hydraulic fluid in and out of the rack cavity.