Steering apparatus with variable steering angle ratio for pitman arm steering mechanism

A steering apparatus for use with a pitman arm steering mechanism having a pitman arm, comprising:

• a steering wheel;
• a sector shaft rotatable in response to rotation of said steering wheel for steering road wheels through the pitman arm;
• a torque sensor for detecting a steering torque applied to said steering wheel, said torque sensor being positioned closer to said steering wheel than said sector shaft in a path of the steering torque from said steering wheel to said sector shaft;
• electric actuator means operatively coupled to said sector shaft for applying an assistive force to said sector shaft;
• control means for controlling said actuator means based on an output signal from said torque sensor;
• and
• ratio adjusting means disposed between said sector shaft and said torque sensor for varying the ratio of a angle through which the road wheels are turned to an angle through which said steering wheel is turned.