Motor vehicle power steering gear

A power steering gear for a motor vehicle including

• a tubular spool shaft connected to a manual steering wheel of said motor vehicle for rotation therewith about a centerline of said steering gear,
• a pinion head connected to a steered wheel of said motor vehicle and rotatable independently of said spool shaft about said centerline of said steering gear, and
• a torsion bar inside said spool shaft having a first end rigidly connected to said pinion head and a second end rigidly connected to said spool shaft biasing said spool shaft to an on-center position relative to said pinion head,
• characterized in that said steering gear includes a preload centering apparatus comprising:
• a drive pin means rigidly connected to said spool shaft,
• a C-shaped spring disposed around said spool shaft having a first resilient jaw and a second resilient jaw cooperating in clamping said drive pin means therebetween with a resilient preload on said drive pin means, and
• an abutment means on said pinion head resiliently clamped between said first and said second jaws of said C-shaped spring with said resilient preload in said on-center relative position of said spool shaft including a first radial cantilever spring bearing against said first jaw and a second radial cantilever spring bearing against said second jaw and a radial reinforcement between said first and said second jaws separated from each by a span dimension calculated to limit flexure of said first and said second cantilever springs by engagement thereof-on said reinforcement during angular excursions of said spool shaft from said relative on-center position,
• each of said first and said second radial cantilever springs flexing upon an engagement with the corresponding one of said first and said second jaws of said C-shaped spring during forced oscillation of said pinion head through said on-center relative position of said spool shaft for cushioning said engagement and minimizing audible noise attributable to said engagement.