Rack housing for steering gear

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and Opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which a lubricated portion of said rack bar extends;
• and
• a sleeve in said chamber, said lubricated portion of said rack bar extending through said sleeve to maintain lubricant on said lubricated portion of said rack bar.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having-a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which a lubricated portion of said rack bar extends;
• and
• said cross-member is a rigid, self-supporting structure that forms a subframe or cradle of the vehicle, said locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage being spaced apart by a distance having a front-to back component of at least 12 inches.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said steering mechanism includes a steering column for supporting a steering wheel and a pinion rotatable with said steering wheel and disposed in a pinion housing,
• a rack housing portion of said cross-member having first and second opposite end portions spaced laterally inward from said structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• and
• said pinion housing being supported on said first end portion of said rack housing portion at a location laterally outward of said rack housing portion.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which said rack bar extends;
• and
• said rack housing portion of said cross-member comprises a generally flat base portion and a generally U-shaped upper portion that projects from said base portion, said base portion and said upper portion defining the chamber through which said rack bar extends and is movable.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which a lubricated portion of said rack bar extends;
• and
• said rack housing portion of said cross-member has a length of no more than about 50% of said cross member.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having attachment structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which a lubricated portion of said rack bar extends;
• and
• said rack housing portion of said cross-member has a cross-sectional area at least about two times the cross-sectional area of said rack bar where said rack bar extends through said rack housing.

Apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has a front, a rear, and opposite sides and which has steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• a rack and pinion steering mechanism including a rack bar movable axially in opposite directions to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle, and steering linkage extending from opposite ends of said rack bar for connection with the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• a cross-member having structure for fixed attachment at the opposite sides of the vehicle body at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a first control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at one side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• a second control arm pivotally connected to said cross member at an opposite side of the vehicle at locations forward of and rearward of the steering linkage;
• said cross-member having a rack housing portion defining a chamber through which a lubricated portion of said rack bar extends;
• and
• a sleeve in said chamber for maintaining lubricant on said lubricated portion of said rack bar.

An apparatus for attachment to the body of a vehicle which has front, rear and opposite sides and which has steering linkage connected to steerable wheels, said apparatus comprising:

• an upper part connected with said lower part, said upper and lower parts being connectable with each of the opposite sides of the vehicle;
• a first control arm support connected with said upper and lower parts at one side of the vehicle to at least partially support a control arm connected with a first one of the steerable wheels;
• a second control arm support connected with said upper and lower parts at a side of the vehicle opposite from said one side to at least partially support a control arm connected with a second one of the steerable wheels;
• a rack housing which is at least partially formed by said upper part and which at least partially defines a rack chamber, said rack chamber extends between first and second end walls of said rack housing;
• and
• a steering mechanism connected with said rack housing and being operable to effect steering movement of the steerable wheels of the vehicle;
• said steering mechanism including a rack bar which extends through said first and second end walls of said rack housing and includes a lubricated portion disposed in said rack chamber between said first and second end walls of said rack housing, and a steering input assembly connected with said first end wall of said rack housing and disposed outside of said rack chamber, said rack bar extends through said steering input assembly.