Rack-and-pinion steering apparatus

A rack-and-pinion steering apparatus in which a steering gear box for transmitting an operation of a steering wheel to road wheels includes:

• a pinion operatively connected to the steering wheel;
• a rack bar which has a rack meshing with the pinion, and which is operatively connected to the road wheels;
• a housing slidably supporting the rack bar;
• a cylindrical rack guide slidably fitted into a guide hole formed in the housing;
• and a spring member causing the rack guide to abut on a rear of the rack bar opposite to the rack by biasing the rack guide,
• wherein the rack bar and the rack guide are structured and arranged relative to each other at an angle other than a 90 degree angle, so that the rack bar applies a reaction force to the rack guide which acts on the rack guide in such a way as to cause a rotational moment of the rack guide about a first axis different from a second axis, wherein said second axis is an axis of the rack guide;
• and wherein the rack guide comprises a pressure surface having an arc-shaped cross-section and with which the rack guide presses the rear of the rack bar, the pressure surface having a first tapered notch formed in a first edge thereof and a second tapered notch formed in a second edge thereof, the first tapered notch having a first end with larger width and second end opposite the first end and having a smaller width, and the second tapered notch having a first end with larger width and second end opposite the first end and having a smaller width.