STEERING-GEAR WITH HYBRID HOUSING

摘要

A rack and pinion steering-gear has a hybrid metal/plastics housing including a shell (34) of engineering plastics for weight conservation and a metal sleeve (76) for strength and durability. The shell (34) has a bore (48) therein with an internal frusto-conical shoulder (100) around one end. The sleeve (76) is conveniently fabricated as an extrusion and has a cylindrical small end (78b) and a cylindrical big end (78a) and an external frusto-conical shoulder (84) therebetween. A steering-gear pinion shaft (66) is rotatably supported in the small end (78b) of the sleeve (76) and the small end (78b) of the sleeve is received in the bore (48) in the plastics shell (34). A lock nut (102) threaded onto a cap (98) on the sleeve (76) draws the sleeve (76) into the bore (48) in the shell (34) until the external shoulder (84) seats against the internal shoulder (100).