Center load steering rack support

1. A center load rack and pinion steering mechanism comprising:

a housing coupled to the frame of a vehicle;

a rack housed within an inner passage of the housing;

a pinion gear that engages a geared section of the rack, wherein the pinion gear is coupled to a steering column of the vehicle, the steering column extending through an aperture in the housing, whereby the rack travels within the inner passage in response to rotation of the pinion gear, wherein the range of travel of the rack is limited by opposed closed ends of the housing;

a bushing that lines a longitudinal slot in a front surface of the housing;

a cover plate wherein an inner surface thereof engages the front surface of the housing such that the cover plate covers the slot while the rack is in any position within its range of travel;

a center link pad having a pair of spaced apertures therethrough that correspond to a pair of spaced threaded recesses on a front surface of the rack, wherein the center link pad engages the front surface of the rack through an aperture in the cover plate and through the slot, such that the pair of spaced apertures align with the pair of spaced threaded recesses; and

a center link having opposed first and second ends, each of the first and second ends being configured for mounting a tie rod thereto, and a pair of spaced apertures through the center link, wherein a pair of center link mounting bolts are inserted through the spaced apertures of the center link, through the spaced apertures of the center link pad, and are threaded into the spaced threaded recesses on the front surface of the rack, such that the center link mounting bolts secure the center link to the center link pad, and the center link pad to the rack, wherein each of the center link, the center link pad, and the cover plate travel longitudinally in concert with the rack in response to rotation of the pinion gear, wherein an upper surface of the center link pad is biased against an upper inner surface of the bushing and a lower surface of the center link pad is biased against a lower inner surface of the bushing to prevent upward and downward movement and twisting of the center link pad and the center link relative to the rack, in response to varied upward and downward forces and shock loads in the center link while the vehicle is in use.

2. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 1 wherein the bushing is made of a material that is resistant to damage from heat and bending.

3. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 1 wherein the cover plate comprises an aperture therethrough and the front surface of the housing further comprises a threaded recess therein for receiving a bolt for preventing movement of the cover plate relative to the housing while the center load rack and pinion steering mechanism is not in use, such as during shipping.

4. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 1 wherein the center link pad further comprises a lip around the circumference of a front surface thereof that engages the cover plate to fix the position of the center link pad relative to the cover plate.

5. A center load rack and pinion steering mechanism comprising:

a housing coupled to the frame of a vehicle;

a rack housed within an inner passage of the housing;

a pinion gear that engages a geared section of the rack, the pinion gear being coupled to a steering column of the vehicle, wherein the steering column extends through an aperture in the housing, whereby the rack travels within the inner passage in response to rotation of the pinion gear, wherein the range of travel of the rack is limited by opposed closed ends of the housing;

a bushing that lines a longitudinal slot in a front surface of the housing;

a cover plate wherein an inner surface thereof engages the front surface of the housing such that the cover plate covers the slot while the rack is in any position within its range of travel;

a center link pad having a pair of spaced apertures therethrough that correspond to a pair of spaced threaded recesses on a front surface of the rack, wherein the center link pad engages the front surface of the rack through an aperture in the cover plate and through the slot, wherein a pair of tie rod mounting bolts, each of the pair of tie rod mounting bolts being configured for mounting a tie rod thereto, are inserted through the pair of spaced apertures and threaded into the threaded recesses on the front surface of the rack, such that the tie rod mounting bolts secure the center link pad to the rack, wherein the center link pad and the cover plate travel longitudinally in concert with the rack in response to rotation of the pinion gear, wherein an upper surface of the center link pad is biased against an upper inner surface of the bushing and a lower surface of the center link pad is biased against a lower inner surface of the bushing to prevent upward and downward movement and twisting of the center link pad relative to the rack, in response to varied upward and downward forces and shock loads in the tie rods while the vehicle is in use.

6. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 5 wherein the bushing is made of a material that is resistant to heat and bending.

7. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 5 wherein the cover plate comprises an aperture therethrough and the front surface of the housing further comprises a threaded recess therein for receiving a bolt for preventing movement of the cover plate relative to the housing while the center load rack and pinion steering mechanism is not in use, such as during shipping.

8. The center load rack and pinion steering mechanism of claim 5 wherein the center link pad further comprises a lip around the circumference of a front surface thereof that engages the cover plate to fix the position of the center link pad relative to the cover plate.