Patent ID: 8863599

Claim:
A power steering apparatus comprising: a housing defining a bore; a rack gear disposed in the bore; a pinion gear drives the rack gear; a yoke assembly including: a bushing having a first spring rate that preloads the rack, wherein the bushing further comprises a spring body that is engaged by the yoke plug and a bushing layer disposed between the spring body and the rack gear, wherein the spring body is a spring steel member that is over-molded with a polymeric layer, the spring steel member extending about the rack gear between the rack gear and the housing and supporting the bushing as the bushing is biased by the spring body, wherein the spring steel member is a unitary body having a plurality of positioning guide rails that are connected by integrally formed living hinges of the over-molded polymeric layer; a yoke plug extending through a yoke opening in the housing; and a yoke plug spring having a second spring rate that is greater than the first spring rate that applies a gear mesh load through the yoke plug.