Patent ID: 8307940

Claim:
A rack drive assembly adapted for use in a vehicle electric power steering assembly comprising: a steering member disposed in a rack housing and including a rack portion operatively connected to a vehicle steering wheel and a screw portion; a ball nut assembly operatively connected to said screw portion of said rack portion of said steering member for effecting axial movement of said steering member upon rotation of a vehicle steering wheel, said ball nut assembly including a ball nut having an outer surface; a bearing assembly disposed in said rack housing and carried by said ball nut for rotatably supporting said ball nut assembly relative to said steering member; at least one spanner nut carried by said rack housing for securing said bearing assembly in said rack housing; and an electric motor operatively connected to said ball nut by a pulley assembly; wherein a damper is disposed on an outer race of said bearing assembly between selected adjacent surfaces of said outer race of said bearing assembly, said spanner nut and said rack housing and is adapted to be engaged by said at least one spanner nut; wherein a pair of spanner nuts are provided, one of said spanner nuts carried by said rack housing and adapted to operatively engage said damper and said outer race of said bearing assembly and the other one of said pair of spanner nuts carried by a threaded portion of said outer surface of said ball nut and adapted to operatively engage an inner race of said bearing assembly.