A steering system for a vehicle may include a load displacement system
allowing transient loads of the steering mechanism to be displaced. The
steering system may also include a first coupling mechanism coupling an
electric motor to a rack housing, and a second coupling mechanism
coupling a ball nut to a rack. A method for providing an actuation force
to a rack of a vehicle includes isolating non-axial loads from an
electric motor of a steering system and isolating non-axial loads from a
linearly actuatable member of a rotary-to-linear conversion device in the
steering system. An actuator for a steering system may include a rotary
to linear actuator, a movable linear section, and an interface between
the rotary to linear actuator and the linear section. The interface may
include one or more cylindrical joints, revolute joints, compliant
members, or a block on a plane wherein the total degrees of freedom for
the system including the rotary to linear actuator, rack, and interface
may be one, while the interface may be limited to three degrees of
freedom.