Abstract: A method of making a ball-screw rack bar for use in a power steering mechanism of an automotive vehicle. Transverse rack teeth are cut in an exterior surface of a first end portion of a length of a bar stock. A ball-screw thread is cut in an exterior surface of a second end portion of the length of bar stock. The first end portion is heat-treated to a first hardness and the second end portion is heat-treated to a second hardness by passing an induction coil scanner lengthwise over the length of bar stock from one end to the other. The ball-screw thread is cut by whirling. Preferably the heat-treating is carried out after the cutting of the transverse rack teeth and before the cutting of the ball-screw thread. The rack bar produced by this method may be solid or hollow. The rack bar may be made by separately forming two lengths of bar stock and butt-welding them together, or they may be made from a solid length of bar stock.