Abstract: An improved vehicle steering apparatus includes a lightweight hollow rack gear. The rack gear has a plurality of hollow teeth which engage a pinion gear in the steering assembly. In order to provide a variable ratio steering apparatus, the pitch of the teeth of the rack gear varies along the length of the gear. The rack gear is made by utilizing a pair of dies to form hollow gear teeth in a side wall of the tubular member. In forming the rack gear, one die is inserted into the tubular member while the other die is placed outside the tubular member with its teeth aligned with recesses between the teeth of the die inside the tubular member. The two dies are then pressed together. To form rack gear teeth with different pitches, the dies are provided with teeth of different pitches.