Steering Systems and Components: Forward Control Vehicles

Steering Systems and Components: Forward Control Vehicles A conventional automotive steering arrangement allows a driver to control the direction of the vehicle by turning the direction of the front wheels using a hand–operated steering wheel positioned in front of the driver. The steering wheel is attached to a steering column, which is linked to rods, pivots and gears that allow the driver to change the direction of the front wheels. The mechanism may include a rack and pinion mechanism that converts several turns of the steering wheel into a large linear displacement. Alternatively, it may use a recirculating ball system. The mechanism may be power-assisted, usually by hydraulic or electrical means. The use of a variable rack (still using a normal pinion) was invented by Arthur Ernest Bishop[4] in the 1970s, so as to improve vehicle response and aim to allow for more comfortable steering, especially at high speeds. He also created a low cost press forging process to manufacture the racks, eliminating the need to machine the gear teeth. Other arrangements are sometimes found on different types of vehicles; for example, a tiller or rear-wheel steering. Tracked vehicles such as bulldozers and tanks usually employ differential steering, where the tracks are made to move at different speeds or even in opposite directions, using the clutch and brakes, to achieve a change of direction. Common steering system components include: Steering wheel Steering column Steering box Pitman arm Idler arm Tie rod ends Rack and pinion Power steering pump Power steering fluid Steering linkage Steering knuckle Ball joints Steering dampers Geometry The basic aim of steering is to ensure that the wheels are pointing in the desired direction to move the vehicle as required. This is typically achieved by a series of linkages, rods, pivots, and gears. One of the fundamental concepts is that of caster angle. Each wheel is steered with a pivot point ahead of the wheel, which tends to make the steering self-centered in the direction of travel. The steering linkages connecting the steering box and the wheels usually conform to a variation of Ackermann steering geometry, to account for the fact that in a turn, the inner wheel travels in a path of smaller radius than the outer wheel, so that the degree of toe suitable for driving in a straight path is not suitable for turns. The angle the wheels make in the vertical plane, known as camber angle, also influences steering dynamics as do the tires. #Steering #Systems #Components #Principles #SteeringWheel #SteeringColumn #SteeringBox #PitmanArm #IdlerArm #TieRodEnds #RackAndPinion #PowerSteeringPump #PowerSteeringFluid #SteeringLinkage #SteeringKnuckle #BallJoints #SteeringDampers #Vehicle #Control #Handling #Safety #Automobile #Mechanics #Engineering #Automotive #Technology #SteeringMechanism #SteeringSystem #SteeringComponents #SteeringPrinciples #SteeringGeometry #Ackermann #Toe #Camber #Caster #Stability #Alignment #PowerSteering #ManualSteering #HydraulicSteering #ElectricSteering #SteeringControl #SteeringPerformance #SteeringDesign #SteeringMaintenance #SteeringRepair #SteeringEfficiency #SteeringTechnology #SteeringInnovation #SteeringDynamics