HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING

SYSTEM LEARNING SIMULATION

 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

CONTENT

1. STEERING SYSTEM ........................................................................................................... 2

2. Principles of steering ............................................................................................................. 3
3. Rack-and-pinion steering ...................................................................................................... 3
4. Rack-and-pinion steering system .......................................................................................... 4
Rubber Bellows................................................................................................................................... 4
Pinion .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Rack .................................................................................................................................................... 4
Inner Ball Joint or Socket ................................................................................................................... 5
Tie-Rod ............................................................................................................................................... 5
5. HYDRAULIC Power steering .............................................................................................. 5
6. Steering process .................................................................................................................... 5
7. Flow-control valve ................................................................................................................ 7

LABTECH 1
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

STEERING SYSTEM

The direction of motion of a motor vehicle is controlled by a steering system.

A basic steering system has 3 main

parts: A steering box connected to the
steering wheel. The linkage connecting
the steering box to the wheel assemblies
at the front wheels. And front
suspension parts to let the wheel
assemblies pivot.

When the driver turns the steering wheel, a shaft from the steering column turns a steering gear. The
steering gear moves tie rods that connect to the front wheels. The tie rods move the front wheels to
turn the vehicle right or left.

There are 2 basic types of steering boxes - those with rack-and-pinion gearing, and those with worm
gearing. In both cases, the gearing in the steering box makes it easier for the driver to turn the steering
wheel, and hence, the wheels.

A rack-and-pinion steering system has a steering wheel, a main-shaft, universal joints, and an
intermediate shaft. When the steering is turned, movement is transferred by the shafts to the pinion.
The pinion is meshed with the teeth of the rack, so pinion rotation moves the rack from side to side.
This type of steering is used on passenger vehicles because it is light, and direct.

This steering system has worm gearing. It provides a gear reduction, and a 90 degree change in
direction. It has more parts and joints than the rack type, but it is more robust, and may be used on
heavier vehicles.

To allow heavy transport vehicles to carry extra weight, two steering axles may be used. They’re
connected by a link to a common steering box. These vehicles are called tandem, or twin-steered
vehicles. Some passenger vehicles also steer the rear wheels slightly. This gives improved
maneuverability. The system is known as 4-wheel steering.

It can be controlled mechanically, through a direct connection, between the front and rear steering
boxes. Or it can be computer-controlled. With heavier vehicles, increased use of front-wheel-drive,
and wider, low-profile tires, more steering effort is needed, so power steering is used.

An engine-driven hydraulic pump provides pressure that helps the driver steer the vehicle. The power
steering system is designed so that the vehicle can still be controlled, even if the engine or the power
steering system, fails.

LABTECH 2
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

PRINCIPLES OF STEERING

The steering system must provide control over the direction of travel
of the vehicle; good maneuverability for parking the vehicle; smooth
recovery from turns, as the driver releases the steering wheel; and
minimum transmission of road shocks from the road surface.

The effort by the driver is transferred from the steering wheel, down
the steering column, to a steering box.

The steering box converts the rotary motion of the steering wheel, to
the linear motion needed to steer the vehicle.

It also gives the driver a mechanical advantage.

The linear motion from the steering box is then transferred by tie-rods, to the steering arms at the front
wheels. The tie rods have ball joints that allow steering movement, and movement of the suspension.

The steering-arm ball-joints are arranged so that movement in the suspension does not affect steering
operation.

RACK-AND-PINION STEERING
The steering rack is supported at the pinion end, by
being sandwiched between the pinion and a spring-
loaded, rack guide yoke. This spring-loaded yoke
ensures free play is eliminated between the gears, while
still allowing for relative movement.

The rack is supported at the other end in the rack

housing, or tube, by a bush, normally of nylon. Nylon
is used because it has a low coefficient of friction, and
low wears rates.

The pinion is supported by 2 bearings in the rack

housing. These bearings are pre-loaded to keep the pinion in the correct position, relative to the rack,
and to eliminate free play.

A rack-and-pinion steering box is normally lubricated by grease. Each end of the rack is protected
from dirt and water by a flexible, synthetic, rubber bellows, attached to the rack housing and to the tie
rod. The bellows extends and collapses, as the tie-rods move away from, and towards the housing, as
the rack moves.

On some vehicles, both bellows are interconnected by a tube so that as the steering wheel is moved
from side to side, air is transferred from the collapsing bellows side to the expanding bellows side.

Rack-and-pinion type steering gears are used because their construction makes them compact and
light-weight. Their steering response is very sharp, because the rack operates directly on the steering
knuckle. And there is very little sliding and rotation resistance, which gives lighter operation.

LABTECH 3
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

RACK-AND-PINION STEERING SYSTEM

The primary components of the rack and pinion steering system are:

Rubber Bellows

This rubber bellows is attached to the Rack and Pinion housing. It

protects the inner joints from dirt and contaminants. In addition,
it retains the grease lubricant inside the rack and pinion housing.
There is an identical bellows on the other end of the rack for the
opposite side connection.

Pinion
The pinion is connected to the steering column. As the driver
turns the steering wheel, the forces are transferred to the pinion
and it then causes the rack to move in either direction. This is
achieved by having the pinion in constant mesh with the rack.

Rack

The rack slides in the housing and is moved by the action of the
meshed pinion into the teeth of the rack. It normally has an
adjustable bush opposite the pinion to control their meshing, and
a nylon bush at the other end.

LABTECH 4
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

Inner Ball Joint or Socket

The inner ball joint is attached to the tie-rod, to allow for

suspension movement and slight changes in steering angles.

Tie-Rod

A tie rod end is attached to the tie-rod shaft. These pivot as the
rack is extended or retracted when the vehicle is negotiating
turns. Some tie-rods and tie-rod ends are left or right hand
threaded. This allows toe-in or toe-out to be adjusted to the
manufacturer's specifications.

HYDRAULIC POWER STEERING

Increased applications of front-wheel-drive, and wider low-profile

tyres, places additional loads on front wheels. Steering then
demands more effort from the driver. Power steering helps to
reduce the additional effort needed. It’s of most benefit during slow
cornering, and when parking.

Assistance is provided as soon as the steering wheel is rotated in

either direction, and it’s designed so that even if system failure
occurs, the vehicle can still be steered. An engine-driven hydraulic
pump delivers hydraulic fluid to the power unit at the steering box, or rack-and-pinion, through
connecting hoses and pipes. The fluid reservoir can be mounted on the pump, or it can be separate.

With the engine running, fluid flows continuously from the power steering pump, to the steering gear,
and back to the pump. With the steering wheel in the neutral position, little pressure is needed to
maintain fluid flow, and little engine power is needed to operate the system.

STEERING PROCESS
When the steering is turned, a rotary valve, integral to the steering input shaft, directs fluid to one side
or the other, of a piston attached to the steering gear. Pressure then increases as required, to provide
assistance.

In a worm-and-roller steering box, the piston slides in a cylinder in the casing. It has an extension
formed on one side, with teeth which engage teeth on the Pitman shaft. Pressure applied to either side
of the piston produces a force, which is transferred through the teeth, to help turn the Pitman shaft.

LABTECH 5
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

In a rack-and-pinion steering gear, the piston is formed centrally on the steering rack, and the rack
housing provides the working cylinder. Seals at each end of the cylinder isolate the power section
from the rack, and the helical pinion.

Seals in the rotary valve section at the pinion input,

prevent fluid leakage there.

Connecting pipes transfer fluid from the rotary valve

housing, to one side of the piston, or the other, to
provide assistance, which acts directly on the rack.

The rotary valve is located between the steering gear

input shaft, and the pinion gear. It consists of an inner
member, who forms part of the input shaft, and a
surrounding sleeve member, fixed to the pinion gear.

Turning the steering wheel makes both members rotate in the steering gear housing, but it is the slight,
relative, rotary displacement of the inner member and the sleeve member which controls, and directs,
the power steering fluid flow.

This slight rotary displacement is allowed by a torsion bar, which is connected to the pinion gear at its
bottom end, and the input shaft at its top end.

When the steering wheel is turned, there is resistance from the front wheels at the road surface. This
resistance is transmitted through the rack, to the pinion gear, so that the input shaft twists slightly on
the torsion bar.

Since the inner member is also attached to the input shaft, this twisting provides a relative, rotary
displacement of the inner and outer members. It is this displacement that lets fluid flow through the
valve to act on the piston at the steering gear. The input shaft can twist through only a small angle,
before it contacts a stop on the pinion gear. This is needed to provide manual steering when power
assistance is not available.

With the engine running, and the steering in the neutral position, fluid flow is directed into the valve
assembly, through drilled holes in the outer sleeve. As soon as the steering is turned to the left or
right, the slight relative movement occurs between the inner and outer members.

In the neutral position, the inner member lets fluid pass equally to both sides of the rack piston, and
return to the fluid reservoir. Equal pressure is applied to both sides of the rack piston. No power
assistance is needed.

When the steering is turned fluid is restricted from making a free return to the reservoir. It is now
directed to the side that matches the turning action. At the same time, fluid on the opposite side is
directed to the return circuit, back to the reservoir.

Slight rotation of the valve gives a small amount of assistance, which become progressively greater as
the torsion bar flexes, and more assistance is needed. The grooves of the inner member are precisely
shaped to meter the flow of fluid.

LABTECH 6
 Front Wheel Drive System Learning Simulation

FLOW-CONTROL VALVE
All power steering pumps have a flow-control valve to
vary fluid flow and power steering system pressures. A
pressure relief valve prevents excessive pressures
developing when the steering is on full-lock, and held
against its stops. The flow control valve is located at the
outlet fitting of the pump.

During slow cornering, or when parking, pump speeds

are normally low. There is less demand for fluid flow,
but to provide the required assistance, high pressure is
needed. Discharge ports direct the fluid to the outlet,
and then to the steering gear. The outlet fluid pressure is slightly lower than the internal high pressure
coming from the pump.

This drop in pressure occurs as the fluid flow passes the needle and orifice in the outlet fitting. This
lower pressure is transmitted through a by-pass fluid passage to the spring end of the control valve.
The pressure difference on the valve causes it to move away from the outlet fitting but the force of the
spring prevents it moving far enough to uncover a return port, back to the pump inlet. Movement of
the control valve controls the position of the needle valve in the outlet fitting. And this controls the
fluid flow to the steering gear.

At higher speeds, with no steering manoeuvres, fluid flow is increased. This reduces pressure at the
outlet. The lower pressure is transmitted to the spring end of the control valve. The valve moves, and
opens the return port back to the pump inlet.

Movement of the control valve also controls the movement of the flow control needle in the outlet
fitting. The needle closes in the orifice, and fluid flow to the steering gear reduces.

With the steering wheel held at full-lock, the steering rack power piston chamber becomes fully
pressurised and fluid flow stops.

This high pressure is transmitted back to the spring end of the control valve, opening the pressure
relief valve. A small amount of fluid passes through the pressure relief orifice, providing a pressure
drop. The valve moves, and uncovers the return port to the pump inlet. A pre-determined relief
pressure is thus maintained.

The pump is normally a vane-type, with sufficient capacity for all operating conditions.

* Background Theory is provided under GNU FDL License from the Original Publisher

LABTECH 7