‘The steering of a four wheeled vehicle is, as far as possible arranged so that the front wheels wi ly without any lateral slip. While taking turn the front wheels are supported on ‘Font axle so that they can swing to the left or right for steering. This movement is produced by ing and linkage between the steering wheel in front of the driver and the steering knuckle or |. The complete arrangement is called the “steering system”. as of a Steering System A steering system has the following functions : or To achieve angular motion of the front wheels to negotiate a turn. 2 To minimize wear and tear of tyre. 3H To provide directional stability of the vehicle when going straight ahead. 40 To faci SC To absorb the shocks of the road thereby preventing them to get transmitted to the hands of driver. To provide perfect rolling motion of the road wheels at all times. ite straight ahead recovery after completing a turn. . Steerin: item: steering system allows the driver to control the direction of vehi vel. This is made= 7 ee (iii) The Steering Linkage : Which transmit the steering gear movement tg the f, ca wheels, ‘The steering system configuration depends on vehicle design. At present, the ry pinion type and the recirculating-ball types are in-use. ~~ Few years back, most steering systems were manual. Then power steering became poSteerin le center Steering outer 9 Ate tube of steering wheel column Ty! ite Steering — Sieering shat gear box Drop arm (Pitman arm) Pull and push rod (Drag link) Stecring Wheel : of steel ring welded together on a hub with the help of two, three or four Made spokes. in certain vehicles centre hub has splines cut on it while in other cases 2 key groove is given to secure the steering shaft firmly in it Steering wheel is pulled out with help of a puller. Steering Shaft : Made out of good quality steel. One end is fixed in steering wheel with the help of splines or key and tightens by nut, firmly in the steering box with the help of bearing Other end with worm is secured placed both on top and bottom. Steering Column : I Hollow steel pipe in which steering shaft is housed. One end of the pipe is Fixed on steering box, the othe help of bracket under the instrument panel. end is usually held with the Steering Gear Box + Ett function gta oaaivereferarsmotion of WOR 100 fO-AEES or Min ce So that the drag link tied up with drop arm can be pushed of paled esuling moving stub axle to right or left as desired by driver,Forged out of good quality steel, One side in provided with splines whi on sector haft by nut. The other with the help of nut, ich match the splines Of sector shaft ang T end has taper hole in which ball en is helg Some other parts of a steering system are ; @ Pall and push rod (Drag link), Gi) Knuckle arm, (iil) Tie rod and tie rod end, The steering wheel of this column, Therefore, The cross shaft is connecte: dd to the drop steering arms, The steering arms on both When the steering wheel is Operate: ht or left. The ends of the tie rod end of the drag link is connected i arm. A ball and a socket joint giv link and drop arm. When the vel are used in ball and socket syste the rig hicle is moving, the drop arm dev fem to absorb this vibration [2], yyy a? heel is connected directly to the steering linkage, it would t wheels, Therefore, to assist the driver, a reduction syst stem i = movement ratio between 10-1 to 22: |. The actual value depending upon Of the vehicle. The 3 leering gear isa device for Converting the rotary motion of the into straight line motion of the linkage with @ mechanical advantage, The steering gears Perform the following two functions : iy” Change the rotary motion of the Steering wheel into Straight line move the steering linkage. etait i” Provide a gear reduction that will make the automobile easier to ries, : . os Bs fi a Ba, A, ae enclosed in a box, called the steering gearbox. " ie Worm and sector Steering gear. ey Worm and roller steering gear If the steering w1 effort to move the fron 2/cam and double lever steering gear. ‘worm and ball bearing nut steering gear cam and roller steering gear Cam and peg steering gear. ing ball steering gear. Reciprocal ering gear. q/ Rack and pinion » ector Steering Gear : ee Worm and S LA onthe end of the steering shaft, worm meshes with a sector mounted on a sector shaft. e rotation of the steering wheel, worm is rotated, the sector also turns rotating 4 By th the section shaft. Its motion is transmitted to the wheel through the liakage. ae Se Niousing Worm Steering Tube3. Cam And Double Lever Steering Gear: te Worm And Ball Bearing Nut Steering Gear: * Two toothed roller is fastened to the roller shaft so that it meshes with the of the worm gear at the end of the steering, shaft or tube. When the worm shaft is tumed, it eauses the roller 0 move in Are 5055, the roller shaft, and at the same time tum on the pin connecting itt the sug The roller is mounted on ball bearings. The worm shaft is mounted on bearings designed to resist both redial and en Widely used on American passenger cars, A special worm (cam) replaces the worm used in above two types. Cam is cylindrical in shape, its actuating part being a groove of variable pitsh ms* narrower at the centre than at the end 't provides non-reversibility in the centre part of the cam where most of the steering takes place, This twin levers are mounted on the cross shaft and are located so that the engage the cam from the side, When the cam is tured, the studs move along the cam groove to eause the ‘o swing through an arc, and thus turning the cross shaft A ball _nut is mounted on the worm of the st leering shaft,(Uarr-3) (67) The warm and nut have mating spiral grooves in which steel balls circulate to provide a frictionless drive between the worm and nut wo sets of ball are used. A ball return guide is attached to.the outer surface of the nut. When the steering shaft is turned to the lefi or rij ight, the ball nut is moved up and down by the balls which roll between the worm and nut. A sector gear mounted on the sector shaft meshes with the b: all nut, so that it gets motion by the ball nut Steering tube or shaft Steering shaft worm Ball nut == Pitman shaft sector Fig: 6.6: Worm and ball beating nut steering gear [3]. a Cam and Roller Steering Gear : Steering shaft Double roller Rocker shaft gear [3h‘A cam meshes with the roller. As the cam rotates, the roller is mpelleg the cam and in doing so causes the rocker shaft to rotate, thus Moving the a The contour of the cam is designed to mesh with the arc made ye "ole maintain : + A constant depth of mesh, yiving the _+ Evenly distribution of load, come. are Wear on the mating parts. e 6. "Cam and Peg Steering Gear : Z Adjusting Screw w Attached to the rocker arm is a taper peg’ which engages in the eal shaft % When the cam rotates, the peg moves along the groove causing the rocket rotate.Roller Half Nut Transfer Tube Fig. 6.9 : Recirculating ball steering gear [3]. It is similar to the worm and ball bearing nut steering gear. ee ‘The balls are contained in a half nut and transfer tube. one side of the nut through the from one } % As the cam or worm rotates, the balls pas: transfer tube to the opposite side. % As nut cannot turn, and movement of the balls along the track of the cam carries the nut along with it and rotates to the rocker shaft. Rack and Pinion Steering Gear : Pinion - Rack Tie-Rod is Ball Joints Spring Loaded PadA pinion is mounted on the end of the steering shaft. * — Iten, es with a rack which has ball joints at each end to allow for the Mia és Ss ie xg fall of the wheels. * The roads connect the ball joints to the stub-axles. The rotary movement of the steering wheel tums the pinion which moves te sideways. *« This movement of the rack is converted to the wheels. A Itis simpler, more direct acting, and may be straight mechanical or power ase, in operation. = It is suitable for small cars where the steering forces are light(Z) a It is very quick and easy. There is no damping out of road shocks and vibra. (XH Steering Ratio The steering ratio is the number of degrees that the steering wheel must be tumed tga the front wheel 1° : we For cars > 12:1 x For heavy vehicles — 35 : 1, For a vehicle with stearing ratio of 18; | meas® turn the wheels by I° the steering should be turned by 18°.Higher the steering ratio -> Easier to steer the vehicle sieering ratio vary according to the type of vehicle and type of operation ‘Cars with mannual steering -> 28 : 1 (Maximum) ‘x Light weight sports ears > 0.1: 1 (Minimum) (spesat NaE) x High steering ratio means slow steering. x Low steering ratio means faster quick steering. Steering ratio is determined by two factors : 4 Steering — linkage ratio and the gear ratio. Power steering vehicles have 20% less steering ratio than the manual steering vehicles. IH Reversible and Irreversible Steering When deflection of the steered wheels due to road surface is transmitted through the ecrng linkage and steering gear box to the steering whee, the system is sad 10 Be reversible. If every small imperfection of the road surface causes the steering wheel to rotate, the river would find much tiring and frustrating. When the steered wheels do not transfer any deflection “s)8em is said to be irreversible. It would not tend to straighte Would not easily follow the course of a rutted road without under stress on ced by the road wheels, known “reversible steering gear are to the steering wheel, the steering 11 out after negotiating a turn, and the mechanism. is desired to stop shocks sustains Some degree of irreversibility enger cars, semi ore ‘Therefore, in most of the pass _Understeering and When the vehicle is taking a tur a Vehicle is moving due to the distortion Tha the path taken by the wheel is known the to this (at right angles to the plane 0! srrering force”, The) valsai ate slip angle de (i) Amount of side foree. 5 pointing in direction 1 which the wheels are not always pointing in in wh of tyre tread, The angle between the whee! inclination as “slip angle or male” and the Foree produced tie wheel) whi pends upon : (ii) Plexibility of tyre. (ii) Load carried by wheel.= (ea) (iv) Camber angle. (vy) Condition of road surface. Vehicle Path ‘ 1 As A a Slip cay * na eee a | z cae Force ao hy , Plan view of tyre when comering, A- Front slip angle B - Rear slip angle %x When the slip angle is greater at the rear than at the front, the vehicle tends! “Oversteer”, than is to turn into the curve more than the driver intended. vx When the slip angle is smaller at the rear than front, the vehicle tends ® “Understeer”. Slip angle is affected by : © ~~ Road camber i ef Side winds i Tyre inflation |__| Noon ie enor eaRaRIECNI . + Comering power = Side force sustaned/sip angle, hh & ~— Camber force Iteration in cornering force, due to camber.vadius of the circle on which the outside front wheel moves when the front wheel qeis the ‘xtreme outer position. ed to their € iy ‘For buses & trucks : 5 to 7.5m. turning radius « Wheelbase of Vehicle, Reason the maximum rotation of steering knuckle is seldom more than 35° When a vehicle moving along a curve, al its wheels should roll truly without any lateral si scan be achieved if the axes of all wheels intersect at one point. This point will be the poe hich the vehicle will be, turning at that instant as shown in Fig. The rear wheels rotate along two circles. The centers of these are at 0. The front wheels > have different axes. They rotate along two other circles with the same centre point. For act functioning of any steering system, the centers of the wheels of the rear axles and of eels 1, 2, should coincide. _ Reduces tyre wear to a minimum.A vehicle is said to have directional stability or control, if it ca *% Run stra ns ht down a road Enter and leave a tum easily " Resist road shocks The front wheel alignment depends upon the following terms : 1. Steering geometry () Camber (ii) King pin inclination (iii) Caster (iv) Toe-in (vy) Toe-out, Factors pertaining to wheel (i) Balance of wheel (ii) Inflation of tyres (ii) Brake adjustment, 3. Steering linkage, 4. Suspension system. Fas When viewed from the front of the vehicle, and the vertical line is known as ‘Camber’. If the angle is outward (top of wheel tilts out, te camber is “positive”. If the angle is inward (top of the wheel tilts in), the camber is “nega The amount of tilts measured in degrees from the vertical, called “camber angle”. Camber should not exceed 2 ais |b tyre contre sno angle ~ the angle between the centre line of tke yx _——* (5) sels are ited outward tightly instead of parallel atthe top and inward atthe ont W tive camber. volte PN gmber : To prevent the top of the wheels from tilting inward too much ° wwe loads or play in king pins and wheel bearing. is loaded and rolling along on the road, the load will ust bring the wheels «i The opposite is true in case of vehicles having negative camber. Excessive css1 Po Te tyre from having correct contact with road which causes it to wear only on load. nation (Steering Axle Inclination) : he vehicle ? \ing-Pin Ini s« angle between the vertical line and the centre of the king-pin or steering axle, when ~ othe (ront of the vehicle is known as king-pin inclination or steering axle inclination. ged fom the ‘he kine pin inclination, in combination with camber, is used to provide — 4) Directional stability in modern cars, by tending to return the wheels to the straight- ahead position after any turn. 6) Reduces steering effort when the vehicle is stationary. i) Reduces tyre wear, ir V Road RON ee force ¥ resistance __resistance | force Psa Fig. 6.18 + Effect of included angles(S38) * The combined camber and king-pin inclination is called the important because it determines the point of inter "inde ion of the wheel and tee Ifthe point of intersection is above ground, the wheel tend 10 tos, IF the point of intersection is below ground, the wheel ten, dS 10 toe *_Ithe point oFnferseeton is at ground the wheel Keeps its toe-in and toe-out. It is called centre point steering, Potton (Gi Caster +— Front Caster Angle wt Vertical Line -»! King Pin /* Center Line King Pin oa Fig. 6.16 : Caster angle (positive) (2). “ Caster is the tilt of the steering axis toward the front or rear of the veil i toward the front, the wheel has “negative ”. A rearward tilt provides “posite Caster is measured in degrees, ; * | Modern vehicle's caster angle range ~ 2 16 9) There are three reasons for using caster ~ To maintain directional stability and control. \A™ To increase steering retumability, SA To reduce steering effort, eles : eee a stooring ais P Directional stability is aided by positive caster, It causes the i shot the road surface ahead of centre of tyre contact with the road, This places | ahead of the road resistance to the tyre, é“ OePositive © tends to kee p the whe for the vehicle t eels poi " a 0 wander or steer eee seh euninenl * aight ahead. Hi overcome |. However, eat Negative caster steering, easier les with power steeriny steering often hi « positive caster helps emote posi ee positive ar aur, However, the driver LS ee aaa eter fo make the front wheels toe i ee csibeeei Activist z on in, Negative caster ‘one sires dies Pee er ad makerihes viata wheels toe out. Vehiel bing. TH Toe-In : A Front 6 eR Sl A weeeeeposition, The measurement is made in inches, millimeters, or degrees. Id This means the wheels are parallel while rolling straight ahead. ‘Actual amount of toe-in — 3 (0 5 mm = The front wheels are usually turned in slightly in front so that the dis end A is slightly less than the distance between the back ends, when vier difference between these distance is called toe-in. On a car with toe-in, th the front wheels is less at the front (A) than at the rear (B), when in is provided : To ensure parallel rolling of the front wheels. To stabilize steering, Prevent side slipping. LAE” Excessive tyre wear, + To offset the small deflections in the wheel-support system v the vehicle is moving forward. Through the wheels are set to toe-in slightly when the vehicle is st to roll parallel on the road when the vehicles is moving forward. Some the front wheels in “straight-away alignment” in preference to “toe-in (vy) Toe-Out = eeint out, iv Is ‘ point out, toes is negative and the amount of wheels poi point out is toe-out. It It Spine wee! n front wheels at front end i end is greater than the distance betw een them stance betwee ee D parpose * sjeering system is designed t0 tum th 1 ‘i f e inside wh sien making a turn. This condition causes i vein their turning angles. ses the wheels to toc-out on tums, due to pen the car is taking a turn, the outer wih b : - eels rolls i Feies on which the two front wheels must roll at ae Tete codes i eee larger angle with the vehicle frame than that nets cielo ae providing the proper relationship between the “i pi el makes. The toe-out steering knuckle arms, tie rods and To give correct turning alignmen event exce: ignment and to pi iv revent js sive wear. by camber an; fe tt the oa ingle and king-pin inclination in those vehicles which have axle space anele is adjustable by @ Se enti Si having independent _ be pitioien angles are adjusted by a shim between the lower and upper ic clamping bolts of the arms. Cano le PERSEaa To check camber, caster and e consists of two parts J king-pin inclination, a particular typ % Level and angle gauge x Tumtable Optical gauge of Dunlop Tyre Co. gives very accurate readings | Telescopic gauge is commonly used in workshops. It consists of th on inside the other, At the end of each pipe there is a road which can b ch rod has an adjustable pointer, To check the toe-in touch the pointers of the gauge with the fr reading on the pipe. Similarly touch the pointers of the gauge with # wheels and note the reading. The difference between the two The steering linkage is a connection of various links between the ste front wheels, The motion of the pitman arm of steering gear box is knuckles of the front wheels through the steering linkage. It depends u Car : Independent front suspension. Commercial Vehicle : Rigid axle type front suspension. on the pipe, Eto-sid a ¢.or {ront+to-roar, mov cement at the wheels. movement of the pitnan arm he ste’ p right Mov pe tt Big. 6.21) Marton LYE OF This type of : 4 iis pe e soenDg linkage (as shown in fig. 6.20 above) commonly used in cars provided le, of the steering gear at its upper end, ball joint, To the ‘other end of the link hed rigidly to the other end of the link Dro) its een tn arm) is connected to oross-shaft cca ait connected to the link rod through 1S the stub ink rod arm through a ball joint. Attacl ub axle on which the road wheel is mounted:6.22] + (a3) Each stub axle has a forged track rod arm rigidly bolted to the wheel axis connected to the track rod by means of ball joints, ath for adjusting wheel alignment. of the track road arms are provided in the track rod to change its le Working : When the steering wheel is turned, the swinging action of the droy a near linear movement to the link rod. This movement is transmitted through th to the stub axle 50 as to turn the later about its pivot, which maybe a king-pin of bal other wheel is steered through the track road, Thus only one wheel is positively a EY Power Steering | ¢\ _Whe t Then, through the mechanical advantage of the steering gear and linkage, the front y pointed to the right or left as desired by the driver. Large amount of torque is ri applied by the driver for steering of nedium and heavy vehicles. Most automotive poy This provides most of the required steering effort. Some cars have el . An electric motor provides the power assist. Power steering pump Internal Power steering gear Pitman arm+ avinuously operating pump provides hydrauli needed. ic pressure when valves are operated to admit this hydraulic aa toa = ea Then the pressure causes the piston to move, and it provides most of jn! peel is turned, ower pistor Bins the P ee jeer" pes of Power Steerin syost power-steering systems aI basically a manual steering system with a power booster ing two types of power-steering systems are found : Ein automobiles, the follow (Integral power steering hy Linkage power steering. Integral Power Steering = Integral steering MeticeonvalvaNe) ‘and power piston) Steering wheel Pressure hose il pump (with reservoir) the booster ¥ Ina Power recirculating-ball steering gea% js integral with Becring: i era Ba gear. In this power booster is Ower steering.(Some) (OS Power piston Rotary valve Pitman shaft gear Fig. 6.24: Cut away rotary value integral power steering gear [2]. 8 of « spool valve, rotary valve and a torsion bar, The torsion bar is attache! ® the end of the worm shaft, when the steering wheel is tured, the torsion bar twists. This =" the spool valve slightly, opening passages which move fluid to the side of the piston *™ hydraulic assist Is required , When there is no powersassist action, the spoo! valve is im the or straight-nhead position It cons | 2 Linkage Power Steering : 9 A linkage power steering van be attached to manual steering systems that have # Pi . o arm steering gear, The power cylinder connects between the vehicle body or frame | steering linkage to provide the power assist, This type is more widely used on srvek5Manual steering Cylinder hose Pressure hose Power cylinder Return hose Control valve Cylinder ‘ il pump hose \ (with reservoir) Frame Fig, 6.25 + Linkage power steering (simplified diagram) (2k, ., when the vehicle is running straight ahead, a spool valve in the position by means of centering spring. The oil flows linder and around the valve bands and returns to the In neutral position, that ‘control valve assembly is held in the centre "to both sides of the piston in the power cy pump reservoir. Check valve (in control valve housing) « Power-cylinder Pitman arm Housing valve housing6:26] + [Uurr-3} When the vehicle is taki left tur and the force on the wheel exceeds fj ‘ 0 ‘OUT Pounds (ON), the pitman arm moves the spool control valve with sufficient force to oy pre: sure of the centering spring so that the valve slides to the right hand side of the valve In this position, it connects the left hand side of the power cylinder to return line lead pump reservoir and directs oil pressure to the right hand side of the power cylinder. ing tothe When vehicle is taking a right tum, the conditions are reserved and the relay ro is fsa to turn the wheels to the right. 6.14.2 Electronic Power Stee: There are two sensors in this type of steering : x * Torque sensor Rotation sensor Torque sensor — Converts the steering torque input and its direction into voltage signals Steering (Controller: Supply 5 voltage ‘Torque LE sensor (note Assist torque| Wheel Swf F . i is Rotation sensor ~ Converts the rotation speed and direction into voltage signals and located on the input shaft of the steering gear box. The inputs from the steering sensor and the speed sensor are sent to a microproves™ control unit where these are compared with a preprogrammed force assist map. The cot! the sends out the appropriate command signal to the current controller which supplies the approms® current to the electric motor which pushes the rack to the right or left depending of it be direction the current flows. The electronic steering control unit is capable of self-diagnosing ts by monitoring the system’s inputs and outputs and the driving current of the electri motor(Uner-3) s (6.27) fing Mechanism | Fundamental Equation for Correct Steeri Outer front — Right turn Inner front a wheel ieckcor oe t (instantaneous tear wheel | corre) ‘Rig. 6.28 : Steering gear mechanism, In the condition of a yehicle’s turn, outer wheels move faster than inner wheels, The Wheels must roll on the road so that there is a line contact between the road surface and (res This is very essential to prevent the tyre wear. This rolling motion is possible only if these describe Soncentric circles on the road at an instantaneous centre, when the vehicle is taking a turn, In order for turning the vehicle to the left or right, its two front wheels are mounted on start axles, known as stub axles, pivoted to the chassis of the vehicle, The axis of inner wheels makes 8 larger turing angle 0 than angle @ made by the axis of outer wheel. Let, - -D = Wheel track b = AB = Distance biw the points of front antes 1=AE = Wheel base 1 = Common instantaneous centre for all four wheels Draw IP perpendicular from 1 to AB produced meeting at P, thea, b= AP — BP$8 +=} -—-$£_—_———_* ie, J cot ¢ = / cot 0 =1 (cot - cot 0) Zor y= cot 0 = biL} This is the fundamental equation for correct steering. If this equation is satisfied, there yi) fot be any slip of wheels ona turn.” The mechanism used for automatically adjusting the values of © and 9 for correct stering are known as steering gear mechanism. There are two types of steering gear mechanism : 1. Davis Steering Gear. 2, Ackermann Steering Gear. Davis steering gear has sliding pairs, whereas the Ackermann steering gear * has only turning pairs. + Sliding pair has more friction than the turning pair, therefore the Davis steering gear will wear out earlier and become inaccurate after certain time. sx The Ackermann steering gear is not mathematically accurate except in three positions, contrary to the Davis steering gear which is mathematically correct in all positions. wx The Ackermann steering gear is preferred to the Davis steering gear 1. Davis Steering Gear : Y This type of mechanism consists ofa eross link EF sliding parallel to another link AB rd is connected to the stub axles of two front wheels by means of two similar bell crank levers CAE and DBF pivoted at A and B respectively. The cross link EF slides in the bearing and carries pis at iis end E and F, The slide blocks are pivoted on these pins and move with the turning of bl crank levers as the steering wheel is operated. When the vehicle is running strai i said_to be in its mid-position. The short arms AE and BF are inclined an angle 90 + o 10th stub axles AC and BD respectively. The correct steering depends upon the suitable selection cross-arm angle a, and is given by(Uure-3) * (6:29) b = AB = distance between the pivots of front axles where 1 = Wheel base ge of bil is 5, hence angle o lies b/w 11.3? and 14.1°. The ran: ihe gear is not in common use. ‘Ackermann Steering Gear = Rear axis (b) For Right drive. (a) For straight drive. ‘Fig. 6.30 : Ackermann steering gear mechanism, Fig. 6.30 aboye) consists of a cross link KL connected Js through the short arms AK and BL, forming _____ This gear mechanism (as shown. tothe short axles AC and BD of the two front whee! oa ik levers CAK and DBL. respectively. When the vehicle is running straight, the cross link S parallel to AB, the short arm AK and both make angle « to the horizontal axis of hes Th order fo satisfy the fundamental equation for correct steering, the links AK and KL Ra ee Proportional and angle ot is suitably selected. For correct steering. cot } — cot 0 = bil | " Be E “alain of b/l is b/w 0.4 and 0.5, generally 0.4 E: . ae when steering is correct. Infact there are three valu Pu ing of the vehicle, “first” while it is turning to “right”, tae “third” white it is running “straight, ‘The value of cot — cot 0 corresponds es of angle © which give ond” while it is turning to mechanism is given below [2] :