Steering System

Steering System : Steering geometry – camber,

castor, king pin rake, combined angle toeing,
center point steering. Types of steering
mechanism – Ackerman steering mechanism,
Davis steering mechanism, steering gears –
types, steering linkages.
Contents
 Identify the functions and requirements of the steering
system of an automobile

 Explain how toe, camber, caster, axle inclination,

turning radius, and axle alignment affect tire wear,
directional stability, and handling.

 Ackerman steering.

 Davis steering mechanism

 steering gears and steering linkages

Steering system
 A mechanism that enables the driver to
control the direction of the vehicle travel.
 Components:
Steering wheel, rod, pit man arm, steering
gear box, tie rod
Functions - Primary
 To achieve angular motion of front wheels to
negotiate a turn.

 Done through Steering linkage and Steering

gear ( convert rotary motion of the steering
wheel into the angular motion of the front road
wheels)
Functions - Secondary

 Directional stability of the vehicle when

going straight ahead
 Perfect rolling motion of wheels at all times
 Provide straight ahead recovery after
completing a turn
 To minimize the tyres wear
Steering Systems

 Front wheel steering system

 All wheel steering system

Requirements
 very accurate and easy to handle
 Effort required to steer should be minimal
and must not be tiresome to driver
 Directional stability
Front Axle

 Not used in modern cars

 But continued to be used in heavy trucks
 0.4 % Carbon Steel & 1.3% Nickel Steel
 Bending loads ( weight of the vehicle)
 Torque loads ( due to braking)
 Main axle beam is connected to stub axles
by means of King Pins
Front Axle
Front Axle

T – shaped
Knuckles
on both the
ends
Steering Knuckle with Reverse Elliot Axle

Steering Knuckle is
fitted to Reverse Elliot
Axle with the help of
king pin and bushes

Stub Axles made up of

3% Ni, Cr-Mb Alloys
Hub fitted with Stub Axle
King pin or Knuckle Pin

 Steering knuckles mount to the

front axle by kingpins or knuckle
pins.
 Kingpins provide the ability to
steer the vehicle.
 Spindle
 The steering knuckle
incorporates the spindle onto
which wheel bearings and
wheel hubs are mounted, plus
a flange to which the brake
spider is bolted.
 A steering control arm is
attached to the left side steering
knuckle.
Steering Mechanism
Steering Mechanism
 Rack and Pinion Steering Gears

-Used in Power Steering

-Simple and Light
-Small Space
-Less linkage components are used
-Steering column pinion meshes with the
rack.
-When steering wheel is rotated pinion turns
and moves the rack to left and right
-Movement of rack is further relayed through
ball joints and tie rods to the stub axles for
the front wheel to be steered
Power Steering

Tyres of wider section

greater contact to ground
So, greater force for
steering cars and heavy
vehicles under turns
Power steering provides
automatic hydraulic
assistance to manual
steering
Operated by fluid under
pressure
Power Steering Types

Integral type
Power Steering assembly is integral part of
steering gear

Linkage Type
Part of linkage
Integral Power Steering
Integral Power Steering
Integral Power Steering
Integral Power Steering
Power Steering Types – Steering Gear Type

 Power steering gears are similar to a manual

recirculating ball steering gear with the
addition of a hydraulic assist control
mechanism.
 The power steering gearbox is charged with
hydraulic fluid under pressure and uses a
rotary control valve to control the flow of
fluid.
 The movement of the ball nut is assisted by
hydraulic pressure.
 The integral-type power steering has the
rotary control valve and a power piston
integrated with the gearbox.
 The rotary valve directs the oil pressure to
the left or right chamber to steer the vehicle.
 The spool valve is actuated by a lever or a
small torsion bar located in the worm gear.
Hydraulic Operation

 The rotary control valve is an open-center type that allows a continuous flow of
oil when held in the neutral position by the torsion bar.
 When steering effort is applied, the spring action of the torsion bar results in
the input shaft rotating slightly in advance of the ball screw.
 The six pairs of grooves that form the rotary control valve are displaced from
their neutral flow position.
 As steering effort increases, so does the amount of displacement.
 Depending on the direction steered, the groove displacement of the input shaft
directs hydraulic oil through the appropriate drilled passages in the ball screw
to one side or the other of the piston.
Camber
 Steering tires also are designed to use a
positive camber angle setting.
 Camber is a measure of the angle a wheel
leans away or toward the frame.
 Positive camber means that the tires lean
away from the truck frame at the top.
 A positive camber setting is used to help
compensate for that slight tendency of
steering tires to toe-out when the vehicle is
moving.
Camber
 Excessive positive camber
causes the tire to wear on
its outside shoulder.
 Excessive negative camber
causes the tire to wear on
its inside shoulder.
 Unequal camber in the front
wheels also can cause the
steering to lead to the right
or left.
 The truck will lead to the
side that has the most
positive camber.
 Toe (1 of 2)

 The ideal toe angle when a vehicle is running loaded

down a highway is zero.
 We set toe angles statically.
 The objective of setting toe at a specified angle when
aligning the front end is to have zero toe at highway
speeds.
 Toe (2 of 2)
 Incorrect toe angles not only accelerate tire wear but also can
have an adverse effect on directional stability of the vehicle.

 Incorrect toe angles have the potential to cause more front tire
Toe (2 any
wear than of 2)
other incorrect alignment angle.

 Too much toe-in produces a scuffing, or a featheredge, along

the inner edges of the tires.

 Excessive toe-out produces a similar wear pattern along the

outer edge of the tires.

 When a fully loaded vehicle is moving at highway speeds,

there is a slight tendency of steering tires to toe-out.

 Any looseness in the steering linkage and tie-rod assembly

also will contribute to the toe-out tendency.
KPI
Toe In and Toe out
Steering Mechanism
Steering Mechanism
Ackermann Steering

As a result of track width, the tires on the inside

and outside of a vehicle in a turn roll on different
radii.

A vehicle with Ackermann steering will produce

differing steer angles. The inside tire is steered
at a greater angle than the outside tire of the
steered axle if Ackermann steer is achieved.

Varying amounts of Ackermann are achieved

and are presented as a % of true (100%)
Ackermann.
Design Considerations

Track width and wheel base length, from a design

point, are the fundamental vehicle variables in
determining Ackermann.
Ackermann is achieved through steering arm
angles, tie rod angles and selected other variables.
Front steer vehicles (steering in front of the axle)
tend to have greater restriction on the availability
for Ackermann correction.
Tire selection and vehicle goals may determine
final Ackermann goals.
Ackermann Steering Mechanism
Ackermann Steering Mechanism
Ackermann Steering Mechanism
DAVIS STEERING MECHANISM
DAVIS STEERING MECHANISM
SUMMARY