STEERING

GEOMETRY
Fig. 1: Steering components
The steering arm
(3) and the
pitman arm (4)
rotate in the
same direction.
The tie rods (2)
are fixed to these
arms.
 Steering Requirements
• There is no definite functional relationship between
the turning angle of the steering wheel made by the
driver and the change in driving direction, because
the correlation of the following is not linear (Fig. 1):
turns of the steering wheel;
alteration of steer angle at the front wheels;
development of lateral tyre forces;
alteration of driving direction.
Fig. 2: Steering -Non-linearity Correlation
 Steering Requirements
• During steering, the driver continually adjust the relationship
between turning the steering wheel and the alteration in the
direction of travel. The driver observes a number of factors which
include:
the roll inclination of the body,
the feeling of being held steady in the seat (transverse
acceleration) and
 the self-centring torque the driver will feel through the
steering wheel.
• The most important is the feedback the driver receives via the
steering moment or torque which indicates the forces acting on the
wheels.
 Steering requirements
• It is the job of the steering system to convert the steering wheel
angle into a clear relationship with the steering angle of the
wheels.
• It also has to convey feedback about the vehicle’s state of
movement back to the steering wheel.
• The actuating moment applied by the driver converts it into
pulling forces on one side and pushing forces on the other.
• They are being transferred to the steering arms 3 via the tie rods 2.
• Rotation is around the steering axis EG (Fig. 3), also called
kingpin inclination, pivot or steering rotation axis.
Fig. 3: Steering Axis
 Steering kinematics
• Calculating the true tie rod length u0 (Fig. 4) and the
steering arm angle λ (Fig. 1) creates some difficulties in
the case of independent wheel suspensions.
• The construction designer’s job is to calculate the steering
arm angle in such a manner that when the wheels are
turned, the specified desired curve produced comes as
close as possible.
• The achievement of the necessary balance is made more
difficult still by the movements of the wheel carrier during
driving.
Fig. 4:
 Steer angle

• When the vehicle is moving very slowly and ‘free of lateral forces’, it
turns precisely when the verticals drawn in the middle of all four
wheels meet at one point.
• The point is the centre of the bend M (Fig. 5).
• If the rear wheels are not steered, the verticals on the two front wheels
must intersect with the extension of the rear axle centre line at M.
• Different steer angles δi and δA,o occur on the front wheels on the
inside and outside of the bend.
• The nominal value δA,o of the outer angle – also known as the
Ackerman angle – can be calculated from the larger inner angle
Fig. 5: Relationship between inner and outer angles
where l is the wheelbase and j the distance between
the two steer axis extensions (Figs 6 and 3),
measured at the ground, i.e.
j = bf -2 rσ
where the kingpin offset rσ is negative, the integer
is positive.
• The differential steer angle ΔδA must always be
positive for the nominal values calculated.
ΔδA = δi- δA,o
Fig. 6:Front axle designations
 Track Circle Diameter
• Theoretical track circle diameter DS can be
calculated using the angle δA,o (Fig. 5).
• This is the diameter of the circle which the outer
front wheel traces with the largest steering angle
• The turning circle of a vehicle should be as small
as possible to make it easy to turn and park.
• The formula shows that for a small circle diameter,
the wheelbase must be a short and a steer angle must
be large on the outer wheel of the bend.
• This in turn requires an even greater steering angle
applied to the wheel at the inside of the turning
circle.
• The inner angle i is limited, whereas the wheel angle
on the outside is not. This may be the same size as
the inner one.
• The disadvantage is that it impairs the cornering
behaviour of the vehicle but with the advantage that
the track circle becomes smaller.
• The outer steering angle is therefore larger on most
passenger cars.
• The actual value δo (without index A) is greater than
the nominal angle δA,o calculated according to
Ackerman by the steering flaw ΔδF.
• The required steering deviation is as follows:
ΔδF = δo- δA,o = ΔδA- Δδ
where Δδ = δi- δo expresses the so-called differential
steer angle and
δA,o = δi –ΔδA.
• The turning circle diameter Ds can be reduced by
deliberately accepting a steering deviation.
• In addition to ΔδF, the angle δA,o,max, the largest outer nominal
angle according to Ackermann must also be known.
• According to measurements is has been shown that a
reduction by ΔDS ≈ 0.1 m per 1° steering deviation can be
achieved
• The formula which should include all dimensions in metres
would then be
 Turning circle
• The turning circle radius is basically only a theoretical
value which can be calculated at the design stage.
• For the driver it is the swept turning circle kerb to kerb
that is important (Fig.7)
• This circle diameter Dtc,kb can be measured but can also
be calculated using the turning circle diameter D S and
the actual width of the tyre, B.
Dtc,kb =Ds + B
Fig. 7: Turning circle – kerb to kerb
Fig. 8: The swept turning circle Dtc
• However, the swept turning circle, the diameter of which
Dtc is greater than that of the circle by the front overhang
length Lex,f (fig. 9) is probably a more important
dimension.
• The radius Rr,o of the turning circle, which the rear wheel
on the outside of the bend traces, or Rr,i – that traced by the
wheel on the inside of the bend – can be calculated from
the known turning circle diameter DS (see also Fig. 1.69).
These are:
Fig.9: Turning circles