3rd class Automobile Technology chapter 7

Steering System

7-1 Basic Principles

The steering system, along with the suspension system, allows the driver to
safely and easily control the vehicle’s direction while driving. To accomplish
these goals the steering system works with components of the suspension to
provide for the turning movement of the wheels. In addition to connecting the
driver to the wheels, the steering system also provides feedback to the driver
from the front tires

This feedback, called road feel, is used by the driver to determine how the
vehicle is handling .

How steering system work Figure(1-7)

7-2 The steering system.

consists of the components that allow the driver to turn the front wheels of the
vehicle, and for a few vehicles, provides for a limited amount of steering by the
rear wheels. The overall function of the steering system has not changed much
since the earliest days of the automobile .

7-3 Functions of the Steering System.

The most basic function of the steering system is to allow the driver to safely
and precisely steer the vehicle. Beyond this, the steering system also provides a
way to reduce driver effort by making the act of steering the vehicle easier. The
components of the steering system also absorb some of the road shock before it
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gets to the driver. Very little has changed in the operation of the steering system
or in some of the components since the earliest automobiles. The things that
have changed primarily have to do with increased ease and effectiveness of
operation and longer-lasting components that require less maintenance.

7-4 Steering Columns and Shafts.

The basic operation and function of the steering column has not changed very
much; the column gives the driver the ability to control the direction of the front
wheels and provides some leverage to make steering a little easier. Early
steering columns contained the steering shaft, steering wheel, and often had the
choke and ignition timing advance controls mounted on them for easy access.
An early model car’s steering wheel and column are shown in the figure ( 7-2 ).
Figure (7-2) shown steering wheel and control choke and ignition

steering gear. There is usually at least one coupler or joint between the column
and gearbox to allow for changes in angles and to reduce
Figure (7-3) Steering shafts transmit the motion of the steering wheel

7-5 PARTS AND OPERATION .

The steering linkage relays steering forces from the steering gear to the front
wheels. Most conventional steering gear linkages use the parallelogram -type
design. A parallelogram is a geometric box shape where opposite sides are
parallel and equal distance. A parallelogram-type linkage uses four tie rods,
two inner and two outer (left and right), a centre link (between the tie rods),
and an idler arm on the passenger side and a pitman arm attached to the
steering gear output shaft (pitman shaft) .
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As the steering wheel is rotated, the pitman arm is moved. The pitman arm
attaches to a centre link. At either end of the centre link are inboard (inner) tie
rods, adjusting sleeves, and outboard (outer) tie rods connected to the steering
arms which moves the front wheels. The passenger side of all these parts is
supported and held horizontal by an idler arm that is bolted to the frame. The
centre link may be known by several names, including the following:

- Center link .
- Connecting link ..
- Connecting rod
- Relay rod .
- Intermediate rod .
- Drag link (usually a truck term only)

FIGURE 7–4 Steering movement is transferred from the pitman

arm that is splined to the sector shaft (pitman shaft), through the
center link and tie rods, to the steering knuckle at each front wheel.
The idler arm supports the passenger side of the center link and
keeps the steering linkage level with the road. This type of linkage
is called a parallelogram-type design.

7-6 Conventional Steering gears .

PURPOSE AND FUNCTION.

A conventional steering gear uses steering gear assembly that moves linkages
and support arms to steer the vehicle. All steering gears have an input gear,
which transmits rotary movement from the steering wheel into the steering gear,
and an output gear, which causes the steering linkage to move laterally. The
rotation of the steering wheel is transferred to the front wheels through a
steering gear and linkage. The intermediate shaft is splined to a worm gear
inside a conventional steering gear. Around the worm gear is a nut with gear
teeth that meshes with the teeth on a section of a gear called a sector gear. The
sector gear is part of a pitman shaft, also known as a sector shaft, as shown in
Figure 7-5
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Ball, roller, or needle bearings support the sector shaft and the worm gear shaft,
depending on the make and model of the gear assembly.
As the steering wheel is turned, the movement is transmitted through the
steering gear to an arm attached to the bottom end of the pitman shaft. This arm
is called the pitman arm. Whenever the steering wheel is turned, the pitman
arm moves .

Figure 7-5 As the steering wheel is turned, the nut moves

up or down on the threads, shown using a bolt to represent the
worm gear and the nut representing the gear nut that meshes with
the teeth of the sector gears

HYDRAULIC SYSPOWER STEERING

H

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Power steering Hydraulic system

7-7 PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

Power-assisted steering hydraulically boosts the mechanical steering gear

operation so the driver can turn the steering wheel with less effort for the same
response. Hydraulic power steering has been available since the 1950s, and
many late-model systems are enhanced by electronic controls.

7-8 PRINCIPLES INVOLVED

Hydraulics is the study of liquids and their use to transmit force and motion.
Hydraulic systems transmit force and motion through the use of fluid pressure.
Force is a push or pull acting on an object and is usually measured in pounds or
Newtons. Pressure is force applied to a specific area. Pressure is usually
measured in force per unit of area, such as pounds per square inch (PSI), or kilo
pascals (kPa). One PSI is equal to 6.895 kPa.
The Pascal is a unit of measure named after the French scientist Blaise Pascal
(1623–1662), who studied the behavior of fluids in closed systems. One of his
discoveries, known as Pascal’s law, was that pressure on a confined fluid is
transmitted equally in all directions and acts with equal force on equal areas.
Hydraulic systems can transmit force and motion through liquids because, for
all practical purposes, a liquid cannot be compressed. No matter how much
pressure is placed on a liquid, its volume remains the same. This allows a liquid
to transmit force much like a mechanical lever.
The advantage of a liquid over a mechanical lever is that a liquid has volume
but does not have a fixed shape. Because it assumes the shape of its container, a
liquid can transfer force around obstacles or through pipes and passages of any
shape. As explained by Pascal’s law, a liquid can also decrease or increase the
force it transmits depending on the area of the output surface to which the force
is applied . figure (7-6) part of the power steering system.

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7-9 PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

The power steering pump draws fluid from the reservoir, pressurizes it, and
delivers it to the power steering system. A power steering pump produces a
high-pressure stream of fluid, typically in the 1,500-PSI (10,500 kPa) range.
The fluid reservoir may be either integral to (built into) the pump or remotely
mounted and connected to the pump by a hose. The power steering fluid
reservoir is usually made of either plastic or stamped metal, and it includes the
fluid filler neck, cap, and dipstick. An integral reservoir is part of the pump,
and the pump itself operates submerged in power steering fluid. once common,
steering pumps with an integral reservoir have given way to those with a remote
reservoir on many current-production vehicles. This is because the remote
reservoir allows for a smaller, more compact pump assembly that is better
suited to the cramped engine compartment of a modern vehicle.
A remote reservoir is a separate assembly from the pump and provides fluid to
it through a suction hose see figure (7-7) Typical remote reservoir.

7-10 OPERATION
A typical power steering system requires only 2 to 3.5 lb (0.9 to 1.6 kg) of effort
to turn the steering wheel. Most power steering systems use an engine-driven
hydraulic pump. Power steering hydraulic pumps are usually belt driven from
the front crankshaft pulley of the engine. Pumps come in many sizes and styles.
The power steering pump delivers a constant flow of hydraulic fluid to the
power steering gear or rack. A typical power steering pump requires less than
1/2 horsepower, which is less than 1% of engine power while driving straight
ahead. Even while parking at low speed, the power steering requires only about

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3 horsepower while providing high hydraulic pressures. Typical pressures

generated by a power steering system include the following .

Straight ahead less than 150 PSI (1,400 kPa)

Cornering about 450 PSI (3,100 kPa)
Parking (maximum) 750–1,400 PSI (5,200–10,0000 kPa)
The power steering pump drive pulley is usually fitted to a chrome-plated shaft
with a press fit. The shaft is applied to a rotor with vanes that rotate between a
thrust plate and a pressure plate.

7-11 TYPES OF PUMPS

Some power steering pumps are of the slipper or roller design instead of the
vane type. When the engine starts, the drive belt rotates the power steering
pump pulley and the rotor assembly inside the power steering pump.

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7-12 ELECTRIC POWER STEERING SYSTEM

PURPOSE AND FUNCTION

Many of today’s vehicles use electric power steering systems. Electric power
steering takes the place of hydraulic components by using an electric motor to
provide power assist effort.

PARTS AND OPERATION : Most electric power steering units use a DC

electric motor. Some operate from 42 volts while others operate from 12 volts.
The electric power steering (EPS) is also called electric power-assisted steering
(EPAS). The Toyota system on a Prius uses a DC motor, reduction gear, and
torque sensor all mounted to the steering column. The electric power steering
(EPS) is controlled by the EPS electronic control unit (ECU), which calculates
the amount of needed assist based on the input from the steering torque sensor.
The steering torque sensor is a noncontact sensor that detects the movement and
torque applied to the torsion bar. The torsion bar twists when the drive exerts
torque to the steering wheel, and the more torque.

Electrohydraulic power steering is used on the Chevrolet Silverado hybrid

truck. This system uses an electric motor to drive a hydraulic pump. The
electrohydraulic power steering (EHPS) module controls the power steering
motor, which has the function of providing hydraulic power to the brake booster
and the steering gear. A secondary function includes the ability to improve fuel
economy by operating on a demand basis and the ability to provide speed-
dependent variable-effort steering. The EHPS module controls the EHPS power
pack, which is an integrated assembly consisting of the following components:

1- Electric motor

2- Hydraulic pump 3- Fluid reservoir 4- Reservoir cap 5- Fluid level

sensor 6- Electronic controller 7- Electrical connectors

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