CHAPTER 5-STEERING SYSTEM

The aim of any steering linkage arrangement is to achieve pure rolling motion under
all steering conditions. It must also keep the vehicle stable on course regardless of
irregularities on the surface over which the vehicle is traveling.

For the achievement of these basic aims, the first requirement is that, when the vehicle
traveling very slowly; all the wheel shall roll truly, that is, without any lateral slip.

In this figure, motion of the wheel along YY is pure rolling, along XX, It is wholly
slip. Motion along with any other axis, ZZ for example, will have both rolling and slip
components.

Since for all the wheels on a vehicle to roll truly they must all move in the same
direction perpendicular to their axis “XX”, these axes must all intersect at a common point. If
the vehicle is on a straight course, this point will be at infinity, in otherwards the axis will be
parallel. On the other hand, if the vehicle is turning a corner, this point will always be the
centre about which the vehicle as a whole is turning, and the tighter the turn the closer it will
be to the vehicle.

Functions of the Steering System:

The functions of the steering system are
1. To convert the rotary movement of the steering wheel in the drivers hands into
angular turn of the front wheels.
2. To multiply the drivers effort by leverage or mechanical advantage so as to make it
fairly easy to turn the wheels.
3. The system also must absorb a large part of the road shocks, thus preventing them
from being transmitted to the driver.
4. It must be capable to keep the wheels, at all times, in true rolling motion without
rubbing or scuffing of tyres on road.
5. Steering system must be easily operatable.
6. It should have a certain degree of self – centering action to keep vehicle on a straight
course.
 Steering Geometry

The geometry of the steered wheels is such that road wheel movement, under certain
conditions, materially assists the controlling effort at the steering wheel.
The following are the main steering geometry of a system.

i) Camber angle ii) Caster angle

iii) King-pin inclination iv) Toe-in & Toe-out

i) Camber angle:
The inclination of the wheel with the vertical is called the Camber. The front wheels
of most vehicles, when seen from the front, lean slightly either inwards or outwards. The tilt
of the wheel is called as the camber, and the amount of angle that it tilts is called as the
camber angle.

Camber angle types

No Camber -Ve Camber +Ve Camber

When the wheels are set further apart at the top than at the bottom, the angle made by
the wheel axis with the vertical line is called as +ve Camber angle.
When the wheels are set further apart at bottom than at the top, the angle made by the
wheel axis with the vertical line is called as –ve Camber angle.
When the wheel axis coincides with the vertical line, it is called as Zero camber angle.

The wheels are set usually further apart at the top than at the bottom. This reduces
wear on the steering linkage and gives lighter steering, provided the camber angle is kept
equal on both wheels. So while constructing the axle the wheels are given a slight +ve
camber and under the load the wheels become straight, making the camber angle zero. This
occurs due to the bearing clearances.

If the camber of the wheel is set at zero in the manufacturing process, a –ve camber
would result when the vehicle is loaded. This occurs due to the effect of bearing clearance
and deflection of suspension joints or spindles or front axle under load. Therefore, the front
wheels are usually given a small +ve camber during fabrication so that any –ve camber
effects of bearing clearances, axle deflection and dynamic operating loads is taken care and
the wheels stand straight up i.e. the net camber is almost zero when the vehicle is operated
with normal design load.

Usually camber angle is equal on both left and right wheels. Unequal camber causes
the vehicle to roll in the direction of the wheel having the greater camber and thus affects
directional stability. However, due to peculiar design, manufacturing or route characteristics,
different camber angles may also be specified.

+ve Camber if too much:

i) Premature wear of outer shoulder.
ii) Uneven tread section of tyre wear.
iii)Adverse handling of the vehicle.

-ve Camber if too much:

i) Inner shoulder and tread section will wear excessively due to load.

When the camber is zero, operation under load is effectively with –ve camber and tyre
wear although less severe, will occur. Normally therefore a slight +ve camber of less than 3 0
is provided. Excessive tyre wear is normally due to incorrect camber.

King-Pin:
Hardened-steel pin carrying the swivel members by which a front wheel is steered.
The angle between the king-pin axis and the vertical line is known as King-pin angle or
steering axis inclination.
King-Pin inclination

Fig – (a) : If its axis is vertical, there is a tendency, due to the force between the tyre and road,
for the wheels to “toe-out” or turn about the king-pin. This would cause difficult steering and
over-stress the steering linkage. It is the King-pin inclination which makes the steering self –
righting, i.e. after negotiating a curve the wheels will have a tendency to come back to
straight position. In theory the axis of the King-pin should pass through the point of contact
of wheel and road, giving what is termed as centre – point steering.

Fig – (b) : By inclining the King-pin as well as the wheel, the tendency of the wheels to
straighten up is also increased, because as the stub axle turns it raises the vehicle slightly, and
the weight of the vehicle will always tend to come to its lowest position due to gravity.

This method is generally preferred, since there is less difficulty in accommodating the
steering and breaking equipment and the camber angle is not too severe.

It will be noted that the inner bearing in the front wheel hub is larger than the outer
bearing in order to take the heavier loads imposed on it due to the camber angle.

Fig – (c) : Positioning the King-pin on the centre of the wheel.

Caster angle:
A car should have an inbuilt tendency to travel straight and to return to the straight –
ahead position after a turn. This tendency, which makes a car stable in motion and makes the
steering wheel spin back after a corner, is controlled by many factors, including the king-pin
position, suspension and resilience of tyres. One of the most important direction controlling
factor is castor angle.

The angle made by the king-pin axis to the vertical is known as the castor angle. This
inclination is different from the king-pin inclination. This inclination is the inclination of the
axis of the king pin to the axis of the wheel perpendicular to the ground when the wheel is
viewed from the side.

If Castor angle more :

1) Wobbling
2) Steering effort will be heavy and difficulty will be encountered when steering the vehicle
from straight path.

Toe-in Toe-out:
Although in theory the front wheels should be parallel when pointing straight ahead,
the best practical results are usually obtained by setting them slightly out of the parallel. This
gives the steadiest steering and least tyre wear. On most cars, when the steering is centralized,
the front wheels point inward by a fraction of an inch at the front. This is known as Toe-in.

Some cars – usually those with front wheel drive – have the wheels pointing slightly
outwards. This is known as toe-out. A means of adjusting the amount of toe-in or toe-out is
always provided.

These adjustments are given because some forces act on wheels when the vehicle is in
motion and the wheels have a tendency to deflect outwards. This has to be compensated for,
because otherwise the wheels would wonder. Therefore, some adjustments have to be made
such that when the vehicle is in motion, the wheels become parallel.

Wheel alignment is the term used to describe the amount of toe-in or toe-out and
rarely exceeds 3/16th of an inch.

Since the driving wheels on a front wheel drive car are pulling instead of pushing
from the rear, they may have “toe-out”. Toe-in or toe-out depends upon the steering geometry
and its characteristic; some independent front – suspension systems may have toe-out but not
toe-in. The amount of toe-in or toe-out should be strictly as specified for the vehicle.

Steering System:
The steering system decides the direction of motion of a vehicle and therefore this
system should function accurately. Tyre performance depends much upon the functioning of
the steering system. A steering system should ensure pure rolling of wheels and it should not
allow the wheels to slip laterally. When a vehicle travels in a curved path the four wheel axles
should meet at a common point. This is the basic requirement that a steering system should
satisfy for a smooth and proper steering and also for the wheels to roll. To ensure this the
inner wheel should turn through a greater angle than the outer wheel. This condition is
satisfied by making the steering arms, i.e. the track arms inclined to the center line of the
vehicle as shown.
 The steering system is of the following types.
i) Fifth wheel steering system
ii) Ackerman’s steering system

i) Fifth wheel steering system:

It is the single pivot steering system in which the front axle along with the wheels,
moves to right or left. The movement to the whole axle and wheel assembly is affected by
means of a steering and a wheel which is placed between the chassis frame and axle. The fifth
wheel acts as a turn-table. The axle assembly is connected with the frame by means of a pin
which serves as a pivot around which the axle assembly moves. The fifth wheel contains a
ring gear mounted at its rim and is moved by means of a steering movement of the steering
wheel that tends the front axle and wheel assembly to move away.

ii) Ackerman’s steering system:

A & B  Track arm
R  Steering linkage or Tie-rod
M & N Stub axles R = Tie rod

The way in which the inclination of the steering arms causes the stub axles M & N to
turn through different angles can be seen from the above fig. The full line represents the
straight – ahead position and the dotted one indicate when the vehicle is taking an turn to the
left. When the stub axle N is turned through an angle  , it causes arm. A (steering arm A)
also to turn through the same angle and it assumes the position A l. Central point P, joining the
track arm A and the track rod R, moves through a distance “X” parallel to the beam of the
axle. Turning of stub axle N has to be effected by the steering wheel. Since track arm A is
connected to track arm B, of stub axle M by track rod R, the central point “O” also moves by
the same dist “X” parallel to the beam of the axle. Since point “O” moves towards the Zenith
of its circle and point “P” towards its nadir, it causes the track arm ‘B’ to turn through a larger
angle, than the angle through which track arm ‘A’ is turned. Track arm ‘B’ assumes position
“Bl” and stub axle M is turned through angle  such that  >  .

Under steering and Over steering:

While taking a turn, the wheels are not always pointing in direction in which the
vehicle is moving, due to tyre size, stiffness and distortion of tyre tread. The angle between
the wheel inclination and the path taken by the wheel is known as rear slip angle. If the rear
tyre slip angle is greater than the front tyre, the end of the vehicle tend to increase the turning
arc as the back end slips outward. This turns the vehicle to oversteer than is to turn into the
curve more than the driver intended.

If the slip angle is smaller at the rear tyre than at the front tyre, the front end of the
vehicle tends to reduce the turning arc producing under steer. Of course, the understeer is
opposite to oversteer and is preferred because correction by the driver involves rotating the
steering wheel a little more in the direction of the turn. It is to be noted that the slip angle is
affected by the road camber, side winds, tyre inflation and variations in the load on either the
front or rear axle.

During cornering, the centrifugal force causes the tyres to deflect or twist, so the wheels are
not always pointing in direction in which the vehicle is moving. The difference in these two
angles is called slip angle.

Steering assembly at rest:

Fig (a) : The longer bar represents the front axle assembly. The shorter bar is the steering
linkage, operated by the steering wheel.

Steering assembly in operation

Fig (b): Because the steering linkage is shorter than the axle assembly, it moves the right
wheel through a larger angle than the left in a right turns and vice – versa when the car is
turning left.

Steering Gear Box:

It would require a great deal of effort to move the front wheels if the steering wheel
was connected directly to the steering linkage. To assist the drive a reduction system is used
having a movement ratio between 10:1 to 22:1, the actual value depends upon the type and
weight of vehicle. Another function of steering box is to change the rotary movement of the
steering wheel to lateral movement of the track rod. Another function of the steering box is to
provide torque multiplication.

Steering Ratio: is the ratio between the rotation of the steering wheel and the angle of
movement imparted to the steering arms. Those parts of the steering linkage connected
directly to the stub axles and which move the wheels.
If for instance, a full turn (3600) of the steering wheel moves the steering arms
through 300, the steering ratio is 12:1 (or 360:30). Steering ratio is also called as torque
multiplication.

Steering Ratio  for cars 10:1 to 22:1

for trucks 24:1 to 32:1

Note: Because the steering box has a number of bearings and moving parts, it has to be well
lubricated to avoid wear, which would eventually cause excessive and extremely dangerous
play in the car’s steering.

The steering box is so designed that very little wheel shock is transmitted to the
steering wheel. But the steering box itself is subjected to this road shock; and if it is allowed
to work loose from its mountings, the chassis or body will eventually become damaged. This
entails an expensive repair check for tightness regularly.

There are many different designs of steering box but the following types are the most
common.
1) Worm and roller(Cam and roller)
2) Cam and peg
3) Recirculating ball
4) Rack and pinion

1) Cam and Roller: (OR Worm and Roller)

As the cam (worm) rotates, the roller is compelled to follow the helix of the groove
and in doing so causes the rocker shaft to rotate, thus moving the steering linkages.

The contour of the cam (or worm) is designed to match the arc made by the roller, so
maintaining a constant depth of mesh and evenly distributing the load and wear on the mating
parts.

This type of steering gear is fitted in Leyland vehicles and American passenger cars.

(refer newton steets for alphabetical notations in the following paragraph). It is the
Marles steering gear carried by the drop arm spindle A on the ball bearings shown is a V –
shaped roller B which engages a grove cut in the member C. The roller B is keyed to the
steering wheel shaft but is fixed axially. The contour of the member C is designed to match
the arch made by the roller, so maintaining a constant depth of mesh and evenly distributing
the load and wear on the mating parts.
When the steering wheel is turned the spiral groove in the member C constrains the
roller B to move to the right or left from the position shown, thus turning the drop arm. End
playoff the member C can be eliminated by screwing the casing E further into the steering
box, a clamping screw F being provided for locking purposes. Proper meshing of the roller
with the groove in the member C may be obtained by turning the pin D.

2) Cam and peg:

Attached to the rocker arm is a taper peg which engages in the cam as shown in the fig. When
the cam rotates, the peg moves along the groove causing the rocker shaft to rotate.

3) Recirculating Ball:
 In this unit a nut is mounted on the worm with two sets of balls in the grooves of the
worm in between the nut and the worm. Friction is kept low by using balls between the major
moving parts. The balls roll between the worm teeth and the grooves cut in the hole in the
ball nut. As the worm turns, the balls roll in the worm teeth. The balls must also roll in the
grooves inside the ball nut. Thus as the worm rotates, the balls cause the nut to move up or
down along the worm. This motion is carried by the teeth on the outside of the ball nut to the
teeth on the sector (rocker) gear. Thus the sector gear must move, and this movement swings
the pitman arm.
The input shaft portion of this gear has a semi – grooved helix with constant lead that
provides one half of the path of travel for the re-circulating balls. The other half of the path is
grooved helix cut on the inside of the follower nut.
This type of steering gear is used in Tata / Fargo, standard 20 vehicles.

Rack and Pinion:

The rack and pinion steering gear, used on same imported and domestic small cars.
This system has a gear sector on the end of the steering shaft and it operates directly on
toothed track rack that runs between the front wheels with short links going out to the
steering arm.

The gear sector is meshed with the rack. When the steering wheel is turned, the gear
sector turns. This moves the rack to the left or right. The movement is carried through tie-
rods to the steering arms at the front wheels.

This is especially suitable for cars with double transverse wishbone or Macpnerson
strut type suspension. Its principal advantages, in addition to accommodating relatively easy
with the suspension geometry, are the +ve feel of such a system, high efficiency, simplicity,
the relative case with which it can be rigidly mounted on vehicle structure and the consequent
precision of the system. Moreover, by increasing the spiral angle of the teeth, a high ratio is
obtainable with a pinion that is small yet has teeth of adequate section for taking the loads to
which they are subjected.

Types of Steering Boxes

1. Screw – and – nut Mechanism: (page no. 765 Newton and Steeds)
A multiple threaded screw B is free to rotate in bearings in a C.I casing C. Axial
motion is prevented by thrust bearings D and the screw is connected by the shaft A to the
steering wheel. A nut H fits on the screw and is prevented from rotating. Hence, if the screw
is turned the nut must move axially up or down the screw. This motion is caused to rotate the
drop arm through the medium of a two – armed spindle L, which is carried in ball bearings in
the casing and which carries the drop arm at its outer end. The two arms KK of the spindle L
straddle the nut, to which they are connected by the bronze pads MM which is free to turn in
the cylindrical recesses formed in the sides of the nut. The pads are necessary because the nut
moves in a straight line while the arms of the spindle L move in circular path. In this design
the nut is prevented from rotating by the arm K of the spindle L.

2. Screw – and Lever Mechanism :

This steering unit is a form of Cam mechanism. At the bottom end of the steering
wheel shaft a helical groove A is formed, and this engages the projection B of the drop arm
spindle lever. The drop arm spindle lever is supported by bearing on the cover place at H, and
screw F prevents it from meshing too deeply with the grove A. The pin B is sometimes made
in the form of a roller, being carried in bearings in the drop arm spindle lever. A recent
modification is to provide the lever with two pins which, in the central position of a gear,
engage the screw near its ends. This enables increased leverage to be obtained when the
steering is locked hard over.
When the steering wheel shaft is turned the drop arm is rocked to and fro. This drop
arm is connected to the steering arm is connected to the steering arm of the stub axle and the
connections must be such as will allow of angular motion in two planes. (connection is made
with the help of ball and socket joint construction).