Steering system - it consists of the steering mechanism, power steering pump and other components
The steering system allows for changing the driving direction of a car or other type of vehicle - for this purpose, a variety of steering components are necessary. Steering gear, tie rods, a servo system for the power steering, and other components don't just make a car travel in the desired direction, but also ensure maximum safety and comfort. Thus, today almost all vehicles are equipped with power steering. Their servo system is oftentimes designed as a hydraulic pump. If the hydraulic pump fails, the steering system functions in this emergency mode as a conventional mechanical steering.
Steering system and steering mechanism - the modern design
A modern vehicle should ensure quick and precise steering, straightforward movement of the car, and should be capable of transferring road bumps to the driver to the least possible extent. In addition, safety is the main concern - for example, the steering column behavior in a rear-end collision, as well as the production costs. As a result, today's car manufacturers usually rely on the steering system design with steering knuckles. It is mounted on the front axle, along with an independent suspension.
The steering mechanism is designed as a rack-and-pinion steering and does not have a steering column lever. In the independent suspension, both sides are equipped with tie rods and tie rod ends. The latter ensure the connection between the components of the steering linkage, which are in turn controlled by the steering wheel and the steering rack.
While components like the steering column usually don't experience any significant wear, the tie rod ends, for example, tend to fail in the course of time. Also, the steering rack boot wears out over the years. Depending on the design, the length of the tie rod is adjusted depending on the dimensions of the suspension wishbone arms in order to increase the car dynamic stability during compression of the suspension. Some vehicle models also feature a so-called steering damper to prevent undesired and dangerous oscillations of the steering mechanism and steering wheel wobbling. The steering gear ratio (the ratio between the turn of the steering wheel and the turn of the wheel) is between 14:1 and 20:1; in trucks it is much higher.
Rexbo auto parts is your online supplier for all components related to the steering system, from the complete steering gear to tie rod ends and the fluid for your power steering hydraulic pump.
