Contents:

Unit2: Steering and Suspension Systems

Steering system; Principle of steering,
Centre point steering, Steering linkages,
Steering geometry and wheel alignment,
power steering.
Suspension system: its need and types,
Independent suspension, coil and leaf
springs, Suspension systems for multi-axle
vehicles, troubleshooting and remedies.
STEERING
SYSTEM

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 STEERING SYSTEM
 Steering is the term applied to the collection of components,
linkages, etc. which will allow a vehicle to follow the desired
direction.
 An automobile is steered with the help of steering gears and
linkages, which transfer the motion of the hand operated
steering wheel to the pivoted front wheel hubs via steering
column.
 The other parts that are used for steering a vehicle are steering
wheel pads, steering shafts, steering boxes, steering arms and
steering stabilizers. These parts are made of durable materials
like stainless steel, iron, aluminum, copper, magnesium,
titanium, platinum, rubber, and plastics.

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NEEDS OF STEERING SYSTEM

 It should multiply the turning effort applied on the steering

wheel by the driver.

 It should be to a certain extent irreversible. In other words,

the shocks of the road surface encountered by the wheels
should not be transmitted to the driver’s hands.

 The mechanism should have self rightening effect i.e.,

when the driver releases the steering wheel after
negotiating the turn, the wheel should try to achieve
straight ahead position. 4
 Functions of Steering System
⚫ It helps in swinging the wheels to the left or right.
⚫ It helps in turning the vehicle at the will of the driver.
⚫ It provides directional stability.
⚫ It helps in controlling wear and tear of tyres.
⚫ It helps in achieving the self-rightening effect.
⚫ It converts the rotary movement of the steering wheel into

an angular turn of the front wheels.

⚫ It multiplies the effort of the driver by leverage in order to

make it fairly easy to turn the wheels.

⚫ It absorbs a major part of the road shocks thereby
preventing them to get transmitted to the hands of the driver.

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 Requirements of Good
Steering System
⚫ The steering mechanism should be very accurate and easy to
handle
⚫ The effort required to steer should be minimum and must not
be tiresome to the driver
⚫ The steering mechanism should also provide the directional
stability. This implies that the vehicle should have tendency
to return to its straight ahead position after turning
⚫ It should provide pure rolling motion to wheel
⚫ It should be designed in such a manner that road shocks are
not transmitted to driver

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Principle of Steering
Functions and 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.

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 Centre Point Steering .

A steering geometry where the steering axis cuts the wheel axis
in the wheel center plane, with no offset at the road surface.

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 Turning the Car (when turning, front wheels don’t point the same direction)

• Inside wheel turns at a smaller radius, hence the inside wheel turns at a
steeper angle then the outside wheel.

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 LAYOUT OF A STEERING SYSTEM

A typical steering system consists of

 Steering wheel
 Steering shaft
 Steering gear box
 Pitman arm
 Drag link
 Steering knuckle arm,
 Tie rod
 Track rod arm
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 Tire rod
Steering arm

Gearbox
Pitman arm

Drag link

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12
 Steering System
•Linkage Steering System Parts

•Steering Wheel – Used by the

driver to rotate a steering shaft
that passes through the steering
column.

•Steering Shaft – Transfers turning

motion from the steering wheel to
the steering gearbox.

•Steering Column – Supports the

steering shaft.

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 Steering System
Linkage Steering System Parts
Steering Gearbox
•changes turning motion
into a straight-line motion
to the left or right.
•Steering gear box ratios
range from 15:1 to 24:1
(with 15:1, the worm gear
turns 15 times to turn the
selector shaft once).
•Steering linkage –
connects the steering
gearbox to the steering
knuckles and wheels.
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 Steering Linkage

Pitman Arm transfers gearbox

motion to the steering linkage.
•Pitman arm is splined to the
gearbox.
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Steering Linkage for Independent
Suspension

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 Steering Linkage

Center Link (Relay Rod) steel bar

connects the right and left side
of the steering linkage. .
•Connects to Pitman arm, Tie rod ends,
and Idler arm
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 Steering Linkage

Idler Arm supports the end of the

center link on the passenger side of
the vehicle.

•Bolts to the vehicle’s frame.

•If worn, will cause excessive
steering play.
Linkage Steering System (Worm Gear)
Steering Geometry

Steering System: Vishal V.Chahare 1

Camber Angles
King Pin Inclination
 Combined angle Scrub radius

Combined angle is the angle formed between the wheel centre

line and the king pin inclination (or steering axis).

Scrub radius is the distance between the wheel contact point

through which road resistance acts and the other point where
the steering axis tSoteuecrinhgeSysstetmh:eVisrhoalaVd.Chsahuarreface. 24
Scrub Radius
 Effects of Scrub Radius
⚫ Ifthe scrub radius is negative the wheel tends to
toe in.
⚫ Ifthe scrub radius is zero,the wheel keep their
straight position withoutany tendencyto toe in or
toe out.It is called centre point steering.
⚫ Ifthe scrub radius is positive,there is tendency
to toe out.
Amount

⚫ Combined angle:9 to 10 degrees

⚫ Scrubradius: upto12 mm
 Castor angle

The angle between the king pin centre line (or steering axis)
and the vertical, in the plane of wheel is called caster angle
Castor angle•If the king pin centre line meets
the ground at a point ahead of the
vertical wheel centre line, it is
called positive caster.
•Positive caster is preferred
in automobiles.
•If the king pin centre line meets
the ground at a point behind the
vertical wheel centre line, it is
called positive caster.
 Toe –in or Toe out

•Toe-in is the amount by which the front wheels are set closer
together at the front when it is stationary.
•Toe-out is the amount by which the front wheels are set closer
together at the rear side when it is stationary.
 Slip Angle & Cornering Force
While taking a turn, the centrifugal force acts on the vehicle
which produces a side thrust. To sustain the force, the plane of
the wheel must make some angle with the direction of motion
of the vehicle. This is achieved by the distortion of the tire
which is flexible.
The angle through which the wheel has to tilt to sustain the side
force is called the slip angle and the force produced due to this
(at right angles to the plane of the wheel) which counters the
side thrust, is known as cornering force.
 Slip Angle & Cornering Force
The value of slip angle depends upon
- Amount of side force
- Flexibility of tire
- Load carried by the wheel
- Camber angle
- Condition of road surface
Magnitude of slip angle is small at low speeds and at less sharp curves
It is more, at high speeds and at sharp curves
For same slip angle-
Cornering force increases for positive camber Cornering
force decreases for negative camberThe alteration in the
cornering force due to camber is known as camber force
Side force sustained
Cornering Power =
SlipAngle
 Understeer and Oversteer
Understeer: When the slip angles of the front wheels are greater
than those for the rear wheels, radius of the turn increases. The
vehicle turns less sharply than it is expected. Therefore to keep it
on right path we have to steer more.
 Understeer & Oversteer
Oversteering: When slip angles of the front wheels are less than
those of the rear wheels, the radius of the turn decreases. The
vehicle turns more sharply than it is expected. Therefore to keep it
on right path we have to steer a little less than needed.
Factors affecting Understeer &
Oversteer
Passive Factors:
1) Weight Distribution
2) Type of Drive
3) Suspension and chassis setup
4) Tire type & Pressure

Active Factors:
1) Cornering Speed
2) Throttle Position
 Wheel Alignment
1) Positioning the steered wheels to achieve the
following :
2) Directional stability during straight ahead position
3) Perfect rolling condition on steering
4) Recovery after completing the turn

1) Different types of alignments:

2) The front end alignment
3) Thrust angle alignment
4) Four wheel alignment
Factors of Wheel Alignment
Toe-in and Toe-out
Factors of Wheel Alignment

Set back
Factors of Wheel Alignment
Thrust angle
CONDITION FOR PERFECT
STEERING
 STEERING GEARS (Steering gear boxes):

• Worm and wheel steering gear

• Cam and roller or worm and roller steering gear
• Worm and nut or screw and nut steering gear
• Recirculating ball steering gear
• Rack and pinion steering gear.
Worm and wheel steering gear
W O RM AN D RO LLER STEERIN G GEAR
SC REW AN D N UT TYPE STEERIN G GEAR
RECIRCULATING BALLTYPE STEERING GEAR
RAC K AN D PIN IO N STEERIN G MEC HAN ISM
 Steering System
Basic Rack-and-Pinion Steering

•Pinion Gear- rotated by the steering wheel and steering shaft; it’s teeth mesh
with the teeth on the rack.

•Rack- long steel bar with teeth along one section; slides sideways as the pinion
gear turns.
 POWER STEERING SYSTEM
Power Steering normally use an engine driven pump and a hydraulic system
to assist steering action.

Three major types of power steering systems:

• Integral-piston linkage system.

• External power steering system.

• Rack-and-pinion system

• Integral power piston.

• External power piston.

Integral Rack-and-pinion system

is the most common.
 POWER STEERING
The slight movement of the steering wheel actuates a valve so that the
fluid under pressure from the reservoir enters on the appropriate side of
the cylinder, thereby applying the pressure on one side of the piston to
operate the steering linkage, which steers the wheel in the appropriate
direction.
Power Steering
Power Steering
Advantages of Power Steering
1) The steering effort is considerably reduced. Eg. 16 ton truck can
be steered as easily as a modern small car.

2) The vehicle can be steered lock to lock with approx 1.5 turns of
steering wheel on either side as compared to more than 3 turns of
manual gears.

3) The hydraulics of the power steering system absorbs the road

shocks whereas in case of manual steering the shocks are
transmitted to steering wheel.

4) In a manually steered vehicle, tire failures and maladjusted brakes

often cause violent pull to either side and as the effort required to
overcome such situation is more than usual, driver is often unable
to control it which leads to accident. But power steered vehicles
can be controlled easily and accidents can be avoided. Power
steering is safer than manual steering.
FrontAxle
StubAxles
TYPES OF STEERING
SYSTEM
(a) Davis steering system,

(b) Ackerman`s steering system

DAVIS STEERING SYSTEM

The correct steering depends upon a sutable selection of cross

arm angle α

Α = b/l where b= AB (dist. between pivots)

L= wheel base (centre distance between front and rear axle)
ACKERMANN STEERING SYSTEM

A B D
C K
L
Ackerman’s Geometry
COMPONENTS OF STEERING SYSTEM
 Types of Power-steering Systems:
⚫ Integral power steering ⚫ Linkage power steering