Car Steering Systems that are Now Widely Used

When driving a car, your hands must be on the steering wheel. From there, you control the vehicle's speed. However, do you know what the steering system is in the car you drive?

The steering wheel is a vital component in a car. Its existence is very useful for controlling vehicle speed. Inside there are a number of components ranging from steering gear, steering wheel, steering linkage, to steering column.

Of all these components, the steering gear is useful for directing the wheels of the car. Not only that, the steering gear also functions as a reduction gear to increase the moment so that the steering wheel becomes light when the steering wheel is turned. 

Now there are two steering gear systems that are widely used. You have to know to understand how it works. What are they?

Recirculating Ball

The recirculating ball steering system works with a worm gear located in the gear box. The gear is connected to the linkage, connecting rod, tie rod, idler arm, and crank arm which is connected to the end of the pitman arm. These various components are able to transfer the rotational force from the steering wheel to the front wheels by rotating the ball joint on the lower arm and the upper bearing for the shock absorber.

Recirculating ball uses relatively large steering gear components. It is not surprising that in the end this system is more often used for various types of large vehicles such as trucks and buses. 

This steering system is quite tough. It has a long usage time and is able to make the steering wheel feel light. However, because the structure is quite complicated, repair costs are quite expensive. It's not surprising that the sector gear and pinion gear are not directly connected, making the repair process difficult.

Rack and Pinion

The rack and pinion system works by turning the pinion when the steering wheel is turned. This movement will move the rack from the side to the crank arm on the front wheel. As a result, when one front wheel is pushed, the other one is pulled. As a result, the wheels will rotate in the same direction.

Inside the rack and pinion body there are circular teeth inside the steering column. The steering wheel, which is driven from the steering column, is connected to the steering rack which can move the steering wheel in all linear directions, including the tie rod which is connected to the axle.

This system is driven by direct contact between the pinion and rack gears. Thanks to that, the transfer of moments feels light. Additionally, the rotation accuracy is excellent. This cannot be separated from the steering column teeth which are connected directly to the teeth on the steering rack, without any distance or gap that is too large.

Rack & pinions are more often used in small cars. Small and light gears are the cause. If it is forced on large vehicles, it will reduce the service life. Even so, when compared to recirculating ball, the rack and pinion system is less durable.

That's the usual car steering system. Which vehicle do you use?