Have you ever wondered how your steering system works? Sure, you turn the steering wheel and your wheels respond, but how does it all fit together? Actually, it’s quite simple.
Your vehicle probably has one of two kinds of steering systems: a standard steering system and a rack and pinion steering system. A standard system can be either powered or non-powered, while a rack and pinion steering system is almost always powered.
Standard Steering System
Standard steering systems use a series of links and arms that works to turn your wheels and keep them in sync. They’re usually found in older vehicles.
Obviously, steering begins at your steering wheel. The steering wheel connects to the steering box through the steering column, engaging the first order of business. The steering wheel rotates the steering shaft inside the column, which engages the steering boxes gear. In power steering systems, the action of rotating the steering shaft and engages the steering gearbox is aided by high-pressure fluid driven by the power steering pump. In non-power steering systems, you’re doing all the work—so you may want to hit those free weights.
Attached to the steering box’s output shaft is the pitman arm. The pitman arm connects the steering box to the steering gear on one end. On the other end, it connects to the center or drag link, which, in turn, connects to the idler arm
.
Connects to the center link are inner tie rod ends. These tie rod ends provide pivot points for the steering system. The inner tie rod end is attached to the outer tie rod ends through an adjustment sleeve.
Following along the line, the outer tie rod ends connect to the steering knuckle
, which transfers all that steering motion to turn the front wheels. The steering knuckle’s upper and lower ball joints pivot to create the geometry of the steering axis.
Make sense? Basically, what you need to remember is that you turn the wheel, the wheel turns the shaft, the shaft engages the gear, the gear engages mechanical parts to the steering knuckle and the steering knuckle turns the wheels.
Drawbacks of a Standard Mechanical Steering System
While the mechanical steering system is simple, it has a major drawback—weakness at the pivot points. The ball and socket joints wear out, and with so many pivot points, you’re looking at quite a bit of maintenance and repair over time.
Rack & Pinion Steering System
A rack and pinion steering system basically combines the steering box and center link in one unit, making steering operation a bit simpler. It is the steering system you most commonly see in today’s vehicles.
In a rack and pinion system, the steering wheel connects to the steering shaft, which connects to the pinion. When you turn your wheel, the pinion gear spins, which moves the steering rack. In this way, the spinning motion of the steering wheel and pinion gear is transferred to linear motion.
The tie rod at the end of the steering rack connects to the steering arm, which connects to the wheel spindle, where the linear motion works to turn your wheels.
A rack and pinion system is becoming more and more common in vehicles today. Since it reduces the number of parts and pivot points, this system lets the driver more accurately control the vehicle’s wheels.
Drawbacks of a Steering Rack and Pinion System
While this system is now the most common, it does have some drawbacks. A rack and pinion steering system is prone to leakage, which may involve replacing the entire rack assembly.
Common Steering Parts
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