STEERING SYSTEM

A Summer Training Project Report on steering system of a car

Sandeep Kumar Mishra
B.tech (Mechanical 2nd year)
JSS ACADEMY OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, NOIDA

Training Guide Mr Jagrit Sharma

Content List

Title 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Company at a Glance Introduction Caster Camber Toe Steering axis inclination Scrub radius Steering dynamics Types of steering system . . . ........ ... .. .. ... ..

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1.Company at a Glance
If youve gone from here to there or just about anywhere in India, chances are youve driven with us. For over 3 decades now, Maruti Suzuki has been going places with India. 1982. Gurgaon, Haryana. Little did this quiet suburb of New Delhi know that it was to become the seat of Indias automobile revolution, at the Maruti Suzuki factory. In 1982, India turned out just 40,000 cars every year. The Maruti 800 rolled out and a new chapter began. It was a new story of leadership. Today, Maruti Suzuki alone makes 1.5 million cars every year. Thats one car every 12 seconds. Head and shoulders above the rest, this includes every major global auto company.

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2.Introduction to the steering system

The design of the steering system has an influence on the directional response behaviour of a motor vehicle that is often not fully appreciated. The function of the steering system is to steer the front wheels in response to driver command inputs in order to provide overall directional control of the vehicle. However, the actual steer angles achieved are modified by the geometry of the suspension system, the geometry and reactions within the steering system. Steering system can be front wheel controlled, rear wheel control, all wheel control. Here we will keep our focus on front wheel controlled steering system.

3. Caster
Caster is the forward or rearward tilt of the steering axis in reference to a vertical line as viewed from the side of the vehicle. The steering axis is defined as the line drawn through the upper and lower steering pivot points. On an SLA suspension system, the upper pivot is the upper ball joint and the lower pivot is the lower ball joint. On a MacPherson strut system, the upper pivot is the centre of the upper bearing mount and the lower pivot point is the lower ball joint. Zero caster means that the steering axis is straight up and down, also called 0 degrees or perfectly vertical, as shown in Figure. 3.1Types of casterThere are three types of caster angle Positive Caster Negative Caster Zero caster.

3.2 Effect of caster angle on steeringPositive caster - If caster is positive, the vehicle steering will be very stable (will tend to go straight with little steering wheel correction needed). This degree of caster helps with
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steering wheel return ability after a turn. If the caster is positive, steering effort will increase with increasing positive caster. Greater road shocks will be felt by the driver when driving over rough road surfaces. Vehicles with as many as 11 degrees positive caster, such as many Mercedes vehicles, usually use a steering dampener to control possible shimmy at high speeds and to dampen the snap-back of the spindle after a turn. Negative Caster- Negative caster is seldom specified on todays vehicles because it tends to make vehicle unstable at highway speed. Negative caster is present in old vehicle which are not equipped with powered steering to reduce steering effort.

4 Camber
Camber is the inward or outward tilt of the wheels from true vertical as viewed from the front or rear of the vehicle. If the top of the tire is tilted out, then camber is positive. If the top of the tire is tilted in, then camber is negative. Camber is zero (0 degrees) if the tilt of the wheel is true vertical.

4.1 Effect of Camber on steeringCamber can cause pull if it is unequal side-to-side. The vehicle will pull toward the side with the most positive camber. A difference of more than 1/2 degree from one side to the other will cause the vehicle to pull. Negative camber tilts the tire and form a cone shape that causes the wheel to pull inward. Positive camber tilts the tire and form a cone shape that causes the wheel to roll or pull outward.

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If the camber angles are different from one side to other, the will pulled towards the side with the more camber angle.

5 ToeToe is the difference in distance between the front and rear of the tires. Toe is the most important of the alignment angles. As viewed from the top of the vehicle (a birds eye view), zero toe means that both wheels on the same axle are parallel, as shown in figure. It is of two types Toe in or Positive toe Toe out or Negative toe

The purpose of the correct toe setting is to provide maximum stability with a minimum of tire wear when the vehicle is being driven. If the toe is improper by just 3mm the resulting tire wear is equivalent to dragging a tire side-ways 8.5m for every mile travelled. First figure illustrate toe in and second one shows toe out.

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6 Steering axis inclinations (SAI)

SAI is also known as kingpin inclination (KPI) and is the imaginary line drawn through the kingpin as viewed from the front. SAI is also called ball joint inclination (BJI), if SLA-type suspension is used, or MacPherson strut inclination (MSI). The purpose of SAI is to provide an upper suspension pivot location that causes the spindle to travel in an arc when turning, which tends to raise the vehicle. Vehicle weight tends to keep the front wheels in a straight-ahead position when driving, thereby increasing vehicle stability, directional control, and steering wheel return ability. The greater the SAI, the more stable the vehicle. It also helps centre the steering wheel after making a turn and reduces the need for excessive positive caster. The SAI/KPI angle of all vehicles ranges between 2 and 16 degrees. Front-wheel-drive vehicles usually have greater than 9 degrees SAI (typically 12 to 16 degrees) for directional stability, whereas rear-wheeldrive vehicles usually have less than 8 degrees of SAI. The steering axis inclination angle and the camber angle together are called the included angle. INCLUDED ANGLE

7 Scrub Radius Scrub radius refers to the distance between the line through the steering axis and the centreline of the wheel at the contact point with the road surface. Scrub radius is not adjustable and cannot be measured. Scrub radius can be zero, positive, or negative. Zero scrub radius means that the line through the steering axis intersects the centreline of the tire at the road surface. Positive scrub radius means that the line intersects the centreline of the tire below the road surface. Negative scrub radius means that the line intersects the centreline of the tire above the road surface. Scrub radius is also called steering offset by some vehicle manufacturers. If a wheel is permitted to roll rather than pivot, then steering will be more difficult because a tire can pivot more easily than it can roll while turning the front wheels.

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8 Steering Dynamics
To maneuver a vehicle we need a steering mechanism to turn wheels. Steering dynamics which we review in this chapter, introduces new requirements and challenges. 8.1 Ackerman geometryWhen the vehicle is moving very slowly, there is a kinematic condition between the inner and outer wheels that allows them to turn slip-free. The condition is called the Ackerman condition and is expressed by, cot o cot i = w/l

Where, i is the steer angle of the inner wheel, and o is the steer angle of the outer wheel. The inner and outer wheels are defined based on the turning centre O. The distance between the steer axes of the steerable wheels is called the track and is shown by w. The distance between the front and rear axles is called the wheelbase and is shown by l. Track w and wheelbase l are considered as kinematic width and length of the vehicle. The mass centre of a steered vehicle will turn on a circle with radius R.
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The Ackerman condition is needed when the speed of the vehicle is too small, and slip angles are zero. There is no lateral force and no centrifugal force to balance each other. The Ackerman steering condition is also called the kinematic steering condition, because it is a static condition at zero velocity. From above figure,

Above is the desired condition for Ackerman geometry.

9 Steering System
9.1 Rack and Pinion Arrangement rack-and-pinion steering gears can be adjusted. Pinion torque is a measurement of how much turning force is needed at the input shaft for the pinion to overcome the resistance of the rack and move it. The measurement gives an indication of how closely meshed the pinion teeth and the rack teeth are. Like gear mesh preload in a standard steering gear, pinion torque indicates steering system responsiveness. The adjustment method is to thread the rack support cover farther into the steering gear housing to reduce gear lash, or thread it out to increase gear lash. Manufacturers specify an acceptable range of pinion torque in inch pounds or Newton-meters. Because the middle teeth on the rack wear before the teeth at either end. 9.2 Power steeringHydraulics is the study of liquids and their use to transmit force and motion. Hydraulic systems transmit force and motion through the use of fluid pressure. The power steering pump delivers a constant flow of hydraulic fluid to the power steering gear or rack. A typical power steering
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pump requires less than 1/2 horsepower, which is less than 1% of engine power while driving straight ahead. Even while parking at low speed, the power steering requires only about 3 horsepower while providing high hydraulic pressures. Typical pressures generated by a power steering system include the following. Straight ahead less than 150 PSI (1,400 kPa) Cornering about 450 PSI (3,100 kPa) Parking (maximum) 7501,400 PSI (5,20010,0000 kPa) Hence the above pressure is generate by power steering to turn the vehicle with less amount of force.

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