The document discusses the steering system of automobiles. It describes the main functions of the steering system as converting the rotary motion of the steering wheel into angular motion of the front wheels to negotiate turns. It lists the various components of the steering system including the steering wheel, steering column, steering gear, drop arm, ball joints, and tie rods. It also explains different types of steering gears such as worm and wheel, rack and pinion, and describes how collapsible steering columns provide protection for drivers during accidents.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Function of steering system
Function :-
The main function of the steering
system is to convert the rotary motion of
the steering wheel into angular motion
of the front wheels to negotiate a turn.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Function
 The Secondary functions of steering system are as
follows.
I. To turn the vehicle whenever required.
II. To provide stability to the vehicle on road.
III. To provide true rolling motion of the wheels at all times.
IV. To provide self-centering action after negotiating a turn.
V. To minimize tyre wear.
VI. To multiply the driver's effort to turn the vehicle for
easy operation.
VII. To prevent road shocks reaching the driver.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Principles of steering
• The steering system along with the suspension system,
allow the driver to safely and easily control the vehicle's direction
while driving.
• steering systems use several basic principles to decrease driver
effort. These include leverage, hydraulics, and in some systems,
electricity.
• Leverage, or mechanical advantage, is used at the steering wheel
and in the gearbox to increase the force supplied by the driver.
The gears inside the gearbox act as levers, increasing mechanical
advantage and reducing driver effort to turn the wheels.
• The gearbox also converts the rotary motion of the steering
wheel and shaft into a linear or back-and-forth motion that
moves the wheels.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Components of Steering System
The following are the main components
of steering system.
1. Steering wheel
2. Steering column or shaft.
3. Steering gear
4. Drop arm or pitman arm
5. Ball joints
6. Drag link
7. Steering arm
8. Stub axle
9. Tie rod arm
10. Track rod or tie-rod

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Components of Steering System
1.Steering wheel:
• It is the control wheel to steer a vehicle by the driver.
2. Steering linkage:
• The steering wheels are turned by the steering linkage.
The steering linkage consists of pitman arm, ball joints,
drag link, steering arm, spindle, tie rod and kingpin
assembly.
(a) Pitman arm:
• It is also called drop arm which converts the output
torque from the steering gear into force to the drag link.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Components of Steering System
(b) Ball joints:
• These joints are connected at both ends of the drag link
and tie rod. It performs the angular displacement,
rotational movement of the drag link and the tie rod
produced by the front wheel rotation and suspension
articulation.
(c) Drag link:
• It is connected between pitman arm and steering arm. It
is a single press forged component having a ball joint
socket formed at the end in some other cases.
• (d) Steering arm:

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Components of Steering System
(d) tie rod arm:
• It converts the available torque to turn the right wheel
into force in the tie rod. The tie rod has a tapered hole to
receive the tie rod ball stud.
(e) Tie rod:
• The tie rod is a tubular member. Both the left and right
tie rod arms are connected by this tie rod. The length of
the tie rod is an adjustable one to the specified amount.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Components of Steering System
3. Steering shaft:
• The steering shaft is fitted inside the hollow steering
column. When the steering wheel is turned, the
steering shaft will also be rotated. Due to this, the
motion is transmitted to the steering box.
4. Steering gear:
• The pitman arm is splined to the steering gear box
rocker arm at one end and the other end is connected
to the drag link by a ball joint.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Working
• When the steering wheel is turned its motion is carried to
the steering box through steering shaft. In the steering
box, this motion is converted into angular motion of the
drop arm which is connected to the drag link rod.
• The drag link rod at the other end is connected to the
steering lever arm. The steering arm is connected to the
stub Exit spindle At the lower end of the stub axle the
spindle arm which is called the steering lower arm is fitted.
• Drop arm moves drag link. Drag link moves steering lever
arm which in turn rotates stub axle accordingly.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Function of Steering Gear
The gear converts the rotary motion
of the steering wheel into a straight line
motion, which is transmitted to the steering
linkage to turn the front wheels to the left
or right side as required.
• It is also provide necessary leverage so
that the driver is able to steer the vehicle
without fatigue.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Types of Steering Gear Box
• There are many types of steering gears are as follows :
I. Worm and wheel steering gear.
II. Cam and double roller steering gear.
III. Worm and nut steering gear.
IV. Recirculating Ball Type Steering gear.
V. Rack and pinion steering gear.

12. Worm and wheel
steering gear
Mostly used in tractors.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Worm and Wheel Steering Gear
• The movement of the steering wheel turns the worm,
which in turn drives the worm wheel.
• Attached to the wheel spindle rigidly is drop arm, so
that a rotation of the steering wheel corresponds to a
linear motion of the drop Arm end, which is connected
to the link rod.
• In place of worm wheel, only a sector is also
sometimes used, but the complete wheel has an
advantage over the later in that in this case back lash
due to wearing out of teeth of worm and worm wheel
can be adjusted.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Cam and Double Roller Steering Gear
• This type of steering
gear is employed in
Ashok Leyland
vehicles in India.
• Its working in similar
to the worm wheel
type.
• The steering ratio as
used in these vehicles
is 24.7: 1.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Worm and Nut Steering Gear
• Again the steering
wheel rotation rotates
the worm which in turn
moves the nut along its
length.
• This causes the drop
arm end to move
linearly, further moving
the link rod and thus
steering the wheels.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Recirculating Ball Type
Steering Gear
• It consist of a worm at the end of steering
rod.
• A nut is mounted on the worm with two
sets of balls in the grooves of the worm in
between the nut and worm.
• The balls reduce the friction during the
movement of the nut on the worm.
• The nut has a number of teeth on the
outside, which mesh with the teeth on a
worm wheel sector, on which is further
mounted the drop arm, which steers the
road wheels through the link rod and the
steering arms.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Recirculating Ball Type Steering Gear
• When the steering wheel is turned, the balls in the worm
roll in the grooves and cause the nut to travel along the
length of the worm.
• The balls, which are in 2 sets, are recirculated through
the guides.
• The movement of the nut causes the wheel sector to
turn at an angle and actuate the link rod through the
drop arm, resulting in the desired steering of the wheels.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Rack and pinion steering gear

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Rack and pinion steering gear
• The rotary motion of steering wheel is transmitted to the
pinion of the steering gear through universal joints.
• The pinion is in mesh with a rack. The circular motion of
the pinion is transferred into the linear rack movement,
which is further relayed through the ball joints and tie
rods to the stub axles for the wheels to be steered.
• Helical teeth are invariably employed so that the teeth
engage progressively and some contact between the
teeth is always there, due to which the gears can operate
smoothly and quietly.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Rack and pinion steering gear
• This type of steering gear is used on light vehicles like
cars and in power steering.
• Maruti 800 cars employ this steering gear.
• it is simple, light and responsive.
• It occupies very small space and uses lesser number of
linkage components compared to the worm and wheel
type of gear.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Steering column
Steering outer tube or steering
column :-
• This is a hollow steel pipe in which
steering shaft is housed.
• One end of the pipe is fixed on
steering box, the other end is
usually held with the help of
bracket under the instrument
panel.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Collapsible steering column
• During an accident the driver receives many
injuries due to steering column hit. A
collapsible steering column prevent driver
from injury during an auto accident.
• When a car hits a stationary object, the
engine and front body structure can be
pushed rearward, into the steering column.
At the same time, the driver could be
thrown forward into the steering wheel.

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Automotive Steering system by Pratik Rode
Collapsible steering column
• When there is a rigid steering column, the
driver's chest will injure.
• There are several types of collapsible steering
columns. They are steel mesh (crashing) type,
tube and ball (sliding) type and shear capsule
(brake and slide) type.
• In all types, the column is in two pieces. The
two sections move toward or into each other
on an accident.