Steering and Suspension Fundamentals
AUMT 1316 - Steering and Suspension 10/15/2004 Fundamentals
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Suspension System
• Support the weight of Steering and Suspension the vehicle • Distribute the load to Fundamentals each tire • Keep the vehicle's Donald Jones wheels in firm contact with the road Brookhaven College • Provide a smooth comfortable ride
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Suspension System Non-Independent Suspension
• The vehicle’s sprung • Solid axle weight is supported by: suspended by leaf • Coil springs or coil spring at • Leaf springs each end • Torsion bars •Reliable •Struts • High load capacity • Ride control is improved • Common on trucks with: and SUVs • Shock absorbers • Used for front and • Sway bars rear suspension
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Independent Suspension Steering System
• Allow each wheel on • The steering system allows the driver to an axle to move control the direction of independently of the the vehicle other wheel • A series of linkages • Light weight connect the steering wheel to the wheels and • Improved ride quality tires • Improved handling • Power steering uses • Used for front and hydraulics or fluid rear suspension pressure to reduce steering effort
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Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Steering System Types Rack and Pinion Steering
• Rack and pinion • The rack is a rod with • Light weight gear teeth cut along one side • Compact design • The rack meshes with • Recirculating ball the teeth of a small • Minimal internal pinion mounted at the friction end of the steering shaft • Road shock isolation • The steering shaft runs • Commonly used on through the steering full size trucks, SUVs column to the steering and cars wheel
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Rack and Pinion Linkage Recirculating Ball Steering
• Two inner tie rod ends • Five major are secured to the outer components ends of the rack • Housing • The inner tie rod ends • Worm shaft drive the tie rod • Ball nut • The tie rods drive the outer tie rod ends • Recirculating balls
• The outer tie rod ends Tie Rods • Sector or cross-shaft drive the steering • Uses parallelogram knuckle steering linkage
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Parallelogram Steering Linkage Steering Gear Ratios
• Sector shaft drives the • Steering ratio refers pitman arm • Pitman arm drives the to the number of center link Idler Arm degrees of driver • Center link drives the input in relationship Pitman Arm inner tie rod end to the number of • Inner tie rod end drives the tie rod degrees of tire Center Link • Tie rod drives the outer tie Steering Gear movement rod end and Sector Shaft • Fast ratio • Outer tie rod end drives the steering knuckle • Variable ratio
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Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Alignment Angles Caster
• Proper alignment • The forward or provides for vehicle rearward tilt of the control and minimal steering axis as tire wear viewed from the side • Three angles are of the vehicle commonly •Neutral adjustable •Caster • Camber •Toe
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Caster Caster
• The forward or • The forward or rearward tilt of the rearward tilt of the steering axis as steering axis as viewed from the side viewed from the side of the vehicle of the vehicle •Neutral •Neutral • Negative • Negative •Positive
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Camber Angle Camber Angle
• Inward or outward tilt of • Inward or outward tilt of the tire when viewed the tire when viewed from the front of the from the front of the vehicle vehicle • True vertical is referred • True vertical is referred to as zero camber or to as zero camber or camber neutral camber neutral • An inward tilt is referred to as negative camber
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Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Camber Angle Toe
• Inward or outward tilt of • Measurement of the the tire when viewed difference in from the front of the distance between vehicle • True vertical is referred the front of the tires to as zero camber or and the rear of the camber neutral tires • An inward tilt is referred • Zero toe to as negative camber • An outward tilt is referred to as positive camber
Steering and Suspension Steering and Suspension
Toe Toe
• Measurement of the • Measurement of the difference in difference in distance between distance between the front of the tires the front of the tires and the rear of the and the rear of the tires tires • Zero toe • Zero toe • Toe in or positive toe • Toe in or positive toe • Toe out or negative toe
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