Beruflich Dokumente
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Chapter 7
Steering system
7. 1 INTRODUCTION
Primary function of the steering system is to achieve angular motion of the
front wheels to negotiate a turn. This is done through linkage and steering gear
which convert the rotary motion of the steering wheel into angular motion of the
front road wheels. Secondary functions of steering system are :
I. To provide directional stability of the vehicle when going straight ahead. .
2. To provide perfect steering condition, i.e., perfect rolling motion of the road
wheels at all times.
3. To facilitate straight ahead recovery after completing a turn.
4. To minimize tyre wear.
Till recently all vehicles were steered by turning the front wheels in the
desired directions, with the rear: wheels following. However, lately all-wheelsteering has been designed and employed in some selected vehicles. Here only
front wheel steering would be discussed which is being used universally till today.
The requirements of a good steering system are:
1. The steering mechanism should be very accurate and easy to handle.
2. The effort required to steer should be minimal and must not be Tiresome to the
driver. .
3. The steering mechanism should also provide directional stability. This
Implies that the vehicle. Should have a tendency to return to its straight ahead
Position after turning.
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2.Independent Suspension
Different types of steering linkages
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Camber
The front wheels are generally not mounted parallel to each other. Camber is the
angle of inclination of the front wheel tyre with respect to the vertical. Camber
provided may be positive or negative.
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When the wheel tilt is outward i.e. when the distance between the top of the
wheels is greater than the distance at the ground, the camber is positive. This
positive camber is built into the wheel spindle by forming the spindle with a
downward tilt.
When the tilt of the front wheel tyre to the vertical is inward, the wheels are closer
together at the top than at the bottom, the camber is negative.
The amount of the tilt of the front wheel tyre is measured in degrees from the
vertical. This measurement is called camber angle. If the wheels are vertical to
the road, the condition is referred to as zero camber.
Camber is built into the front wheels for the following reasons
1. To place the load more nearly on the inner bearing of the wheel.
2. To avoid reverse camber (wheels leaning inward at the top) as the spindle
parts wear.
3. To reduce the side thrust on the kingpin.
4. To compensate the centre of the wheel rotation plane being outside of the
centre line of the kingpin.
The camber angle is generally less than 30. A cambered wheel tries to roll
around the point defined by the intersection of the inclined axis of the tyre and
ground. A cambered wheel must, therefore, be forced to roll around a point
defined by the intersection of the inclined axis of the tyre and ground. A
cambered wheel must, therefore, be forced to roll straight ahead, and unless
camber is equal on both wheels, an imbalance of restraining forces results.
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When a camber exists, the restrained tyre also scrubs on the road. This is
because; the tyre is compelled to follow the path straight down the road when its
geometric rotation tendency is to roll in a circle about the tyres inclined axis and
the ground. Therefore, zero camber is desired to eliminate the tyre wear caused
by this scrubbing action.
If the camber of the front wheel is set at zero in the manufacturing process, the
effects of bearing clearances, axle deflection due to load after installation in the
vehicle, and dynamic operating loads will results in negative camber during
vehicle operation. Since the camber change with load, a slight amount of positive
camber is usually incorporated in the front axle during fabrication. This results in
a net camber of approximately zero when the vehicle is operated in normal
design load.
Caster
Figure below shows a side view of the caster angle formed between the vertical
line and the knig pin inclination. Depending upon the manner in which the king
pin is tilted, the caster may be of two different natures. Viz. positive caster and
negative caster. The purpose of negative caster is to
-
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Figure 1
Figure 2
in the initial setting of the front wheels, carried out in the industry or the repairing
garage, the front wheels are set closer at their front than at their rear at their
stationary state when viewed from the top, as shown in the figure 2a. The
difference in the amount of B and A is called toe-in i.e. B-A = toe-in. The opposite
of it is the setting of the wheels as shown in the figure 2B in which the fronts of
the front wheels are far-off than their rears. This is toe-out whose value is equal
to the difference between A and B. Thus A-B = Toe-out.
Purpose: - The toe-in is provided on all kinds of vehicle. The purpose of
providing toe-in is to offset the tendency of wheel rolling.
i.)
ii.)
iii.)
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The toe-out is provided to counter the tendency of the inward rolling of the
wheels
i.)
ii.)
With a standard axle the point of intersection of the king pin axis with ground is
different from the centre point of the tyre contact path as shown in figure (a). This
result in heavy steering because the wheel has to be moved along the king pin
axis in an arc of radius equal to the king pin off-set (called the scrub radius).
Moreover, this also results in larger bending stress on stub axle and king pin.
In order to avoid this, the wheel and the king pin are arranged to reduce the king
pin off-set. When the king pin off-set is eliminated, i.e. outer line of the wheel
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meets the centerline of the king pin at the road surface, the condition is termed
as center-point steering. This is shown in figure b.
Center point steering results in much reduced steering effort and seems to be
ideal. However the spread effect of the pneumatic tyres causes the wheels to
scrub and give hard steering and tyre wear. so slide rolling action is provided by
arranging the king pin off-set to be 10 to 25 percent of the tyre tread width.
Scrub Radius or king pin offset radius:
The action points of tractive force and the road resistance are shown in the
above figure. The tractive force FTr acts at a point A while the road resistance
RRO at the point B. The distance between these two points is called scrub radius.
It is expressed in mm.
Effects:
Wheels are turned away from rolling straight due to the torque. The torque
is created on account of tractive force and the road resistance acting in
different lines of action and opposite directions. This torque is of opposite
nature: clockwise and anti-clockwise in the two cases shown in figure (a)
and (c)
When the tractive force and the road resistance act in the same line of
action, the torque is not produced. The effects of toe in and toe out are
also not experienced by the vehicle. The front wheels move straight in this
case, and the conditions of true centre point steering is achieved.
Preferred choice:
Among these cases, the case shown in figure c is most preferred but with
smaller scrub radius. Generally AB = 8 to 12 mm is preferred. A value greater
than this, will invite a larger torque wheel to turn the wheel. Consequently, the
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load on the steering linkage and the suspension system will increase
unnecessarily. This will result in greater wear of parts, unequal braking on the
front, uncomfortable and unsafe driving.
The worm sector is a fractional part of the worm-wheel as shown in the figure
and is often mounted above the worm. Since the worm sector is smaller than the
worm-wheel, it is cheaper and easier to install and also occupies less space.
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The worm is keyed on to a tubular shaft which is carried in two thrust bearings in
the casing. The tubular shaft at its upper end carries the steering wheels. The
two thrust bearings position the worm in the axial direction. The upper thrust
bearing abuts against the casing. The lower thrust bearings abut against the nuts
which is screwed into the casing and locked by a lock nut. This provides an
adjustment for eliminating the end play of the worm.
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5. Re-circulating Ball
The circulating ball steering mechanism is an improved version of the now
obsolete worm and nut. The balls are contained in a half nut and transfer tube as
shown in the figure. As the cam, or worm, rotates the ball pass from one side of
the nut through the transfer tube to the opposite side as the nut cannot turn, any
movement of the balls along the track of the cam carries the nut along with it and
rotates the rocker shaft. This type of box is efficient because of the small friction
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LAW OF STEERING
l
w
o 0
Figure 1.
Let
&
l = Wheel base
w = Distance between pivot of front axle
PI
OI
Cot
Cot
Cot
Cot
=
QI
OI
PI QI PQ w
=
=
OI
OI l
This is called fundamental equation for correct steering. Mechanisms which fulfill
this equation is called steering gears mechanism.
Types of steering gear:
1. Davis Steering gear
2. Ackerman steering gear
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y+z
r
yz
r
Sin ( + ) + Sin ( ) =
or
2y
r
(Ref. fig. 2)
r
0
o
y
Figure 2.
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Cot =
PI PG + GI
=
HI
HI
Cot =
QI QG IG
=
HI
HI
2 IG 2GQ
=
=
Cot Cot =
HI
QR
w
2( )
2 = w and hence satisfying the law of steering
l
l
Refer to figure 3.
G I
o
Q
0
H
True
steering
curve
l
w
S
Figure 3.
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Rif
R of
l
w
o 0
Rri
R or
Figure 4.
All wheels rotate about a common center along different turning curves.
TCR of outer front wheel
Rof =
l
aw
+
sin
2
l
aw
sin
2
aw
2
aw
2
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sin
Rof =
+ w2 +
2lw
tan
aw
2
Problems:
Problem 1. A vehicle has pivot pins 1.4 m apart. Length of each track arm
is 0.2 m and track rod is behind front axle and is 1.3 m long.
Determine the wheel base which will give true rolling for all wheels when
the vehicle is turning so that inner wheel stub axle is 600 to the centerline
of the vehicle.
Solution:
= 90 - 60 = 300
w = 1.4 m
d = 1.3 m
r = 0.2 m
Sin =
w d 1.4 1.3
=
2r
2 0.2
= 14.47750
= 26.050
For correct steering
Cot
Cot
w
l
1.4
l
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1.08 m. The front and rear wheel track is 1.23 m. Calculate the correct angle
of outside lock and turning circle radius of the outer front and inner rear
wheels when the angle of inside lock is 400.
Solution:
Cot
Cot
Cot
w
l
1.08
- Cot 40
2.75
= 32.250.
l
aw
+
sin
2
2.75
1.23 1.08
+
sin 32.25
2
= 5.07 m
Turning circle radius of inner rear wheel
Rir
= l cot
=
aw
2
2.75
1.23 1.08
tan 40.25
2
= 3.2 m
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Exercise 7
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