How Many Degrees Do the Wheels Turn When the Steering Wheel is Turned 90 Degrees?
2 Answers
When the steering wheel is turned 90 degrees, the wheels turn approximately 5 degrees; when the steering wheel is turned one full circle, the wheels turn 26.7 degrees. Degrees of turning the steering wheel one full circle: One full circle is 360 degrees, a slight adjustment is 90 degrees, and turning the steering wheel to the full lock means turning it one and a half circles in the corresponding direction. Turning left to the full lock means turning left one and a half circles, and turning right to the full lock means turning right one and a half circles. Turning the steering wheel to the full lock is usually used for reversing or when encountering sudden situations that require a significant change in direction. The driver needs to have a certain understanding of the car's direction sense to better handle various situations. Calculation of steering wheel and tire degrees: Turning the car steering wheel from the center to one side to the full lock is one and a half circles, which is 540 degrees, corresponding to a wheel turn of 40 degrees. That is, for every 13.5 degrees the steering wheel is turned, the wheels turn only 1 degree.
When I first learned to drive, I was also curious about how much the wheels would turn when the steering wheel rotated 90 degrees. Actually, it's not a 1:1 correspondence as intuition might suggest; typically, the wheels only turn about 4 to 6 degrees. This is called the steering ratio, and most family cars are designed with a ratio of 15:1 or 20:1, meaning the steering wheel needs to turn 15 to 20 degrees for the wheels to turn 1 degree. This design makes low-speed turns easier, especially for better control in urban driving. For example, when turning in a regular sedan, a 90-degree turn of the steering wheel results in only a slight rotation of the wheels, preventing oversteering and skidding. To drive safely, you need to understand this; otherwise, sharp turns can easily lead to loss of control. Now I know that the ratio varies with different vehicle types, such as SUVs or compact cars, which may have higher ratios, but overall, maintaining stability is beneficial for everyday driving.
