What is the working principle of the steering gear?
2 Answers
The working principle of the steering gear is: 1. When the car is driving straight, the steering gear connects the working fluid overflowed from the steering oil pump with the oil tank, and the steering oil pump is in an unloading state; 2. When the car needs to turn right, the steering gear connects the working fluid overflowed from the steering oil pump with the R chamber, and connects the L chamber with the oil tank, making the left and right wheels deflect to the right through the transmission structure to achieve right steering. The function of the steering gear is to increase the force transmitted from the steering wheel to the steering arm and change the direction of force transmission. The steering gear is composed of gears and racks, and its types include: rack and pinion type, worm and peg type, and recirculating ball type.
The working principle of the steering gear is quite interesting. When the steering wheel turns, it transmits the motion through the steering column to the steering gearbox, which contains a rack or screw mechanism that converts the rotation of the steering wheel into steering force for the left and right wheels. If the car has hydraulic power steering, the power steering pump uses hydraulic pressure to assist, making driving easier and more effortless. I particularly enjoy discussing this system because it avoids the strenuous effort required by old-fashioned mechanical steering, especially providing more stability during high-speed turns. However, the issue is that if hydraulic fluid leaks or air gets into the system, the steering can become heavier, requiring timely maintenance to ensure driving safety.