Rack And Pinion Steering System Diagram

A typical rack and pinion steering layout showing how the rack acts directly on the road wheel steering arms.

Rack and pinion steering system diagram.

A rod called a tie rod connects to each end of the rack. The steering system converts the rotation of the steering wheel into a swivelling movement of the road wheels in such a way that the steering wheel rim turns a long way to move the road wheels a short way. When pressure is placed on the fluid on one side of the piston it forces the piston to move which turns the rack and assists with steering. A rack and pinion is commonly found in the steering mechanism of cars or other wheeled steered vehicles rack and pinion provides less mechanical advantage than other mechanisms such as recirculating ball but less backlash and greater feedback or steering feel the mechanism may be power assisted usually by hydraulic or electrical means.

Rack and pinion steering is quickly becoming the most common type of steering on cars small trucks and suvs. And this is the simplest one fewer parts and easy to design. It is actually a pretty simple mechanism. When a rack and pinion system is connected to a power steering system the design changes slightly.

A rack and pinion gearset is enclosed in a metal tube with each end of the rack protruding from the tube. A simplified rack and pinion steering diagram showing the column 2 rack and pinion 3 and tie rod 4 image via wikimedia commons laurensvanlieshout a tie rod links the rack to the kingpin. A cylinder with a piston in the middle is placed in the rack.