Steering Gear: Description and Operation

Steering Gear Case Construction

The steering gear case consists of two sections: one including a cylinder and the other a valve. Main components of the cylinder section are a gear case (7), a rack (8) and a tube and those of the valve section are a valve case (10), a sleeve (4) and a stub shaft (2). The sleeve is linked with the pinion (6) through a pin (1) and the valve and stub shaft are integrated into one unit. Then the pinion and the stub shaft are linked to each other by means of the torsion bar (3).

Thus, when the stub shaft moves, the valve changes its position, thereby switching the hydraulic passage from the pump to the cylinder to help steering operation.

When turning the steering wheel feels heavy due to P/S fluid leakage or for some other reason (i.e., when in the manual steering mode), the stub shaft and pinion are in direct linkage and the force is output directly through the pinion and rack.