For most motorists, few things could be more terrifying than having the steering lock up while driving. With little or no warning you suddenly cannot control your car. It’s fortunate that automobile steering systems are designed to greatly minimize the occurrence of this heart-pounding event. In this article we will discuss two modes of steering … Read more
The Automobile Safety Foundation argues that steering wheel lock systems are inherently unsafe. This information leads me to believe that all US manufacturers have discontinued this anti-theft feature, replacing it with the electronic immobilizer system. However, that doesn’t seem to be entirely true. It appears that Toyotas still had this feature as recently as 2018 … Read more
Vehicle technology continues to improve, allowing people to have and enjoy dynamic systems and in-vehicle handling, such as toe angle improvement. But you may ask: “What is toe?” What is Toe? Toe, or tracking, is when a car’s wheels point to the right or left side in an asymmetric angle. Toe-in, also known as positive … Read more
Power steering was created in 1951 to help drivers turn their vehicles with ease. During a time when cars started getting bigger and heavier, this was a welcome advancement in technology. It takes more energy to move something with more mass, especially at low speeds. Classic power steering uses a power steering pump that moves … Read more
Camber refers to the angle of the wheel and tire relative to a perfectly flat road. The tops of the wheels can lean either towards or away from the center of the car when viewed from behind. The ideal camber balances tire traction and tire wear, and thus varies for each vehicle depending on how … Read more
A vehicle’s suspension geometry has three common measurements, which can often be adjusted, called caster, camber, and toe. Caster is measured on the steering wheels (i.e the front wheels) as an angle which evaluates the forward or backward tilt of the steering axis when viewing the car from the side. This axis connects the lower … Read more
Wheels can become misaligned if the vehicle is suddenly jarred, such as by driving over a pothole or an object in the road. Parts in the wheel assembly and suspension can also wear and shift to cause noticeable symptoms that it’s time to realign the wheels. A properly aligned vehicle will perform better and more … Read more
All vehicles have a component called a steering column. Its main purpose is to connect the steering wheel to the car’s chassis which contains various steering components that allow the front tires to turn left or right. Also running through the steering column is wiring for various buttons, dials, and levers including turn signals, cruise … Read more
In the old days, steering a vehicle required drivers to have strong arms and a strong upper body. If they didn’t then it would have been very difficult for them to steer. Fortunately, power steering was invented to give any driver the ability to steer their vehicle and make turns without much effort. The power … Read more
Tie rods are vital for precise steering in all vehicles. A functional tie rod connects the suspension and steering system to the front wheels on the ground by several joints, so that the wheels turn accurately as the steering wheel is turned. Such a system allows the driver to use minimal force to turn the … Read more