As a corollary to a current thread about power steering, I think that more advantage could be taken of it in respect of steering gearing. My 1929 Lagonda was geared to about one and a half turns lock to lock, which was very handy for getting on opposite lock fast when roll oversteer set in and generally gave satisfying handling. It was possible because of a decent sized steering wheel, narrow tires and all of the engine weight behind the front axle, but it was a heavy car. Nowadays, as pointed out in the other thread, many cars are so heavy to steer without power that it has become a necessity. However, low geared steering often seems to persist so that one requires too much twirling of the wheel to get the required movement of the front wheels; this is perhaps a legacy of the latter years of no power.
But I ask, given that power is required anyway, might it not just as well be used to afford higher geared steering again?
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Not too sure about this, i can understand how desirable it would be for quick handling cars, but as belt driven highly reliable pumps seem to be giving way to electric pumps i think i'd like steering geared to be able to keep control over the vehicle in the event of sudden pump failure.
I've driven trucks that have been low on power steering fluid and the sudden intermittent change of weight has been i bit hairy.
To change direction very slightly (no pun intended) did i hear that some makers are considering steering fly by wire, if this is true and the steering is not mechanically connected to the wheel i'll avoid at all costs.
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Fly-by-wire steering? Maybe in the event of failure a head-up display will flash, "Game Over Player 1" :-)
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I thought manufacturers geared up the steering when it was power assisted, to take advantage of the feature - rather than simply provide very light slow steering.
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I read an interesting book about future developments (by Jeff Danniels I think). There is a lot of stuff just waiting for 36 volt electrics. One of the ideas is fly by wire steering. The wheels would be turned by two electric motors one in each kingpin receiving a signal from the steering wheel. Other possible developments were a starter motor intergrated into the flywheel that also served as an alternator / regenerative braking and power assistance on hills. Other ideas are electric water and oil pumps to increase engine efficiency.
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"Other ideas are electric water and oil pumps to increase engine efficiency"
At last! I wrote to Car magazine suggesting much the same in about 1974...
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"Other ideas are electric water and oil pumps to increase engine efficiency"
Electric water pumps have been available for a few years I think, as an aftermarket modification:
www.mawsolutions.com/framepage.html
www.daviescraig.com.au/main/display.asp?pid=47
You should have patented that JBJ.. ;o)
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I must say I find the idea of fly-by wire steering interesting. Perhaps there could be a dial on the dash to vary the gearing to taste?
As to "feel", I understand fly-by-wire controls on aircraft can have just that.
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"a head-up display"
BSOD, I think!
(blue screen of death)
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The Citroen CX had wonderful power steering with about 2 turns lock-to-lock. Also speed related assistance, so that it famously centred itself when you had parked. Of course, there was high-pressure hydraulics on hand (for the suspension) to drive it, so possibly easier to implement.
I agree with your general thrust. Fears about over-sensitivity are pretty groundless, IMHO, and in any case, it doesn't have to be linear.
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The CX PAS was roundly criticised for its - at the time - high gearing (actually 2½ turns lock-lock - the SM was 2 turns). 'Far too sensitive!", the press bleated...
Nowadays, this is a pretty common gearing ratio, though nothing really compares with that wonderful DIRAVI steering.
One of the 'defences' in favour of low geared steering was that it was 'safer if the driver sneezes' LOL. A right load of recirculating balls.
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I should point out that lock-to-lock figures are a bit meaningless unless the turning circle is also quoted! A car could have 1½ turns lock-lock, but that wouldn't be very 'quick' use if it only corresponded to +/- 2 degrees of steering angle...
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"DIRAVI"
Thanks, OS. There is a surprisingly good article about this on Wikipedia. One of the listed advantages was that 'steering becomes an extension of thought process', which is quite a large claim (!), although having used it, I do know what they mean. It added to the 'magic carpet' feel of the car, although I always felt that it needed more cylinders to complete the illusion.
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Obviously systems vary, but I've never driven a European car with bad power steering.
When I first came across it though I hated it. That was because I hired an early-70s Dodge in America that had the worst steering I've ever experienced in a viable road car: both low-geared and so imprecise that the car couldn't be driven in a straight line or made to conform to any curve in the road without constant adjustment. Basically it was a car that could only zigzag. Horrible, horrible, horrible. My Plymouth, an older and bigger car from the same company, had an oval steering wheel and unassisted 4 turns lock to lock steering that was a paragon of European precision by comparison.
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Does a Hyundai Getz have electric steering?
We had one as a hire car in Menorca last month and if so I was unimpressed by it, false and wooden it felt; with some resistance dialled in that did not feel at all natural.
Whether this particular car was a dodgy example I don't know.
In answer to the original question, I personally dont think there is a problem with current steering gearing for mass market cars.
My car is geared at 3 turns lock to lock; I wouldnt want any more than that but think this is acceptable. You can spin it with one hand for parking; changing lanes on the motorway only needs a scant few degrees of a turn of the wheel.
Or maybe I dont know what I'm missing?
;o)
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