Steering System
Basic Description
The steering system on a car normally consists of a steering rack and pinion, inner and outer tie rods and a steering knuckle. In a truck, the suspension system consists of a steering gear, pitman and idler arm and inner and outer tie rods.
Detailed Description
The steering components of a vehicle allow it to follow a certain course. Input from the steering wheel is sent to the steering gear or steering rack and pinion in a rotating motion. The rotation is converted to horizontal movement by the steering gear and steering rack and pinion. In a truck setup, the steering gear is connected to a pitman arm. This pitman arm is usually connected to a steering linkage that is connected to the inner and outer tie rods. The tie rods move the wheels in and out to steering the vehicle. In a car setup, the inner and outer tie rods are connected directly to the rack and pinion. Similar to the truck setup, the tie rods move the wheels in and out to steer the vehicle.
