Automotive Steering Components

Front

Ball socket

Back

A grease-filled swivel joint used on ball joints, tie rod ends, and other steering and suspension components.

Front

Center link

Back

A steel bar used to connect the pitman arm to both of the tie-rod assemblies in a parallelogram steering system. Also referred to as a relay rod.

Front

Collapsible steering column

Back

A type of steering column that crumples or slides together when forced forward during an automotive collision to help prevent driver chest and face injury.

Front

Control valve

Back

A valve that controls the application of hydraulic pressure within a power piston in a power steering system.

Front

Electronic steering assist

Back

A small electric motor mounted inside a steering housing that acts directly upon the steering rack to aid the driver in steering.

Front

Flexible coupling

Back

A connector that joins a steering shaft and steering gear input shaft to help keep road shock from being transmitted to the steering wheel.

Front

Gearbox housing

Back

A metal enclosure that bolts to the vehicle frame and encases the worm shaft/gear and sector shaft/gear steering mechanism in a recirculating-ball, worm-type gearbox.

Front

Gearbox ratio

Back

A comparison between the angle of steering wheel rotation and the angle of tires' rotation. It ranges from 15.1 to 18:1 in passenger vehicles. Also termed steering ratio or steering gear reduction.

Front

Hydraulic four-wheel steering system

Back

Type of four-wheel steering system that uses a conventional power rack-and-pinion steering system up front. A rear power steering pump provides fluid pressure for a control valve that operates the rear steering system when a set road speed is reached.

Front

Hydraulic lines

Back

A system of steel tubes and rubber hoses that contain and move high-pressure fluid within a hydraulic system.