ABSTRACT

The steering mechanism has two main purposes. It must enable the driver to: easily maintain the straight ahead direction of the vehicle even when bumps are encountered at high speeds; and to change the direction of the vehicle with the minimum amount of effort at the steering wheel. One of the simplest layouts is the beam axle arrangement (Fig. 8.1) as used on large commercial vehicles. This is where the hub pivots or swivels on a king pin (in the case of a car a top and bottom ball-joint) to give the steering action.