recirculating ball on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Recirculating ball, also known as recirculating ball and nut or worm and sector, is a
"How Car Steering Works"
"HowStuffWorks", Accessed August 13, 2007
Recirculating ball, also known as recirculating ball and nut or worm and sector, is a steering
Steering is a system of components, linkages, and other parts that allows a driver to control the direction of the vehicle.
Introduction
The most conventional steering arrangement allows a driver to turn the front wheels of a vehicle using ...
mechanism commonly found in older automobiles, off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle, sometimes referred to as an overland or adventure vehicle, is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with d ...
s, and some truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...
s. Most newer cars use the more economical rack and pinion steering instead, but some upmarket manufacturers (such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquarter ...
) held on to the design until well into the 1990s for the durability and strength inherent in the design. A few, including Chrysler
Stellantis North America (officially FCA US and formerly Chrysler ()) is one of the " Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It is the American subsidiary of the multinational automot ...
, General Motors and Lada, still use this technology in certain models including the Jeep Wrangler{{Cite book , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HlbCM7VEmroC&q=wrangler+Recirculating+ball&pg=PA91 , title=High-Performance Jeep Wrangler TJ Builder's Guide, isbn=9781932494266, last1=Lee, first1=Christian, year=2007 and the Lada Niva.
Mechanism
The recirculating ball steering mechanism contains a worm gear inside a block with a threaded hole in it; this block has gear teeth cut into the outside to engage the sector shaft (also called a sector gear) which moves the Pitman arm. The steering wheel connects to a shaft, which rotates the worm gear inside of the block. Instead of twisting further into the block, the worm gear is fixed so that when it rotates, it moves the block, which transmits the motion through the gear to the Pitman arm, causing the roadwheels to turn.Bearing balls
The worm gear is similar in design to aball screw
A ball screw (or ballscrew) is a mechanical linear actuator that translates rotational motion to linear motion with little friction. A threaded shaft provides a helical raceway for ball bearings which act as a precision screw. As well as bein ...
; the threads are filled with steel balls that recirculate through the gear and rack as it turns. The balls serve to reduce friction and wear in the gear, and reduce slop. Slop, when the gears come out of contact with each other, would be felt when changing the direction of the steering wheel, causing the wheel to feel loose.Nice, Kare"How Car Steering Works"
"HowStuffWorks", Accessed August 13, 2007
Power assistance
Power steering in a recirculating-ball system works similarly to that in a rack-and-pinion system. Assistance is provided by supplying higher-pressure fluid to one side of the block.See also
* Burman and Sons Ltd - defunct manufacturer of recirculating ball steering gearReferences