What steering gear to choose?

Guess a riddle, the answer to which will easily find any driver. "The operation of the vehicle is prohibited if the steering, the braking system, the traction chain device, the pressure gauge in the air braking system are faulty." - where is it from? That's right, from the very rules that are written in "blood." This is the rules of the road. Everything is quite logical.

The steering mechanism, after its invention, practically did not undergo any changes. Russian "classic", for example, to this day it uses almost in its original form. In general, the steering with the use of worm gear has become quite popular among rear-wheel drive vehicles, because the front suspension is completely independent, which allows to implement such a scheme. The advantages of the worm include power, durability, and also tremendous reliability. The disadvantages are the trapezium, which is necessary for correct work, and also the presence of a pendulum, which keeps all this construction. In fact, it is he who has all the load, which makes him the most vulnerable element. The steering mechanism, equipped with a worm gear, is less precise and responsive to the steering movements. In addition, depending on the angle of the worm, such control requires a lot of effort, therefore, there is a need for a hydro- or electric power steering.

It is worth mentioning and the fact that most wagons that serve for the transport of large loads, it is installed worm steering mechanism. Again, due to its unpretentiousness and reliability. It also minimizes maintenance: in the gearbox, which is installed in the engine compartment, you just need to maintain the proper level of oil, and also in time to change it. If the stuffing boxes and other seals are in normal condition, then there's nothing to worry about at all. A vivid example - the steering mechanism VAZ 2106. As mentioned above, he took root in the "classic".

There is another option. It is used mainly on front-wheel drive vehicles. This is rake. In fact, it is a kind of reducer, the gear ratios of which vary from car to vehicle. The fact is that if you make them too large, then the control will not be sensitive enough, and the wheel will have to do a lot of movements. If on the contrary, it will become somewhat harder, it will require more effort, but it will become sharper, perhaps too sensitive. Therefore, do not think that rake - it's random parts: it's a complicated steering mechanism, which, like the first, has its pros and cons. Among the advantages, perhaps the most weighty is the ease of handling. There is no need for an amplifier, although they are still being used. The shortcomings can be attributed to the fragility of the work, because, in fact, it works in a thick grease.

In addition, she is wearing a corrugated casing, which eventually wears out. In general, the steering rack does not have such a capacity for a long time, like the VAZ 2107 steering gear. If the first or second variant of the steering has been installed on the car, then it is no longer possible to change it, it is only necessary to constantly monitor its serviceability, since failure on a high Speed can have serious consequences.