Study of Four-Wheel Steering Systems’ Viability in Future Automobiles

Abstract

- Presently, all vehicles have a two-wheel steering system irrespective of the vehicle being front wheel driven, rear wheel driven or all-wheel driven. A four-wheel steering system known as “quadra steering” system is a system in which both the front wheels and rear wheels get steered according to the speed of the vehicle and space available for turning. This system makes the vehicle more stable and enhances its performance. In this report, the performance of quadra steering system has been considered under low speed, medium speed and high-speed conditions. For parking and low speed conditions, rear wheels are turned in the opposite directions while at medium and high-speed conditions, rear wheels and front wheels are turned in the same direction. As a result, the vehicle becomes more stable and its turning radius reduces greatly.

Design & Development of Four-Wheel Steering Mechanism for Minimum Turning Radius: A Case Study of CM Transportation Trolley

“…Most four-wheeled vehicles employ four-bar linkages, often known as Ackermann-type steering mechanisms, to turn the wheels. Ackermann steering linkage is commonly seen on stiff steering axles in trucks and off-road vehicles [16]. With perfect Ackermann, the perpendicular line across the centers of all the wheels always converges on a single point, regardless of the direction in which the vehicle is being steered.…”