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I think what the article is trying to say is that almost all the torque turning the wheels is from the electric power steering, while your hands are just provid
by newaccount74 5y ago
I think what the article is trying to say is that almost all the torque turning the wheels is from the electric power steering, while your hands are just providing a small input that the torque sensors pick up. The fact that there is a mechanical connection doesn't really make much of a difference (except when power steering fails).
- T3OU-736 5y agoAnd the "previous generation" of power steering was hydraulic, which had a similar behaviour and setup in that it is an amplification of steering input. Electric power steering allows for configurability of steering difficulty, which tends to engender the feeling of precision at a certain point along the effort curve. (Variable for different people, naturally). Plus, with more powerful electric systems (better alternators, basically), moving hydraulic steering pump from belt-driven frees up the engine a bit, yielding less drag and better fuel efficiency. But fundamentally, I believe that in modern vehicles, due to their weight, direct steering linkages are a bit rare.
- Retric 5y agoDirect steering linkages are a major safety feature that isn’t going away because at high speed you need minimal steering input. My power steering died in a 3,000 lb car and I didn’t get it replaced for a few weeks because it was only noticeable at very low speeds.
- DerekRobot 5y agoPersonally, I prefer electric steering because it takes so little torque input. My Mercedes cabrio was heavy and tiring to steer, but I can steer the Mirage with my fingertips. As a bonus, the steering is tuned to "tighten up" at speed, which effectively makes the car snappier without actually changing the alignment.
- gameswithgo 5y agoYou can steer fine without power assist, it only gets hard in slow speed parking maneuvers. Source: I've done it. Also this situation is no different than normal power steering, which assists you with a different mechanism.
- newaccount74 5y agoAre you talking about a car without power steering, or a car with failed power steering? Because I remember being quite surprised how hard it was to steer a car rolling downhill after I turned off the engine (I thought it would be smart to conserve fuel, did not realise how unsafe that was).
- gameswithgo 5y agoI am talking about a car with failed power steering. It is very hard to steer when moving slow, not so hard when moving. Presumably this could vary depending on vehicle mass and other factors but I do notice that both you and the person who replied to you with an incorrect assumption both made it, despite having to use your muscles.
- throwaway0a5e 5y agoModern cars have crap suspensions/steering geometry for unassisted steering. This is a side effect of the geometry that helps keep their wide tires from making them wander all over the road. That said, it's only a marginal increase in effort. Modern cars are just fat. An Altima curbs at about the same weight as a base spec 2wd pickup that would have come with manual steering in the 80s and the Altima has a much higher steering ratio.
- weedfroglozenge 5y agoI think he is talking about the former. I've also had power steering fail on me and it took everything I had to get home. And I was ~2 minutes from home.
- gwbas1c 5y agoIt also depends on the size of the car. I drove late 1990s Geo Metros and Ford Aspires without power steering. (I worked for a car rental agency.) It wasn't a big deal because the cars were tiny, but I think I would have struggled if the big pickup trucks had manual steering.
- AlexandrB 5y ago