Understanding your Car's Steering & Power Steering !

Please check out brilliant.org/LearnEngineering and learn about more fascinating mechanisms similar to steering. You can sign up for free and the first 200 Learn Engineering viewers will get 20% off the annual premium subscription. Birlliant.org follows a bite-sized learning approach using interactive 2D animation. I have personally learned a lot from their website.
When you learn to drive, the most difficult control to master is that of steering. Do you know there are some amazing physics and mechanisms beneath the steering wheel, which keeps the vehicle on the right track without any skidding of the wheels. This video will demonstrate why we need such mechanisms for steering, and how they work. We will also understand the workings of power steering mechanisms.
Be a Learn Engineering supporter or contributor : / @lesics
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Voice over artist : www.fiverr.com/voiceonthemove

[@Lesics]

Hello friends, please check out brilliant.org/LearnEngineering and learn about more fascinating mechanisms similar to steering. Personally speaking, I have learned a lot from their website.

[@nu7xi8]

only 2 likes

[@anmolmittal1000]

You people are going awesome, with clear voice and animation that the whole world can understand. Thanks for the transformation in learning sector.

[@Siddharth-rs1ge]

Gr8 work.

[@troywestleybailey]

Learn Engineering why did the plane video die?

[@mattmilewicz6061]

Thanks ! you're the best teacher of all i ever had !

[@DestructorEFX]

I want that dress extension technology 4:49

[@monk_]

Why were your eyes there and not on the power steering?

[@alice_in_wonderland42]

lol good catch

[@Lesics]

He he :)

[@migkillerphantom]

I bet they got to that part of the video, realized their mistake in the choice of human model but decided that they don't have the time to fix the whole thing lmao

[@ericwu6428]

Destructor EFX f

[@shaikhmullah-ud-din1964]

4:49 Such a modest woman

[@midnightsunarchive]

Yooooo that’s so funny

[@M_747]

lolllllllllllllllllllll

[@shahidnasir7851]

I was watching the mechanism, so I had to watch the video again to check.

[@M_747]

lollllllllllllll

[@rdvancoban5230]

Lool

[@lulzjeffy1337]

"The steering column uses a planetary gearset." *PTSD flashbacks to Automatic Transmission video*

[@Symbian2704]

Oh the planetary horrors. :-s

[@gergelynagy874]

I had exactly the same thoughts

[@hexipolar8158]

Yeah my college teacher said that discussing planetary gear sets was his least favorite part of the class lol

[@davidayarra3129]

facts tho planetary gears kill me

[@ericmuya746]

😂😂

[@Esco4Lifeee]

It’s amazing the amount of engineering it goes to things we use everyday and take for granted. And also, these visual learnings are effective rather than just reading about it👌🏽

[@mgabrielle2343]

Absolutely until you suddenly experience total failure! Electronic steering depends on vulnerable processors, wiring and connectors and any problems within these components render the steering useless, you can't beat hydraulic power assisted steering , just had a total failure on Opel Astra .......and steering wheel was extremely hard to turn, any woman driver would have just given up.

[@FelineRaptor-gv4te]

@@mgabrielle2343 unless she hits the gym like The Rock

[@ramsesiv5342]

@@mgabrielle2343 aren't women strong tho?

[@nirvanic3610]

We pay for it

[@JohnNy-ni9np]

And these engineers keep inventing the wheels, amazing.

[@gazzadarin9965]

I remember the clutch being harder to learn than turning

[@hannahcarmelarojo6013]

Gazza Darin true 😂😂😂😂😂

[@armanon9225]

And even that is easy

[@ucakpan]

Gazza Darin, I agree!

[@MrByakun]

Clutch master race

[@Engineer9736]

I hear so many times about people having issues with using a clutch, i never understood he difficulty of it. In my first driving lesson 10 years ago i drove away without talking about it, 2 years later the same at motorcycle lessons. I guess you just got to know what a clutch actually does mechanically.

[@linkinpark9812]

Lol @ 4:49 the dress extension when zooming in on the power steering motor. Great video!

[@medokn99]

4:46 lmao it gets longer lol

[@ernoeskeli1139]

Haha if you saw that the first time you clearly weren't focusing on the actual topic. You were just looking at the lady 😂

[@imtinuksunglongkumer7352]

I didn't notice

[@JimJCJimbo]

@@markusfranz8809 check your testosterone levels they might be low LOL

[@inspiringbrainofficial]

I didn't notice that

[@gourisha9512]

Wow, I never knew that the 2 wheels are steered ar different angles! This video is an eye opener! And the power steering mechanism is quite clever. Infact all mechanics are work of clever men. Great animation. Thanks and keep it up.

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

And here I used to think a car needed alignment whenever I noticed a parked car with the wheels turned and the wheels weren't exactly turned equally hahaha! I Dunning-Krugered myself.

[@evenvega3728]

They also turn at different speeds which I also learned from this channel! So cool!

[@Felipe-53]

I would like to thanks the channel for providing such high quality material for free. As a mechanical engineering student, I have benefited a lot from all of the contents of the channel and sure learned a lot. Thank you, sir!

[@tn4828]

Thank you for the video! My mother recently had a wheel-alignment service on her car. It's interesting to know how this works, and see it in action. I didn't know the wheels turned at different angles - the ingenuity behind this is mind-boggling!

[@asheerkhan2017]

is it just me who observed what happend within 5 seconds after 4:51. How neatly this animator covered up the portion. He should make animated movies as an occupation apart from teaching.

[@geiger21]

magic skirt elongation

[@princegurjar6097]

I was looking for this comment

[@fleurfr]

LMAO I NOTICED

[@AB-nb2ic]

Need to rewatch this a few more times to be able to simply and comfortably explain it to someone else in a way they'll be able to understand. Great content! Thank you

[@alphamoonman]

I would have loved to see how they solved these problems when designing the power steering assist-motor, but also the countermeasure planetary gear set. Fascinating. My only regret is that we were unable to record the thought-processes of the geniuses behind this contraption.

[@KikiTay]

Wow you made something so complex so easy to understand! And I can see a huge amount of work here! Thanks for sharing!

[@eFeXuy]

I actually find steering pretty straight forward

[@ForeverMan]

Untill there's a curve

[@LanaaAmor]

@@ForeverMan you had to do this didn't you?

[@DestroidoTO]

Mr thicky black thicky adder thicky

[@eris628]

It’s ok no problem for me with steering i have a little problem with changing speed cus it’s uncomfortable

[@roejogan1559]

Yhe stearing is the easiest part

[@jadens4124]

Thank you for this! This helped me understand electric steering much better, i feel way more confident going in for my final at my college tomorrow for first year mechanics

[@BlacksterVFX]

Great video as always. What I found most interesting was the explanation for why the car has to turn if you turn the wheel.

[@learnwithprabhat]

*Awesome Video... Details Explained. The Best thing of this channel is it's Animation. One can easily understand through Animation. Thank You Sir...for Great Work.*

[@mapesdhs597]

That's why I wanted to help them with a more powerful system for processing the animations. 8)

[@Cotronixco]

Learn with Prabhat - It is it is?

[@no_onecares3266]

Really genius of those enginneers who make whole car 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 salute Hats off

[@llpqazz]

These are simply brilliant - thank you so much for your time and effort.

[@Seyhan60]

It was very clear and as the video continued your answered every questions that I asked myself such as "wait, in case of motor failure the wheels are jammed" :D Thank you for the awesome content!

[@adamaj74]

You guys should do a video on motorcycle counter-steering. It's a very confusing and counter-intuitive subject.

[@nikolagoethe7142]

Agreed! It's weird, like opposite. Your turn left to go right, etc. Yes please do video on this.

[@Lesics]

That's an interesting topic. I will do it. Thank you for the video suggestion.

[@adamaj74]

Thank you!!!

[@ankursolanky4129]

@@adamaj74 I know what countersteering is, but it is hard to explain it in words. The fantastic animations that this channel produces will provide a much clearer explanation! Let me know if you want me to explain, I'll try my best.

[@adamaj74]

@Ankur Solanky Thank you very much for the kind offer. It's always good to hear something explained from another's point of view.

[@lenny7877]

just finished my first semester of mechanical engineering. experienced pure joy after predicting the planetary gear at 6:03. 😂 Great video, thanks a bunch!

[@stevelooney1473]

If the planetary gear is used as shown the steering wheel has no authority over the direction of the car. If the wheel is held straight and the worm gear turns, the car will turn in that direction. I think there must be something missing.

[@crippletron6879]

In only your 1st semester?? I didn’t go over gears/dynamics until my sophomore year. 1st semester MIGHT cover free body diagrams in say, statics, but congrats if you knew gears that early on

[@lenny7877]

@@crippletron6879 to be fair, we had like a semester on gears and it never came up again (except in projects).. it kind of got more and more theoretical later on with fluid- and thermodynamics... Buuut I'm going to have my bachelor's degree in half a year, fun to look back at this comment

[@Mohas191]

letsgo bro you can do it, bro gonna be making 100k and have big house by not even 25

[@lenny7877]

@@Mohas191 Thank you bro :) I'm in my master's now :D

[@firozkhan_2002]

Thank you Sir for making videos on Mechanical engineering concepts...As a 2nd year Mechanical engineering student they r proving a lot helpful to me....Lesics is the best!

[@ocksee]

These videos have really improved over the years. Great explanation.

[@chandrahasnaphade8342]

Lol I am Mechanical Engineer with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering, yet it never ceases to amaze me at the ingenuity and simplicity of these designs we use on a daily basis :) Engineering is so much fun!

[@tylerw.1414]

Why does the rack and pinion always achieve the optimal common point? Are the lengths of of the arms and tire rods important?

[@sajitheranda6418]

Please done a video about how hydraulic power steering works. This is very understandable. Thanks

[@johnybrokeit]

They was beautifully done and simple to understand. Thank you for making these!

[@SaranRavali]

I really love your channel ...... I love physics and I always wanted to take Mechanical engineering , but with parents pressure and other circumstances I had to take Bio-technology..... This channel is just satisfying my thirst to learn more in Mechanical engineering. Thank you

[@Alejandro19991023]

Gears gotta be one of the most important inventions ever, freaking insane

[@togethereasy]

4:48 - the skirt expands

[@nasmeskartz9149]

This bro know whats truly matter

[@beyondbin6621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWO8aKuDe82qY8k

[@iAndroidRICK]

The animations are really good. Helps to easily visualize the workings of the system.

[@anmolmittal1000]

You people are going awesome, with clear voice and animation that the whole world can understand.

[@rohitbhosle6521]

Wow man loved animation and level of explanation like asking questions why ..then telling because this is problem if we do this and after telling "so solution to problem is"..man u r not just giving information ..rather u r improving approach of engineering ... truly name of u r channel matches u r work 😍😍😍 ty for u r efforts

[@varun.k9993]

M . .

[@suluhpanjiaryaguna3725]

Wow this is by far the most informative video about EPS.. Thank you for the effort to do the video! But there is one thing you should also explain in the video, that is how the tie rod + rack & pinion + steering arm mechanism turning the wheels at different angle and always achieve the common point.. Does anybody know how this happens? Thanks a lot!

[@tylerw.1414]

THIS!! Did you end up finding the answer?

[@RRC5074]

This channel is such a blessing. Thank you for your hard work!

[@WXUZT]

Remarkable..never imagined this complication ! Thank You so much. Excellent presentation.

[@ulhasg8264]

Realistic world created by learn engineering 🏋 hats off

[@shyampoonia]

iam understand easily by your video thank you ...

[@oussamatouzani9518]

Thank you for your deployed effort to facilitate the automotive functionalities of their system. I will be grateful if you can share a futur videos about tank and the delivery system of the fuel starting from the feeding system to the engine process

[@afnanhasan3917]

The animation really helps a lot!!! This is better than school! School is nothing but a prison where we are force fed information that will be useless.. and we forget most of it!!

[@AtomsLab]

@5:40 You can most definitely back-drive a worm screw, if the worm angle is above the inverse tan of the frictional co-efficient. If the assembly vibrates, then it's even easier to back-drive. Great video, though!

[@AtomsLab]

@chocobonita I work with industrial machinery and farm equipment, and have some hands on experience with worm drive gearboxes. I've dealt with some machines unexpectedly back-driving their worm gearboxes, and that motivated me to learn the engineering behind how they work.

[@seanoflaherty]

It probably would not work wheel enough to be useable. It would have to be able to move smoothly and predictably.

[@Lakshitverma17]

I understand absolutely nothing at college but here I get to learn so many things which are not even taught in my college, my concepts are clear and my knowledge is boosted. Syllabus in my college is 20 years old but bcs of learn engineering I get to learn latest technologies. P.S - I am a mechanical engineering student.

[@Lakshitverma17]

Thank you learn engineering :)

[@ajayv304]

That is the greatest thing about our Indian Education system... Only ranks oriented teaching.

[@ronakkhurana1783]

Hey God bless those people who have created this channel . Truly speaking, too much knowledge is there on this channel . And one more thing to point out you show things in such an interesting manner that even the most difficult concepts slip into the mind like butter. I really don't have words to thank you but just one thing We salute you Thank you

[@MANIAKRA]

Wow. This is the best explanation of steering I've ever seen. SUBBBED

[@Jaymac720]

Can you do a video on hydraulic power steering and other forms aside from electric?

[@anandpanchal5717]

Another awesome Video.

[@juanchooo24]

A while ago I asked for this video and it’s finally here, thank you!

[@GururajBN]

When I see these videos explaining these good old mechanisms, I am astounded at the genius of the engineers who invented varieties of gears and pinions, differential gears, hydraulics , and pneumatics for transfer of motion and torque. I think that mechanical engineering is the true engineering. World can’t without it, notwithstanding the huge number of specialisations which have developed during the last thirty years.

[@BobSmith-em8gm]

4:50 when a girl catches you staring

[@fani609]

😂

[@Limeayy]

Wow i didn't know they used planetary gearsets like in automatic trans's in a electric power steering motor. Can you do the insides of a Hydraulic power steering? :D

[@arielpenalan6815]

Thanks for an explicit explanation.😊

[@Simon-nx1sc]

What a beautiful working principle and a beautiful video!

[@vishalhardasani]

Great graphics 👍🏻👍🏻

[@yogeshshendage9941]

Vishal Hardasani

[@user-gt7oi5bs3l]

احسنتم ع هذا الشرح المصور والمتطور ياليت نفس الفديو مترجم او مدبلج للغه العربيه

[@TSAR-2023]

Thanks for the perfect detailed explanation!

[@joserobertohernandezadon1854]

I love the way the video explains this mechanism.

[@charlesjoshi5154]

5:00 why so many buttons under the steering wheel 😅 Thank you for the explanation

[@Bojanmarsetic]

4:45 Why did you draw more skirt??? :) :) : )

[@0101OSX]

another fantastic engineering video 👍🏻👍🏻 thank you 🙏🏻

[@premkhanal6734]

Eazy to understand and lovely explanation thank you :)

[@michaellloyd4654]

I like how they chose to explain power steering involved one of the least common types. Most cars, including new builds, still use hydraulic power steering. That operates differently than the video example, and I think is worth diagramming for a more complete explanation of the mechanics of steering.

[@aaronmedley5184]

Lol I was thinking the same thing. Most people don't own cars with electronic power steering. I work in parts and I sell power steering pumps daily but have never an steering motors.

[@hapaboy8424]

Then there's me with a car with no power steering.

[@Engineer9736]

@@hapaboy8424 I’ve never seen a car without power steering in my life lol

[@aimilios439]

@@hapaboy8424 Sad story. Those arms must be pumped up like hell to. :Ρ

[@levmade]

@@aimilios439 i drive one with no power steering as well, but I’m gonna say in my experience it was pretty easy, it’s not like you have to grip it really hard or smth. It’s rather a loss in controllability, especially felt on higher speeds. Driving on speeds like 80+ km/h gets a little bit scary even haha, especially if the road isn’t perfect. Maybe that’s the time you have to grip it harder but it’s still not that muscle-tiring

[@JohnBarrow1961]

Yes, I like how the hottie's skirt elongated at just the right moment. Or wrong moment, depending on your perspective.

[@Engineer9736]

Crestfallen Plinth no you

[@beyondbin6621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWO8aKuDe82qY8k

[@mynamejeff8401]

Crestfallen Plinth it’s a joke

[@ganindunanayakkara8970]

Wooow!!! Thank you so much for the awesome explanation.

[@dewanhasan4828]

Absolutely it's very convenient to learn. The animation presentation is more helpful to reading.

[@nwabuezeozuzu6370]

0:01 the most difficult part of driving for me was hill starts using manual transmission.

[@vegasromaniac]

The last 2 minutes are quite eye oppening

[@zangiefromanov2563]

were you hoping she would open her legs also?

[@logankincade661]

Pissed me off that they made her skirt get longer as they zoomed in on the elect motor!!!!!!

[@mmkamalraj8931]

The video shows the principles and the inner workings of the mechanisms. I liked the connection the learning and to real life application. Great vid. Do add more real life How tos, or atleast make seperate continuation videos. For example... How to know your angle of wheel based on steering rotation? How to park the vehicle effotlessly?

[@Dhu_alQarnayn]

I started with curiosity about how IC engine works and now this has become an obsession. It's so complicated yet so practical to the extent it blows your mind. I can't imagine how much time it took to come with this ingenious idea. If this is complicated, then just wait till you see how the Speed gears of your car works and add on the clutch system.

[@dancoulson6579]

6:28 - That's a really clever design. Not just for the failsafe reason. But also, when the motor has failed, the steering wheel is essentially geared down, so that the driver is able to apply more torque.

[@robguyatt9602]

An excellent video but just a minor correction. At 5:45 the statement that a worm gear can't drive a worm is false. A very common misconception. When the worm can't be driven by the worm gear, this is called self-locking. In many designs, this is a requirement. But it is inefficient. So for applications where efficiency is important and self-locking is not required, then the worm and worm gear set is not self-locking. It's all about the application. Interestingly, this leads me to wonder why self-locking would be deliberately used in power steering. I imagine the use of a high-efficiency worm gear set would actually be better in power steering. In the case of electrical failure, then back driving the BLDC motor would not be an issue. Just a thought.

[@steplusplus]

Thanks for posting that correction. I wasn't previously aware that you could have non-self locking worm and worm gear sets. I'll admit that I'm guessing here but wouldn't the advantage of this set up be that, in the event of failure, you obtain the benefit of a gear reduction between the sun gear and planetary gears. That is to say, you'd need more turns (of the steering wheel) lock-to-lock but less torque input from the driver.

[@beyondbin6621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWO8aKuDe82qY8k

[@robguyatt9602]

@@beyondbin6621 I understand your video is about the geometry of steering but what has it got to with my post about worm drive efficiencies?

[@robguyatt9602]

@@steplusplus I watched it again and I get it now. (was probably drinking first time LOL) The locked ring gear forces the steering wheel torque to be transmitted to the rack and pinion. If the worm drive was not self-locking the steering wheel torque would backdrive the power steering motor and not drive the rack and pinion. Thanks for your suggestion.

[@ram-bo6978]

Thanks a lot for providing excellent information!

[@priteshkumar2755]

Highly informative video...best possible demonstration of the starting mechanism with all related aspects covered

[@karthikmaturi9926]

Sir,could you please explain about fuel cell technology.🙏🙏🙏🙂

[@Lesics]

Fuel cell technology is almost dead :(

[@fidelabc123]

No it isn't!!!

[@kodiem4107]

The most difficult control to master is steering. Mustang owners: this man is spitting straight facts.

[@karasgr1996]

@Zwenk Wielwell yeah..they think they can control the car in higher speed and loose control..i mean v8's and v6's are pretty powerfull.

[@khubalialiyev2272]

Thanks for such a great video I would like to see more about Industrial hydraulic engineering

[@dzgoalz1487]

Exactly what I was looking for!

[@reflex3843]

The ratio at which the wheels turn compared to the steering wheel when assisted by power steering differs from the one when power steering is inactive (car shut off) since the ring gear doesn't turn in latter case, thus giving the gear box a different gear ratio. This would mean that if I were to turn the wheels all the way to one side when the car is off and then turn the wheels back after starting the car, the steering wheel would be in a different position than before, right? Or does the power steering account for the different gear ratio?

[@wobblestone3148]

I think issues like this is considered by designers already so different position won't happen. And as I know the steering locks up when the car engine is off so idk how are you gonna turn the wheels like that.

[@elmardv]

But what isn't explained is how the rack-and-pinion steering mechanism achieves the different angles on each of the steering wheels. As in the components on each side are mirror images so the difference in the angle must come from something else, maybe the initial shape of a single component, but what component is that? Or I must have missed something?

[@titandagod]

no u didnt miss

[@diegolunar7022]

Because of the shape of the lever that conects to the wheel's axle, which has a specific angle. It's called Ackermann steering geometry

[@dheerajp1512]

Good and clear expatriation Helped me a lot on understanding power steering

[@yooooodennis]

WOW! I never would´ve thought that this mechanism is that complicated :D:D

[@markflierl1624]

4:00 You didn't explain how the left and right front wheels can have different turning radius's.

[@pyrobeav2005]

The trick is in the angle of the linkage at the neutral position (3:12). If they were starting at 45 degrees and in line with the rack and pinion, both wheels would move the same angular distance and you would need new tires very quickly. Instead, they are neutral at ~20 degrees and the rack and pinion is to the rear. The rack moves the same distance on both sides, but because of the initial angle of the linkage the wheel turns farther when turning away from the center of the car.

[@beyondbin6621]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWO8aKuDe82qY8k

[@bradkay4794]

@@pyrobeav2005 With the wheel straight ahead, draw a line between the steering arm pivot and its connection with the tie rod and continue until it reaches the rear axle. Wheels will toe out the correct amount on turns when this line intersects the rear axle at its Left Right center. Toe out on turns is not adjustable and some alignment techs interpret this to mean if it's off nothing can be done. Some go step further and don't check it. Reality is if the measurement is off the car has bent parts

[@charleshines6155]

Hydraulic power steering also makes steering effortless. It has been around longer than the electric systems that are becoming more common.

[@stevelooney1473]

Electric is more popular now because there is no parasitic drag on the engine and the system is lighter. This makes the car more fuel efficient.

[@yangni007]

Thanks for this great explanation !

[@VivekSingh-bv3fl]

Very good explanation..thanks for making us to understand things very easily

[@nithianathan7962]

The mechanism looks symmetrical. Which part causes the turning angle to be different for each wheel?

[@Cotronixco]

Observe the idler arms with regard to their alignments to the rack.

[@mohilgorecha]

Damn I never knew how steering wheel system was complicated

[@namanmaurya6559]

I really find your videos very helpful. Thanks a lot!

[@harshrajatul910]

Yeah I was thinking about this and today u uploaded this video. Coincidence!

[@JuneJulia]

Hard question: What happens when the motor fails detecting drive wheel movement? Will it keep supporting turning in one direction while the driver is trying to turn other direction? How do they prevent that?

[@Engineer9736]

Of course it won’t keep turning into one direction. But if you want to know the indepth details then you’ll have to reverse engineer the whole mechanism.. it will also be manufacturer specific on how it’s exactly done. It will involve sensors and electronics and software.

[@asalbct1973]

4:50 HOT MOM CENCORED

[@standupyak]

Bro wtf

[@asek1021]

😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍

[@drewsky1278]

😂

[@joshuamulandi6687]

These videos are simply the best!

[@invokerkichu2429]

Best channel to learn mechanics and engineering....

[@sonajero25]

In Europe, the hardest thing when you learn to drive is....shifting gears. Great video!

[@Engineer9736]

If you can count then you can shift... Some people are so obsessed about manual shifting...

[@NehemiahDC]

Ah, engineering videos. My escape after watching animals eat each other and spooky haunted house videos.

[@Mr_Motivator_1]

Great infographic video ever perhaps that just explained a lot :)

[@luisramrod9121]

I really love this subject!

[@muhamadizzatnajmibinmohdna2944]

The hardest thing I've learnt from my first driving was mastering cluth

[@Non_Consistent_Potato]

Cluch

[@gaurav_bora_]

@@Non_Consistent_Potato *CLUTCH*

[@Non_Consistent_Potato]

@@gaurav_bora_ oh, even I spelled it wrong XD I knew there was something wrong with it

[@princebanini]

this is just cool to watch....i appreciate engineering more each day.

[@monteiro5306]

Once more, a wonderful job. Thanks.👍👍