A random thought that has nagged me for years.
I wonder if this has been tried.
Seems like it would be great for dragsters, and would make headers and engine plates easier in chassis door cars, having no steering shaft.
???
I've felt the operation on a big outboard, the steering action is smooth and precise, smaller than a traditional mechanical rack.

Yeah, it's winter...flame away.

Interesting idea on a dragster with a solid front.

I would think you would have major bump steer issues on a suspended front end until you could work out the geometry on the inner and outer tie rods / steering arms.

That is very interesting, it has the potential to save some weight and make it easier to build chassis etc as the lines are flexible.

For instance on my Front Engine Dragster it was a well built car but the steering shaft was inside the body and chassis and took up some room where Alternator and oil lines were. Also the long steering shaft had to be supported in several places and the chassis flexes a lot which could cause binding.

That could completely eliminate both of those problems while saving weight to.

As for Bump steer on suspended cars it looks like that may be smaller than typical Rack and Pinion? if so it would be easier to eliminate bump steer. A properly designed front end will not have much bump steer, the lower A-arm and steering box and tie rod ends need to be close and on same plane so as it moves through the arc of travel they do not change much.

The potential problem I see with this is how quick the steering is. The rack and pinions or steering boxes we use are the right ratio and we learned from years of trial and error. Do not know if this would be the right ratio or speed we need.

At this point I do not see a need to reinvent the wheel but if I was starting from scratch I might look into this deeper.

This would not have the power to turn the steering on a car. You would need a much larger hydralic ram and you would also now need a power steering pump. By the time you added it all up it would be heavier then a lightweight rack and pinion.

quote:

Originally posted by 1leg:
This would not have the power to turn the steering on a car. You would need a much larger hydralic ram and you would also now need a power steering pump. By the time you added it all up it would be heavier then a lightweight rack and pinion.

No external hydraulic pump involved. Direct fluid transfer at the head.

Powerful enough to handle the torque steer of a 300 HP outboard.
Weight of the head / pump unit would be considerable, but not much more than a steering column and shaft / supports.

Kinda pricey at $450 to $1000 depending on the setup.

Main point being that there is no shaft, just 2 small plastic lines, no interference with headers or chassis.
No getting speared in the chest by a steering shaft in a crash.

Wander through a boat dealership and give it a feel.

wish had seen this last year when changed FED to rack and pinion. Would save some weight along with lot simpler setup.Rare I get both in one.

quote:

Originally posted by Goob:

quote:

Originally posted by 1leg:
This would not have the power to turn the steering on a car. You would need a much larger hydralic ram and you would also now need a power steering pump. By the time you added it all up it would be heavier then a lightweight rack and pinion.

No external hydraulic pump involved. Direct fluid transfer at the head.

Powerful enough to handle the torque steer of a 300 HP outboard.
Weight of the head / pump unit would be considerable, but not much more than a steering column and shaft / supports.

Kinda pricey at $450 to $1000 depending on the setup.

Main point being that there is no shaft, just 2 small plastic lines, no interference with headers or chassis.
No getting speared in the chest by a steering shaft in a crash.

Wander through a boat dealership and give it a feel.

A typical Dragster Rack and Pinion can not handle a lot power, this type steering I would think can handle as much as that.

Pricing, look at how much a Dragster rack and pinion cost. Probably close to same. But I think with the steering shaft and everything else the boat type steering is probably lighter.