The steering system must provide control over the direction of travel of the vehicle; good maneuverability for parking the vehicle; smooth recovery from turns, as the driver releases the steering wheel; and minimum transmission of road shocks from the road surface.
The effort by the driver is transferred from the steering wheel, down the steering column, to a steering box.
The steering box converts the rotary motion of the steering wheel, to the linear motion needed to steer the vehicle.
It also gives the driver a mechanical advantage.
The linear motion from the steering box is then transferred by tie-rods, to the steering arms at the front wheels. The tie rods have ball joints that allow steering movement, and movement of the suspension.
The steering-arm ball-joints are arranged so that movement in the suspension does not affect steering operation.
