Failure of power steering gears of the heavy-duty trucking: A tribological investigation

A power steering system is a component that helps the heavy-duty operator to move easily the vehicle by the hydraulic pump providing the fluid pressure and facilitating adequate operation. Some failures in the power steering system are due to external and internal factors that can reduce its life. The external factor could be identified by ocular inspection but normally to internal failures is necessary to use a hydraulic pressure flow meter. However, with this device is impossible to detect failures by the lubricant selected. This work aims to investigate the causes of power steering system seizure by using the tribological wear examination process and the lubricant characterization under some actual operation conditions.