Power Steering ‘Road Feel’

This ‘paper’ discusses current power steering characteristics and considers why and how the characteristics should change for different driving conditions. It then compares the different ways in which this can be done and considers the advantages and disadvantages of each, including some of the safety aspects.

It is mainly, but not exclusively, concerned with motor cars and is basically confined to the modern hydraulic power steering rotary valve which uses torsion bar springing. Most of the illustrations relate to rack and pinion steering but, in a general sense, all that is said can be applied to other types of steering gear.