What Makes For Good Steering Feel?

"iSureWilll" (isurewilll) 01/15/2016 at 09:46 • Filed to: None

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So we all know that there are aftermarket options to improve steering feel, but what makes a STOCK car have good steering feel?

OPPOsaurus WRX > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 09:50

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i think new bushings would help

TractorPillow > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 09:51

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The best steering cars I’ve ever driven had no power steering and were incredibly light (Elise and classic Mini).

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 09:51

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Lack of power steering.

Tripper > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 09:52

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Hmm, that feeling is so hard for me to describe with words.

Solid, but not overbearing feedback, “tight” wheel movement (move the wheel very little to turn the car a lot), and quick steering (some cars feel as if there is a delay between moving the steering wheel and the car actually turning.) EVO 8 comes to mind when I think of a solid stock steering feel.

duurtlang > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/15/2016 at 10:00

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Oh yes. Try my 205 GTI. Great steering feel. Unassisted, and due to the very low vehicle weight you don’t need power steering anyway.

I will argue that the car needs to be designed to not have power steering. A car with broken power steering doesn’t qualify.

Master Cylinder > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/15/2016 at 10:03

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+1. I swapped a manual rackrack into my 944 and I’ll never go back. The ratio is slower but it’s more than worth the awesome feedback.

cletus44 aka Clayton Seams > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 10:04

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Short answer? Manual steering.
Long answer? Maaaannnnnuuuaalllll Sttteeeeerrrrinnnggg.

Needmoargarage > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 10:09

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For me, removing as much compliance in the steering system as possible and responsive tires.

Couldn’t tell you for electric steering racks; I don’t believe in that voodoo.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Tripper 01/15/2016 at 10:10

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Exactly this. This perfectly describes the difference between driving my Miata and driving the Buick LeSabre.

they-will-know-my-velocity > Master Cylinder 01/15/2016 at 10:19

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Oh yeah, I’ve heard those rackracks are good. :)

wiffleballtony > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 10:20

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Good tires.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 10:26

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Strong front and rear sway bars.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > duurtlang 01/15/2016 at 10:29

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My Land Rover has somewhat vague manual steering, working as it does through a relay and with a recirculating ball box and pushing tall bias ply tires, but I suspect any sort of power steering would make it even worse. My VW Rabbit (Mk. 1 Golf) was what most finally convinced me of the preferability of an unassisted setup: it had other flaws but the steering feel was excellent. While I tolerate the power steering in my Mercedes, I feel I have to object to the fact that its setup has enough internal compensation built into it as to make it hard to tell if one of the tires is dangerously low. It self-centers and dulls that input almost entirely.

GUYMANDUDE > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 10:35

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I’m assuming feedback. Removing all the isolating rubber from the steering column, replacing rubber with solid u-joints. Linear ratio steering rack. Anything that is going to give consistent feedback to the wheel.

javiIn1080p > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/15/2016 at 10:45

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completely agree. I find it so frustrating when everyone talks about great hydraulic steering is in comparison to electric, yet they’re both bad compared to no power steering.

whoarder is tellurium > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 01/15/2016 at 10:50

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The less rubber bushing isolation the better too. Solid or at least polyurethane at minimum.

BloodlessWeevil > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 11:11

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From an engineering standpoint, quality materials and a robust design. Strong, stiff linkages. Tight tolerances and minimal play at joints and connections.

It is easy to have good steering feel fresh of the factory, but over time linkages loosen up. The dead zone expands and worn joints and connections soak up steering input and feedback.

Notice that I did not mention hydraulic vs. electric vs. unassisted. Power steering adds an additional piece that can add extra play if designers let it, but it does not have to be that way in a well designed system.

uofime-2 > javiIn1080p 01/15/2016 at 11:12

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Upside of EPAS is that someone should be able to design a system to reflash them so you can have whatever steering feel you want including no assist with a couple button presses in theory.

javiIn1080p > uofime-2 01/15/2016 at 11:16

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How does this work mechanically? with EPAS the electric motor is coupled between the steering wheel and the wheels, so would the electric motor have to get decoupled? or it’d just go into a 1:1 ratio effectively turning off any assist?

uofime-2 > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 11:16

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Low compliance in the linkage system

low or zero scrub radius

Goldilocks caster angle

Master Cylinder > they-will-know-my-velocity 01/15/2016 at 11:18

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D’oh. Kinja mobile’d. It duplicates words on me sometimes when I misspell something and go back to correct it (built-in Kinja autocorrect?). I caught the “awesomebfeedbackawesomebfeedback” but missed the rackrack. ._.

uofime-2 > javiIn1080p 01/15/2016 at 11:25

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The electric motor is in parallel to the steering wheel, they are not in series. So if you turn the motor off, there’s no more assist. Yes you’ll be spinning an electric motor but that isn’t going to give appreciable resistance.

Svart Smart, traded in his Smart > Tripper 01/15/2016 at 11:34

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I might have to disagree with you on the “tight” part. I don’t like it when a car feels darty, which sometimes happens on a small car with a short wheelbase. Sometimes I prefer a slower steering ratio.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 11:35

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I remember reading somewhere that kingpin geometry has a lot to do with steering feedback.

That would explain a lot of older cars without power steering but with catastrophic steering feel...

shift monkey > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 11:37

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Feedback is pretty important personally. And the steering feel just has to have a certain “weight” to it.

Berang > iSureWilll 01/15/2016 at 13:37

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Combine: rack and pinion, no steering damper, narrow tires.

Bonus points: zero scrub radius, low steering ratio, large diameter steering wheel.

probablyshoulduseafakename > iSureWilll 01/26/2016 at 09:46

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not too wide front tires and not too much weight over them. and yes, lack of power steering will probably help too, but it’s not always the case (in recent times, according to the lucky ones that drove one, the 4c shows that even a non power assisted steering rack can be a bit unpleasant)