Total Car Care Centers - "Car Care" Is Our Middle Name!

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Our Technicians Are
Our Mechanics are all ASE certified!

 

We use only quality brand Name spark plugs in our service department!

We Use Only Quality Brand Name Spark Plugs!

 

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Steering System

 

How The Steering System Works
  • You might be surprised to learn that when you turn your car, your front wheels are not pointing in the same direction.
     

  • For a car to turn smoothly, each wheel must follow a different circle. Since the inside wheel is following a circle with a smaller radius, it is actually making a tighter turn than the outside wheel. If you draw a line perpendicular to each wheel, the lines will intersect at the center point of the turn. The geometry of the steering linkage makes the inside wheel turn more than the outside wheel.

For a car to turn smoothly, each wheel must follow a different circle.

 

  • There are a couple different types of steering gears. The most common are rack-and-pinion and re-circulating ball.

 

Rack & Pinion Steering

  • Rack & Pinion Steering is quickly becoming the most common type of steering on cars, small trucks and SUVs. It is actually a pretty simple mechanism. A rack-and-pinion gear set is enclosed in a metal tube, with each end of the rack protruding from the tube. A rod, called a tie rod, connects to each end of the rack.

The pinion gear is attached to the steering shaft.

 
  • The pinion gear is attached to the steering shaft. When you turn the steering wheel, the gear spins, moving the rack. The tie rod at each end of the rack connects to the steering arm on the spindle (See diagram above).
     

  • The rack-and-pinion gear set does two things:
     

  • It converts the rotational motion of the steering wheel into the linear motion needed to turn the wheels.
     

  • It provides a gear reduction, making it easier to turn the wheels.
     

  • On most cars, it takes three to four complete revolutions of the steering wheel to make the wheels turn from lock to lock (From far left to far right).
     

  • The steering ratio is the ratio of how far you turn the steering wheel to how far the wheels turn. For instance, if one complete revolution (360 degrees) of the steering wheel results in the wheels of the car turning 20 degrees, then the steering ratio is 360 divided by 20, or 18:1. A higher ratio means that you have to turn the steering wheel more to get the wheels to turn a given distance. However, less effort is required because of the higher gear ratio.
     

  • Generally, lighter, sportier cars have lower steering ratios than larger cars and trucks. The lower ratio gives the steering a quicker response -- you don't have to turn the steering wheel as much to get the wheels to turn a given distance -- which is a desirable trait in sports cars. These smaller cars are light enough that even with the lower ratio, the effort required to turn the steering wheel is not excessive.
     

  • Some cars have variable-ratio steering, which uses a rack-and-pinion gear set that has a different tooth pitch (Number of teeth per inch) in the center than it has on the outside. This makes the car respond quickly when starting a turn (The rack is near the center), and also reduces effort near the wheel's turning limits.

We give our thanks to HOW STUFF WORKS for allowing  us to use their info and graphics!
For more information on how engines or anything else in this world works, visit www.howstuffworks.com.

 

 

 

We Offer Financing!

 

 

 

Here at Total Car Care Centers we have all the services your vehicle needs to keep running smoothly.

Oil changes, transmission flushes, cooling system flushes, air filters, & fuel filters are just a few of the many services & products we offer!.

 

 

 


 

We are experts at minor engine repair!


We install quality rebuilt and/or used engines. We also perform minor repairs that don't require engine removal.

 

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503-266-2700

 

 

We accept American Express, VISA, Master Card, Diner's Club, & Discover!We clear all checks through TeleCheck for your 'peace of mind', and ours!


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