Automobile Engineering Multiple Choice Questions on “Steering System”.
1. The front axle of a car has pivot centers 1.3 m apart. The angle of inside lock is 40℃ and the angle of the outside lock is 35℃. What is the wheelbase of the car?
a) 5.5 m
b) 3.5 m
c) 4.5 m
d) 6.5
Answer: a
Clarification: For correct steering, cot α – cot θ = c / b where c = pivot center, b = wheelbase, α = angle of outside lock, and θ = angle of inside lock. Cot α – Cot θ = c / b ⇒ Cot 35 – Cot 40 = 1.3 / b ⇒ b = 5.49 m.
2. If the wheelbase, the pivot center, and wheel track of the are 2.5 m, 1.1 m, and 1.3 m respectively. The angle of the inside lock is 42℃. What is the circle radius of the outer front wheel?
a) 2.6 m
b) 3.6 m
c) 4.6 m
d) 1.6 m
Answer: b
Clarification: b = wheelbase = 2.5 m, c = pivot center = 1.1 m, a = wheel track = 1.3 m, and θ = angle of inside lock = 42℃. For the inner front wheel, radius =(frac{b}{sintheta} – frac{a – c}{2} = frac{2.5}{sin42} – frac{1.3 – 1.1}{2}) = 3.6 m
3. What is the angle between the steering axis and the vertical in the plane of the wheel?
a) Castor
b) Camber
c) Steering axis inclination
d) Kingpin inclination
Answer: a
Clarification: Castor is the angle between the steering axis and the vertical in the plane of the wheel. Positive castor improves the straight-line stability of the car.
4. If the front of the front wheels is inside and rear of front wheels are apart when the vehicle is at rest, then the configuration is called?
a) Toe-in
b) Toe out
c) Positive camber
d) Positive castor
Answer: a
Clarification: Toe-in is the amount by which the front wheels are set closer together at the front than at the rear when the vehicle is stationary. Toe-in provided generally less than 3 mm.
5. What is the name of the angle through which the wheel has to turn to sustain the side force?
a) Slip angle
b) Castor angle
c) Camber
d) Kingpin inclination
Answer: a
Clarification: The slip angle is the angle through which the wheel has to be turned to sustain the side force on the wheel. The force produced due to this which counters the side thrust is known as cornering force.
6. What is called the cornering force over the slip angle?
a) Castor trail
b) Cornering power
c) Self-righting torque
d) Pneumatic trail
Answer: b
Clarification: The ratio of cornering force to the slip angle is called the cornering power. The cornering power increases due to tire stiffness.
7. What is a condition called when the vehicle will try to move away from its normal direction and to keep it on the right path there is need to steer a little?
a) Understeer
b) Oversteer
c) Reversibility
d) Irreversibility
Answer: a
Clarification: When the slip angles of the front wheels are greater than those for the rear wheels, the radius of the turn is increased. Due to which there is the need to steer more than required which is called understeer.
8. What is the purpose of the reciprocating ball type steering gear?
a) To reduce the operating cost
b) To reduce the number of parts
c) To reduce the operating friction
d) To reduce the toe-out during the turns
Answer: c
Clarification: The reciprocating ball type steering gear serve the purpose of reducing the friction and wear of the gear.
9. What is the angle between the vertical when the top of the wheel slants outward?
a) Negative camber
b) Negative castor
c) Positive camber
d) Positive castor
Answer: c
Clarification: The angle between the vertical when the top of the wheel slants outward is called positive camber. Positive camber will lead to decrease in turning radius and thus lead to a decrease in the steering effort.
10. The furniture rollers are provided with negative castor.
a) True
b) False
Answer: b
Clarification: The furniture rollers are provided with positive castor. The positive castor gives more directional stability. In positive castor, steering axis would meet the ground ahead of the center of the roller. The later wheel would always follow the former wheel.