Every truck has something called an intermediate steering shaft in its steering system. The intermediate steering shaft is an important component of the truck that not many people know about. The intermediate steering shaft acts as a tool to control the steering of the vehicle by connecting the gearbox and steering wheel. When you turn the steering wheel, the shaft turns and actuates the gearbox which turns the wheels. So as long as the intermediate steering shaft is working properly, it will make the steering work of the truck more smoothly.
The intermediate steering shaft is the rod that connects the steering wheel to the rest of the steering system. It is connected to the steering wheel via a universal joint, and to the steering gear via another universal joint. The intermediate steering shaft is a key part of the steering system, and it is responsible for transferring the turning force from the steering wheel to the steering gear. The universal joints allow the intermediate steering shaft to transmit the turning force while compensating for misalignment between the steering wheel and the steering gear. If the steering shaft is not properly connected to the steering gear, turning can become a serious problem. In addition, the steering shaft helps to stabilize and fix the steering column locking and wiring, which are key components to perfect the truck’s steering action.
Sometimes there can be problems with your intermediate steering shaft. Because of its hidden location, you can’t detect the problem at once, so you should take care of the strange signals of trucks. Then there are some signals of the intermediate steering shaft when it fails.
- Strange Sound
When the intermediate steering shaft fails, one of the first symptoms that people usually notice is a strange popping or clunking sound when the steering wheel is turned every time. As the strange sound increases, the steering wheel becomes difficult to turn. The sound will be small and slight at first, but if not processed in time, it will eventually become larger and more annoying. Any time you hear any strange sounds, like this, you should take your truck to the repair shop for inspection.
- The Difficulty in Steering
The more serious symptom of the bad intermediate steering shaft is difficulty steering. The manifestation of the steering difficulty failure of the heavy trucks is that the trucker can feel very heavy and unregressive when driving the heavy truck, whether it is turning the steering wheel to the right or to the left. In the process of driving at low-speed corners and making u-turns, it is obvious that the steering wheel is rotating hard or even moving.
Steering difficulty detection should be investigated from the location where the fault occurred, and gradually classified and sorted. It is necessary to rotate the steering wheel left and right, observe the heavy rotation of the steering wheel, and troubleshoot mechanical failures. Analyze the specific point of failure location according to the actual specific steering wheel-heavy situation.
- Bearing Corrosion
Bearing alloy corrosion is generally because the lubricating oil is impure, the chemical impurities contained in the lubricating oil (acid oxides, etc.) make the bearing alloy oxidize and produce acidic substances, causing the bearing alloy to fall off partially, forming irregular tiny cracks or small pits. The poor corrosion resistance of bearing materials, rough engine work, and high temperature are also the main causes of bearing corrosion. In order to better prevent bearing corrosion, they can be protected by soaking, brushing, or spraying.
In addition, human sweat is also the cause of bearing corrosion, and its pH value is 5 to 6. Therefore, in order to prevent rust caused by hand sweat, installation and production personnel should wear gloves and not casually touch high-temperature bearings with their hands.
But the most important is each intermediate steering shaft has a set of needle roller bearings. The grease of these bearings is stored inside and sealed. Greases give bearings a longer service life without having to maintain them. However, when the intermediate steering shaft begins to deteriorate, corrosion can form on the outside as the internal grease dries out.
- Steering Wheel Tilt is Loose
Steering wheel tilt is the guarantee of changing the direction of the truck during driving, if the steering wheel tilt is loose, it will have a great impact on the truck driving. There are many reasons for the loosening of the steering wheel tilt of a truck, and the intermediate steering shaft is also one of them.
The intermediate steering shaft is responsible for keeping the steering wheel in place. If the shaft is damaged, it may cause the steering wheel to loosen and shake. Excessive play is also one of the main reasons why the intermediate steering shaft can cause the steering tilt of the steering system and the loosening of the telescope. When there is too much play in the power steering system, it can make the steering shaft move more freely, which in turn causes the steering to become less precise and eventually become loose. In addition, the middle steering shaft can also cause alignment problems with the steering system, which can lead to greater loosening over time.
- Steering Wheel Does Not Go Back to Middle
Automatic positive performance is a basic performance of trucks, and it is also an important evaluation index of truck handling performance. All trucks, no matter what kind of steering system they use, whether they have help or not, should have the ability to return to normality, especially when driving, it is difficult to return to the straight position when stationary, but there should also be a certain amount of positive force.
However, if the steering wheel fails to return to the center after you have removed your hand from the steering wheel, there may be a problem with the intermediate steering shaft or steering column. If the intermediate steering shaft and steering column are aging or deformed, the truck will have deviated, the tires will be deflected, and the gears of the steering wheel and the gears of the steering lever will also be affected.
The phenomenon of the steering wheel not going back to the middle after parking often occurs in careless truckers, and some novice truckers also have it. Although it will not directly cause trouble to the truck, over time, the damage to the truck is still very large. Therefore, in order to ensure the long-term operation of the truck, we must take seriously the problem of the steering wheel not going back to the middle.
If The Intermediate Steering Shaft is Bad
When the intermediate steering shaft is bad, be sure to change it as soon as possible. Don’t think it’s a trivial matter, ignoring it will only cause bigger problems. A bad intermediate steering shaft can cause difficulty steering, and the steering wheel cannot go back to the middle, which can have a great impact on the driving of the truck. Timely replacement of the intermediate steering shaft can not only ensure driving safety but also help to extend the service life of the truck.
