Steering System - Types, Pros & Cons


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Hydraulic Power Steering:
Pros
*No advantages in cars. But its power for Heavy vehicles the 'hydraulic power' itself is an added advantage.
*For trucks, Hydraulic power steering is cheaper than EPS
Power assistance is at Steering rack / gearbox, so a lighter steering column
*Almost all parts are serviceable

Cons
*Heavier than EPS
*More response lag than EPS (due to backlash in construction)
*Engine driven pump takes a part of crankshaft power & affect FE
*Maintenance - in terms of consumables (oil top-up in case of leakage)
*System turns heavier than manual steering when the power assistance fails

EPS:
Pros
*Cheaper than HPS (for cars)
*Light weight
*Variable response in modern EPS system (speed dependent system which varies the steering response. i.e., lighter at slow speeds for easy operation & Heavier at high speeds for stability)
*Almost zero maintenance required
*No power loss to engine, no effect on FE
*Uses the old school manual Steering rack, no complicated system / mechanism in steering rack

Cons
*Many non-serviceable parts
*Power assistance unit is mounted on steering column, so a heavier column



For which car? HPS or EPS?
I don't have the cost details, but I hope Ilango could help us.
Good databse abt EPS and HPS.

please guide me abt Honda brio ExMT and Ford Figo ZXi
 
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collapsible steering is still there with airbags,
nowadays EPS have taken over HPS due to cost & space, also EPS cuts over after specified speed to make driving more safe.
EPS have more life due to few moving parts as it is controlled by small ecm, thus resulting in low maintainance.
 
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Mr.Boss there are more mechanical \ moving parts in HPAS which have more wear & tear as compared to EPAS
In HPAS there is common problem of rack seal failure, seals tends to fail as soon as steering rack boot cracks, over a period of time hydraulic pipes of HPAS cracks resulting in leakage, rack repair itself costs around 5k Rs.
In EPAS there is ECM to control it which has a very good life, like car ECM does. also HPAS takes away good amount of engine power to work.
 
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what is a better steering system go kart or rack and pinion with respect to fuel efficeincy?
what is the cost of both of them?
 
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Dear Mr. Boss please provide your support and advice. I have a Maruti Ritz ( photos you can find in this forum under petrohead) well maintained and only in authorized service station. I do have a conflict on the EPS system and I'm at present in a heated discussion, on going. I have written to Maruti HQ and their Area Managers. Please see the extract of my emails below. Kindly help me also let our petroheads know like this happens and the cost that follows.
( the first email and the second one I had sent to Maruti offical is given below )
Dear Sir,
Good Day
Please be informed that on 17/12/2015 I took my car Ritz ( registered in my wife name ) to HAR Auto PVT. LTD to sort out the nagging noise issue of ‘ thud-thud’ sound coming out of the left hand side front wheel, whenever I would be driving on unpaved or rough pasco paved concrete roads.

On having the car visually lifted and checked at HAR Autos, the Service Supervisor who was helpful and understanding informed me of some parts to be replaced, which I promptly said ‘ go ahead and change’. A bill for Rs.5000 was charged ( Bill no. BC15008871 ) attached. But, as I took out the vehicle the sound was still there but little lessened I suppose. I pointed this problem to the Service Supervisor , and he informed that it is due steering box rack bush, which is worn out and that Maruti do not have this spare part !!! and I need to change the whole assembly of steering rack costing approx. Rs. 23,000 which is really shocking. For a small steering box rack bush problem, one does not need to change the whole assembly.

Please note that I’m a dedicated customer of Maruthi from 2005 onwards and intend to do so for future too. Not even for a single repair the car has been given to any unauthorized workshop all these years and all my friends also do the same. I’m not a first timer of Maruthi products, which so far has proved reliable and budget wise worthy, until I find the above issue , which I hope will be solved with your kind intervention and the spare part given to me.

N.B: The Service Supervisor had informed me that the reason for worn out part was due to me fixing of oversized tyres for my Ritz, which I don’t think is quite true. My brother-in-law who is a mechanic in Gulf is owing a WagonR and having normal tyres and has only recently replaced the steering box rack bush ( spare - which is avaialble for Wagaon-R) . His car has run as of date around 55,000 kms.

I do appreciate an early response and I know that Maruti do take great care of their customers.

Thanking you,
Yours faithfully
Rajesh Retnakar
________________________________________
Good day
Please note that I’m awaiting a response from your end on the way forward to repair my car. I have indeed checked the actual cost of the whole assembly and cost Rs.28,000 and not 23,000 as I have mentioned earlier. I’m an active member and have checked in various forums ( car enthusiast forums ) and found out, lots of people go for upsizing their tyre, but why this hidden cost and also the hype of the safety issues. Maruti must make it available in their workshop through their vendors. This is now taking people for a ride, for a simple part change costing maybe around Rs.500 ..say Rs.1000, one has to cough out Rs.28,000!!!

Give a response whether the worn out part will be made available for me ( my case is not only the isolated case) lots of people have this. Some of them may have gone for aftermarket or unauthorized place for repairs. But I need the trusted Maruti to take up the repairs. We believe all Maruti vehicles high level of maintenance free comparing to other cars, but cases like this needs to be looked into seriously. Hope my case has been REGISTERED with Maruti.

Regards
Rajesh Retnakar
Boss
I had indeed contacted one of my friend Mechanic who has a big lathe shop and he informed that that this work is a simple one. He can repair it and he has done for lot of cars. Costs less than Rs.1000/- to get the job done. Only he needs the steering box brought to him, but I want Maruti to take up this issue and give me a proper response.
 
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Thread Starter #25
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Informative thread mr Boss. Thank you for that. I am a bit late to this thread for sure but better late than never right [:)]
Thanks for the compliments.
Dear Mr. Boss please provide your support and advice.

Boss
I had indeed contacted one of my friend Mechanic who has a big lathe shop and he informed that that this work is a simple one. He can repair it and he has done for lot of cars. Costs less than Rs.1000/- to get the job done. Only he needs the steering box brought to him, but I want Maruti to take up this issue and give me a proper response.
Sorry to hear about this incident.
On a lighter note I would suggest you to get it done with outside garage as I doubt the desired support will not be available from MS for the following reasons,
1) This job is quite simple and easy, any mechanic with basic knowledge, necessary tools and a bit of caution could do it without any issues
2) MS will not take up this task. because the part itself will cost you less than 500 INR but the labor will be atleast 5 times of the same, which a normal customer will not agree at all.
 
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Thanks a lot for the info Boss. I shall carry out the necessary repairs outside MS. I do have friends, who own garages. Lathe job is required for this.
Also, I feel so disgusted that MS, they dont care a damm in writing to their customers, if they find it a big issue. [confused]
 
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Boss got the job done at a reputed local workshop and its working fine. A bit tight is the steering wheel, which in time gets to its normal. Required to change some more parts including the front left shock absorber, arm assy, Plunger, front stabilizer, etc. and the total cost came up to Rs.14,800. [frustration]
Im not satisfied with the maintenance being done to a car that has run only 60,000 km and I have always maintained my car to perfection. So now planning to get a new car from the Hyundai stable. Lets see. I wrote a letter to MS informing of my displeasure in response to their letter and change of brand.
 
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The problem with the PS can't be due to tyre upgrade. My brother who had Ritz VDI upgraded his tyre to 185 profile and drove 60k kms with the upgraded tyres. He never faced any issues with the power steering before he sold his car. I don't know why Maruti is taking their loyal customers for granted.
 

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