What Is Rear Wheel Steering in Car and How It Works?

The rear axle of a vehicle mostly rotates with the wheels to deliver power to them. Many high-end car manufacturers have installed rear-wheel steering to enhance their performance. Read on to learn what this type of steering is, its working, uses and advantages.

Rear axle steering is a mechanism that actuates the rear wheels of a vehicle. It can turn the rear wheels in the same or opposite direction as the front wheels to maintain the car's balance. A differential connected to both halves of the shaft used for transmitting power from the engine to the wheels drives the rear-axle steering.

The rear axle steering system of a car works in the following manner:

Step 1: The driver rotates the steering wheel in the direction where they want their car to turn.

Step 2: Once this happens, the steering shaft or steering column rotates the pinion gear.

Step 3: Teeth of the pinion gear interlocks with the ring gear as it rotates. This transfers power to the ring gear from the engine.

Step 4: This ring gear is connected to the spider gear, which is present at the centre of the differential. This spider gear makes two kinds of rotations, one with rotation gear and another on its own axis. 

Step 5: Spider gear is connected to two side gears connecting the left and right rear wheels. It helps transmit power from the engine to the rear wheels so that they can rotate to take the car forward.

The rear axle steering system helps in two types of vehicle motions. One is to travel straight, and the other is taking a turn. Although the primary steps remain the same, there is a slight change in the motion of gears that helps in these types of vehicle movement. Read along to learn about these differences. 

Case 1: When a vehicle moves straight

Here, the spider gear rotates in a similar direction to the ring gear but not its own axis. This makes both the side gears connected to the spider gear rotate at the same speed. This motion of the side gear allows the rear wheels to move at a similar speed and in the same direction, taking your car forward.

Case 2: When a vehicle is taking a turn

If the vehicle is taking a right turn, spider gear, apart from its rotation on the ring ear, also rotates on its own axis. This combined rotation results in a higher speed on the left side gear and a lower speed on the right side gear. 

Due to this difference, the left side gear rotates at a higher speed than that of the right one. This mechanism remains the same when taking a left turn, except that the right side gear has a higher speed than the left.

There are many reasons why rear-axle steering has become a preferable option for various high-end cars.

The main reasons for the use of rear-wheel steering in a vehicle are as follows:

• Offers stability to cars when making high-speed corners.

• Allows your car to move diagonally, similar to a crab walking sideways.

• Helps your vehicle to overcome off-road obstacles quite easily.

• Helps your car to escape tight-turning spots smoothly. 

Rear axle steering offers several advantages when a vehicle is being driven on the road.

Following are some notable advantages that rear axle steering offers:

• Turns in the opposite direction of the front wheels to allow easy parking of cars or make tight cuts at a low speed.

• Provides greater stability to the car when driving it at a high speed.

• Turns in the direction of the rear wheel, allowing easy shifting of the car to the next lane.

• It can help stabilise and slow down the vehicle moving at high speed.

• It provides more stability so that vehicles can change directions more spontaneously.

• Enhances the performance of heavier vehicles on the road when travelling at high speed.

Due to many advantages, rear-wheel steering has become the choicest option for several car manufacturers. Almost all top models have this system installed to enhance their performance. If you purchase a car with rear-axle steering, you service it periodically at a garage for smooth functioning.