Hydraulic steering is found in many different types of vehicles today, both on road and off road. This can include four-wheelers and ATVs as well as boats, personal watercraft and of course on heavy equipment.
For manufacturers of these types of equipment options, finding the right hydraulic steering cylinder to work with the system and to produce the steering control and performance required is an important step in developing a product that is going to be in demand and highly marketable.
The obvious benefit of including a hydraulic steering system in any type of new on or off road vehicle is the driver comfort factor. This even goes for heavy equipment were operators may be steering and driving for a full shift. By having a top hydraulic steering cylinder and system in place, steering is much more ergonomic. It is also more accurate and sensitive and can help to create better safety in both recreational and work vehicles and equipment.
System Design
One of the advantages of working with a company that offers the option to customize the design of a hydraulic steering cylinder to meet your vehicle, boat or equipment requirements is that the cylinder can be accommodated to the system.
This is very different than having cylinders and having to work the rest of the system around this component. With poorly designed hydraulic systems, steering is going to be less reliable, less efficient and potentially more problematic from a liability standpoint for the equipment manufacturer.
The use of customized hydraulic cylinders for steering will also need to be considered in relation to the pump size and flow capacity as well as the size of the cylinders.
Full or Assisted
Depending on the type of vehicle, and this is most often found in off road types of equipment and vehicles, the steering may be full or hydraulically assisted. The term “full” refers to the full use of the hydraulic system to steer and turn the vehicle. With the hydraulically assisted system, the vehicle has a mechanical steering system, or linkage, that is controlled by hydraulics to create the change in the wheels and the change in location.
The type of system, the operational needs and the ability to integrate the cylinder with the steering system design will all be important factors to discuss with the cylinder manufacturer. By choosing a company with experience in assisting in prototype development and new designs you have a team of experts to get your new equipment off the production line and into sales as quickly as possible.
