Steering gear
| Pos. | Spare part number | Name |
| 1 | - | Lock-nut |
| 2 | - | Tie rod end |
| 3 | - | Lock-nut |
| 4 | - | Steering rod |
| 5 | - | Steering gear cover |
| 6 | - | Fastening elements of the steering gear housing. |
| 7 | - | Discharge/return lines |
| 8 | - | Valve block body |
| 9 | - | Input shaft |
| 10 | - | Discharge/return connection to/from pump |
| 11 | - | Mounting bolts |
The steering box, manufactured by Visteon, is located at the rear of the front subframe on the upper side. It is securely attached to the subframe with two bolts. The bolts are routed through the underside of the subframe for easy access during maintenance. They are threaded into threaded bushings on the steering box housing.
The steering mechanism is a traditional design take-off unit, rack and pinion type, with a booster; the number of turns between the extreme locking positions is 2.6. The steering gear ratio (the ratio of the steering wheel rotation angle to the drive wheels) is 16.7:1, which ensures a very fast and precise response to the driver's commands. The steering gear has large-diameter steering rods that optimize the driver's feedback and control over the car.
The steering gear includes a welded and machined steel, one-piece housing that contains the steering rack, valve block and built-in hydraulic unit. The steering gear rack with a piston fixed to it moves in the mechanism housing along guide bushings. The drive pinion, connected to the valve block, is engaged with the rack and rests on bearings. The rack is pressed against the pinion by a spring-loaded fork, which ensures clearance-free engagement of the pinion and rack. The pinion is connected to the valve block using a torsion bar. The rotational motion of the steering wheel is converted by the "pinion-rack" transmission into linear movement of the rack. In this case, the valve block of the booster is triggered. This movement is converted into movement of the wheels by means of adjustable steering rods.
The hydraulic block piston is located at one end of the steering gear housing. On either side of the piston are a pressure chamber and a return chamber, which are connected to the valve block via external metal pipes. At each end of the mechanism there is a threaded hole, which is used to install the steering rod. The outer ends of the steering gear are protected by covers, which prevent the penetration of dirt and moisture and allow vertical movement of the steering rods relative to the suspension in addition to the linear movement when turning the steering wheel. The covers are serviceable elements and are secured to the mechanism housing and the steering rod ends using clamps.
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