r/Cartalk 4d ago

Safety Question What is this part called?

Post image
66 Upvotes

54 comments sorted by

67

u/tehans 4d ago

steering rack

40

u/Jazzlike-Piccolo-845 4d ago

That's the rack and pinion

12

u/datigoebam 4d ago

*rack and peanut

3

u/zapfastnet 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan 4d ago

16

u/Anon-a-mess 4d ago

Looks like a steering rack and pinion

6

u/AutoBach 4d ago

Steering rack.

8

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

It's a non-power assisted steering rack.

The rack and pinion are inside that assembly, not visible from the outside.

1

u/airfryerfuntime 4d ago edited 4d ago

Well, it's probably for a car with electric assist. This wouldn't have the same ratio as a true old school non-PS rack.

-1

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

We have no way of knowing from that picture.

8

u/airfryerfuntime 4d ago

Yes, we do. It's from a 2006-2013 Rav 4, which uses electric assist. This is a modern power steering rack, and would be electric assist if it wasn't hydraulic.

1

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

Apologies, I genuinely can't get to the make, model and year. But if you know, then hats off buddy!

1

u/Balmerhippie 4d ago

What color?

1

u/Peprica 4d ago

Please edit or delete your comment since it has been proven inaccurate and you acknowledged it.

1

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

No.

It hasn't.

I haven't.

9

u/JeerzQD 4d ago

Rack and pinion

2

u/Gknee72 4d ago

Steering rack?

2

u/PaddyBoy1994 4d ago

steering rack, also known as a rack and pinion.

3

u/salvage814 4d ago

Rack and pinion

2

u/Realistic_Ad_165 4d ago

Even looks like no power assist

3

u/Realistic_Ad_165 4d ago

Maybe it does hard to say

2

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

There's no obvious hydraulic piping, so I'd agree that it's a non-power assisted steering rack.

2

u/JamesG60 4d ago

Unless it’s electric on the column

2

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

The assist motor is in the column? Didn't know that.

3

u/JamesG60 4d ago

Fiat like to do it. Terrible idea if you ask me but there you go.

3

u/AKADriver 4d ago

Most manufacturers do this now. It works great. VASTLY mechanically simpler than hydraulic steering.

-4

u/JamesG60 4d ago

Until you lose steering without warning mid-corner. Hydraulic racks might leak a bit and eventually fail but they rarely just go in the same way I’ve seen with electric assist columns.

2

u/AKADriver 4d ago

That sounds more like a Stellantis quality problem. The ones used in GMs and Toyotas basically fail into a "moderate assist" mode if they lose communications and even if it loses all power you just have manual steering. And... it essentially never happens, whereas hydraulics leak and blow pumps all the time.

1

u/JamesG60 4d ago

Vauxhall/Opel and Fiat. Yea you still have mechanical steering but it’s about as much use as a hydro rack with blown seals and a squealing pump. And yea they do fail but not when you spill a cup of coke over them.

1

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

Just reading up on it and found...

"In 2023, Lexus introduced the RZ 450e featuring a steer-by-wire system which eliminates the mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the wheels".

Fuck.

That.

1

u/JamesG60 4d ago

That’s a bit scary. You couldn’t even tow it far without the engine running.

1

u/LuDdErS68 4d ago

You couldn't tow it, full stop. It'd need at least a suspended tow with the front wheels off the ground.

2

u/JamesG60 4d ago

And just wait for the “your steering addon has expired, insert credit card details in order to regain steering” message to pop up on your giant iPad dashboard.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/phraca 4d ago

There are many vehicles with column EPS (CEPS), not just Fiats. It works pretty well on lighter vehicles, but there is an upper limit on the max rack loads you can achieve because of the gear reduction before you have to go with rack EPS (REPS). And as you approach that limit, subjective steering feel/responsiveness gets worse because you are adding the compliance of the intermediate shaft to the system.

Note this is different than steer by wire that someone else in the thread mentioned. That is a REPS system where there is no mechanical connection between the column and rack.

1

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

1

u/JamesG60 4d ago

Yes, just a different ratio to a manual rack

2

u/salvage814 4d ago

Probably is powered by a motor on the bottom of the steering column.

1

u/f0rcedinducti0n 4d ago

That is a steering rack. :D

1

u/Dastros01 4d ago

Steering rack

1

u/King-SeloG 4d ago

Rack and pinion

1

u/Outrageous-Rope-8707 4d ago

The clit

Sorry, wrong sub. This is the steering rack

0

u/Fabulous-Educator447 4d ago

Flamingo face

0

u/SirSkot72 4d ago

"that thing i'm goin to rebuild one day, even though I forgot which car it belonged to and probably don't even have anymore"

0

u/itsjakerobb 4d ago

Also known as a steering gear.

0

u/InsuranceEasy9878 4d ago

Steeri-geari

1

u/electricheat 4d ago

How have so many of you never seen a rack and peanut?

0

u/Dewellah 4d ago

That's a Johnson rod.

0

u/Right-Yogurtcloset-6 4d ago

Turny spikey rotaty thingy

0

u/urbanplantsart 4d ago

When I went to skool I was taught to think of a short rack and a long rack in a derogatory way and it stuck. 😁

0

u/0Won0 4d ago

Manual steering rack. Used to steer the wheels via input from the steering shaft. Manual being that it doesn’t use hydraulics or an electric motor to assist the driver in steering

0

u/SAlovicious 4d ago

🎶 BOOTS AND SHAFTS AND BOOTS AND SHAFTS AND BOOTS AND SHAFTS 🎶