Steering Rod Function

The steering rod is an integral component of a vehicle suspension system that connects the steering rack
to the steering knuckle on each front wheel. When the steering wheel is turned, it transmits movement
through the connected components until the steering rod forces the wheels to turn. The inclusion of a
faulty steering rod in a suspension system can be problematic and may leave to dangerous driving
conditions. A steering rod that is bad can significantly impact the front-end alignment of a vehicle and
can lead to front suspension problems.

Solid Modeling

Shown above is the completed solid model for the steering rod. Initially, our design was a bit different.
We first planned to model two different rods and use threading to fasten them. We decided to simplify
the modeling process, instead by making one rod made up of four different portions. From left to right,
we have the threaded portion that has a .5 in diameter, the portion with a .75 in diameter, another
portion with a .5 in diameter, and a skinny end portion with a .35 in diameter. The modeling process
consisted of 10 main steps, the Solidworks images are shown on the next page.

1- A .5 in diameter circle drawn on the front plane

2- Extrusion of .5 in circle
3- .75 in diameter circle drawn on face of extruded cylinder
4- Extrusion of .75 in circle
5- .5 in diameter circle drawn on face of extruded cylinder
6- Extrusion of .5 in circle
7- .35 in diameter circle drawn on face of extruded cylinder
8- Extrusion of .35 in circle
9- Added a thread to far left .5 in diameter portion
10- Added a fillet to the portion connecting the .5 and .35 in diameter cylinder
 1 2 3 4

5 6

7 8

Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process of the steering rod consisted of using the lathe for turning. Turning is a form
of machining that allows for material removal by cutting away unwanted material. The turning process
involves use of a lathe, workpiece, fixture and cutting tool. The workpiece in our case was our 1.5 in
cylindrical rod. The fixture is attached to the machine and secures the workpiece in place and allows for
rotation at high speeds.
Fture