The automotive steering column is a device intended primarily for connecting the

steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel, a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and hea ...

to the

steering Steering is the control of the direction of motion or the components that enable its control. Steering is achieved through various arrangements, among them ailerons for airplanes, rudders for boats, cylic tilting of rotors for helicopters, ...

mechanism.

Secondary functions

A steering column may also perform the following secondary functions: *energy dissipation management in the event of a frontal collision; *provide mounting for: the multi-function switch, column lock, column wiring, column shroud(s), transmission gear selector, gauges or other instruments as well as the electro motor and gear units found in EPAS and SbW systems; *offer (height and/or length) adjustment to suit driver preference

Steering lock

Modern vehicles are fitted with a steering lock which is an anti-theft device. It is fitted to the steering column usually below the steering wheel. The lock is combined with the ignition switch and engaged and disengaged either by a mechanical ignition key or electronically from the vehicles electronic control unit. These locks were introduced on many

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

products in 1969 drastically reducing thefts of these GM models, and on Ford,

Chrysler FCA US, LLC, Trade name, doing business as Stellantis North America and known historically as Chrysler ( ), is one of the "Big Three (automobile manufacturers), Big Three" automobile manufacturers in the United States, headquartered in Auburn H ...

, and

AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...

products in 1970.

Collapsible column

A common device to enhance car safety is the collapsible steering column. This is designed to collapse in the event of a collision to protect the driver from harm. The column can collapse after impact with a tolerance ring inserted between the inner shaft of the steering column and the external housing. The wavelike protrusions on the

circumference In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...

of the tolerance ring act as a spring to hold the two parts in place in normal driving conditions. At a specific level of force, for example in the event of a collision, the tolerance ring allows the inner shaft to slip inside the housing, so the column can collapse, absorbing energy from the impact. In

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation, Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 6 – Vietnam War: United States Marine Corps and Army of ...

introduced its 'energy absorbing' steering column which consisted of a lattice-mesh outer tube section which was designed to crush on impact whilst the inner shaft telescoped. This column design first appeared on

Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide range of vehicles, from subcompact automobiles to medium-duty commercial trucks. Due to the promi ...

vehicles, and was rolled out to all of GM's divisions worldwide in the following years. In virtually all modern vehicles, the lower section of the inner shaft is articulated with

universal joint A universal joint (also called a universal coupling or U-joint) is a joint or coupling connecting rigid shafts whose axes are inclined to each other. It is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion. It consists of a pair of hinges ...

s which helps control movement of the column in a frontal impact, and also gives engineers freedom in mounting the steering gear itself.

Regulatory requirements

In the United States, steering columns are governed by several federal regulatory requirements, notably FMVSS 108, 114 and 208. The Chinese directive GB15740- 2006 obligates Chinese car manufacturers to incorporate anti-theft mechanisms in their vehicles. European Union Commission Directive 95/56/EC (1995) mandates all cars exported to European markets must be fitted with anti-theft security devices. This regulation also requires that a steering lock must be able to withstand forces of 100Nm applied to the steering wheel without failing.{{CELEX, 31995L0056, text=Commission Directive 95/56/EC, Euratom of 8 November 1995 adapting to technical progress Council Directive 74/61/EEC relating to devices to prevent the unauthorized use of motor vehicles

References

Auto parts Mechanisms (engineering) Automotive steering technologies