Study on the Impact of Outside Temperature on Remaining Lifespans of Cuffs of Vehicles’ Steering Systems

A process of a vehicle steering system failure usually starts with the failure of a cuff as its protective element. It is assumed that external factors, primarily the circumstances and the outside temperature in which a vehicle is used, affect the service life of a cuff.

This paper presents the research of the outside temperatures impact on remaining lifespans of cuffs. Cuffs exploited during significant time intervals in the southern and northern regions of Montenegro were used for this test. A simulator performing a linear harmonic oscillatory motion was made for the purposes of the experimental research, in order to obtain a number of cycles to the moments of their failure. Also, a refrigerating chamber for the simulation driving conditions at the different outside temperature was made.

Besides the experimental researches, the numerical analysis in ANSYS software environment is presented. The numerical analysis has shown that a failure of a cuff could be expected at almost the same part where it was experimentally proved, because a maximal Equivalent Von Mises stress occurs there. Therefore, the failure of a cuff is not only the consequence of the material’s fatigue due to a big number of oscillations, but it also depends the impact of outside temperatures at which the vehicle/cuff was used.