Steering System: Description
Steering
The steering system has been designed to guarantee the best performance in sports driving, along with excellent handling and reduced effort during parking manoeuvres.
The Alfa 4C steering system is not equipped with any kind of power assistance. The steering system includes:
- Steering box
- Collapsible shaft
- Steering support
- Steering wheel
Steering Box
In aluminium, while the internal components and connecting points to the steering knuckle are steel.
Technical specifications
| Description | Units of measurement | Value |
| rack travel | mm | 121 ± 1.5 |
| transmission ratio | mm/revolution | 43.3 |
| steering box weight | kg | 7.8 |
Steering Column
The steering column guarantees:
- 40 mm telescopic adjustment
- 4° angle adjustment
- adjustment loads: from 50 Nm to 100 Nm
- 65 mm controlled energy absorption collapse travel in addition to adjustment divided into three stages: initial detachment, collapse travel and end of travel. The absorption curve was tuned in a coordinated manner with the steering wheel airbag and seat belt pretensioners in order to achieve maximum performance during frontal impact compatible with the Euro NCAP rating
- a rigidity of 60 Hz
- a weight < 5 kg
- Energy absorbing wire
- 2 bottoms on support
- Capsules with resin injection
- Initial detachment controlled by capsules with resin injection
- Collapse travel from energy absorbing wire
- End of travel controlled by bottom on support
Main features of the steering column:
- Many possibilities to define the collapse travel (tuning) according to the loads from the vehicle crash.
- Adjustment lever out of the Euro NCAP knee areas
- High rigidity for better driving comfort, to minimise the vibration from the engine and the road.
- "Positive Lock" system to avoid the influence of the adjustment travel on the collapse travel.
Note: in compliance with current European legislation, the steering lock guarantees the locking of the steering wheel by means of a Rencol clutch bush, resistant to rotation loads between 100 Nm and 270 Nm, to prevent damage to the mechanical steering components in the event of a break-in attempt.