Quote:
Originally Posted by kmarei
I've owned audi's and BMWs
The one main difference that is immediately noticeable
Is the steering
Any of the BMWs would run rings around the lifeless steering of the audi
With the transition to electric steering, will BMW still have that feel?
I doubt it
I still don't get, technically, why an electric pump would make any difference in the steering vs hydraulic
Unless the electric has a totally different setup
I mean in both cases, isn't the pump just boosting the pressure of the fluid?
Why the change in feel?
I have a feeling what is ruining it, is the variable aspect of it
So your can have the sport, sport plus etc settings
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Heres a video showing roughly how the ZF electrical steering works, (BMW M3/4 will use ZF, same as 911):
As you can see theres still a rack and pinion type, meaning the steering wheel is fully mechanically connected to the steering gear/wheels. The el-motor will only assist with power when requiered, getting signal from the torque sensor on the coloumn, (among other sensors such as speed, angle etc).
So what we call feel and feed back from the wheels/tyres will still be transmitted directly and mechanically through the steering coloumn and into your hands. Actually in speeds there is possible to turn of the el-motor completly when power is not necessary, leaving you with a mech steering, wich will be even better than hydr. But this is a matter or tuning by the car maker.
So as you can see of this it should be possible to make the el-steering as good as or even better than hydraulic ones. Just a matter of tuning and set-up. Off course you have the "fly-by-wire" type as well, but this is hopeless, giving you only digital influence and feed-back.
But theres more to steering feel and responciveness than just the type of steering system beeing used, it has to do with the whole setup of the car, weight-distribution, total weights, actuall location of the weights, and the geometry of the cars chassis.
So its possible to have a car with a flawless steering system and still have poor feel. But not vica verca
F10 M5 has an hydraulic steering, not el. as one guy claims earlier in this thread. Still it has got some critizism for bad steering, I blame this on the heavy weight etc, not easy to get a good and sporty steering out of a almost 2Tonne car. Have`nt driven it myself though..
Anyway, I dont think its right to banish the el. power steering just because its called electrical, as you can see there are several differnt types and we just have to wait and see whats what before we judge it.