Questions regarding steering wheel and driving a car

[travis82]

It's a bit like the tap on your sink, or your shower. As you turn it (let's say it goes counter-clockwise, or "to the left"), more and more water comes out. If you turn it all the way to the left, the most water possible is coming out. If you then start turning it to the right, you'll start having less and less water coming out. It won't immediately stop.

You might do well to simply ride in someone's car, and watch as they steer.

Lex

Thanks for the advice, Lex.

Happy New Year to you.

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Only if the ratio between the steering wheel and the tires is 1:1.

Thanks for the info.

Happy New Year to you.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Travis, can you explain why you do not have anyone to teach you? What is your age range and circumstance?

 

[Kulindahr]

Travis, can you explain why you do not have anyone to teach you? What is your age range and circumstance?

That's got me puzzled, too. I'd be more than happy to give lessons if he was in range.

 

[gsdx]

Thanks for the advice. Happy New Year to you.

Just remember that, even if the tape is at the top of the steering wheel, the wheels of the car may not be straight. For instance, if you can turn the steering wheel 3 full times to the left or 3 full times to the right from when the wheels are straight, there is only one position in 7 where the wheels will be pointing straight.

Seriously, you are over-thinking this, and steering isn't on of the things you can learn from a book. Life is the best teacher, and just knowing that a car wants to go straight all by itself is pretty-much all you need to know. Once you figure that out, the rest will fall into place and there's no need at all to count.

 

[travis82]

Okay. I just realised something important.


When the car is moving forward, but the car is pointing to the right, you turn the steering wheel fully to the left to make the car straight.


But during reversing, if the car is reversing to the right, you turn the steering wheel fully to the left to make the car straight.

But, then the car will starting turning clockwise to the RIGHT.

I always wonder why, during parallel parking.

And now I figure it out.


I have been looking at the front of the car during reversing the whole time!!!!


During reversing, if you turn the steering wheel fully to the left, the front of the car will turn towards the right, in a clockwise manner.

But the back of the car will turn towards the left, as you intended it to be.



And during reversing, if you turn the steering wheel fully to the right, the front of the car will turn towards the left in an anti-clockwise manner.

But the back of the car will turn towards the right as you intended it to be.





All these times while learning driving, during Reversing, I always wonder how come the car turn right when I turn the steering wheel to the left.

Logic: Turn steering wheel left, car turn left.

Logic: Turn steering wheel right, car turn right


But, for Reversing, you look at the back of the car, not the front of the car.


Now I realised that I have been looking at the front of the car, when I should have turn my head and look at the back of the car during reversing.


I guess when you are sitting in front, in the driver seat, you just assume that you look at the front of the car all the times and it goes along with the direction of the steering wheel.

 

[travis82]

Travis, can you explain why you do not have anyone to teach you? What is your age range and circumstance?

I'm 35. I can only learn driving during my driving lessons.

 

[travis82]

Just remember that, even if the tape is at the top of the steering wheel, the wheels of the car may not be straight. For instance, if you can turn the steering wheel 3 full times to the left or 3 full times to the right from when the wheels are straight, there is only one position in 7 where the wheels will be pointing straight.

Seriously, you are over-thinking this, and steering isn't on of the things you can learn from a book. Life is the best teacher, and just knowing that a car wants to go straight all by itself is pretty-much all you need to know. Once you figure that out, the rest will fall into place and there's no need at all to count.

Thank you for your advices.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I'm 35. I can only learn driving during my driving lessons.

OK, thank you.

Now why do you not know anyone who drives who could teach you?

 

[rareboy]

Is there some reason why you want to drive at this age?

 

[Beachguyj]

Hi guys,

I'm having difficulty understanding how the steering wheel and the car works. I'm learning how to drive a car but it's so tough and difficult for me.


I just want to quickly pass my driving evalulation and book my driving test. But it seems to take forever and forever and I just couldn't pass my driving evalulation


Can you guys help me with this?



Example:


My car is not straight. The car body and all 4 wheels are slanting to the right.


So I turn my steering wheel fully to the left (2 rounds to the left)


When the car is straight, I stop turning my steering wheel to the left.


Now the car body is straight, but the front 2 wheels are pointing to the left.


Therefore, I turn back the steering wheel fully to the right ( 2 rounds to the right), to straighten back the front 2 wheels.



Here's where it gets CONFUSING for me.

At this point, when I turn back the steering wheel fully to the right ( 2 rounds to the right), to straighten back the front 2 wheels, wouldn't that cause the car body to turn to the right?

Meaning the car won't be straight, but will be slanting to the right again?




But during my driving lessons, if I straighten back the front 2 wheels, the car will be straight. The car body will not be slanting to the left/right.

Why is it so?

Can you guys help me with this? Thank you.

I don't even understand what you are asking. You don't turn the wheel unless you want to turn. If you mean while parallel parking then the steering comes more into play.

While you are driving you don't worry where the steering wheel or tires are just that the car is going straight until you need to make a turn or there is a curve in the road.

 

[MrRochesterNY]

Hi guys,

I'm having difficulty understanding how the steering wheel and the car works. I'm learning how to drive a car but it's so tough and difficult for me.


I just want to quickly pass my driving evalulation and book my driving test. But it seems to take forever and forever and I just couldn't pass my driving evalulation


Can you guys help me with this?



Example:


My car is not straight. The car body and all 4 wheels are slanting to the right.


So I turn my steering wheel fully to the left (2 rounds to the left)


When the car is straight, I stop turning my steering wheel to the left.


Now the car body is straight, but the front 2 wheels are pointing to the left.


Therefore, I turn back the steering wheel fully to the right ( 2 rounds to the right), to straighten back the front 2 wheels.



Here's where it gets CONFUSING for me.

At this point, when I turn back the steering wheel fully to the right ( 2 rounds to the right), to straighten back the front 2 wheels, wouldn't that cause the car body to turn to the right?

Meaning the car won't be straight, but will be slanting to the right again?




But during my driving lessons, if I straighten back the front 2 wheels, the car will be straight. The car body will not be slanting to the left/right.

Why is it so?

Can you guys help me with this? Thank you.

Travis,

Are you pulling our leg? Where did you get this "turning two rounds" nonsense? You don't turn a steering wheel any set amount of turning to accomplish whatever you need to accomplish. You can only tell how much to turn the steering wheel when the car is actually moving. There is no way on earth for you to know how much to turn the steering wheel when you are sitting at the wheel of a car that is not moving.

Sitting at a computer and discussing how to steer a car is absolute nonsense. You need to get into a car, take the steering wheel in your hands, and start steering. Your eyes and your brain will tel you when you are doing it right and when you are not. Stop discussing it and just do it!

 

[travis82]

I don't even understand what you are asking. You don't turn the wheel unless you want to turn. If you mean while parallel parking then the steering comes more into play.

While you are driving you don't worry where the steering wheel or tires are just that the car is going straight until you need to make a turn or there is a curve in the road.

Thank you for your explaination.

- - - Updated - - -

Travis,

Are you pulling our leg? Where did you get this "turning two rounds" nonsense? You don't turn a steering wheel any set amount of turning to accomplish whatever you need to accomplish. You can only tell how much to turn the steering wheel when the car is actually moving. There is no way on earth for you to know how much to turn the steering wheel when you are sitting at the wheel of a car that is not moving.

Sitting at a computer and discussing how to steer a car is absolute nonsense. You need to get into a car, take the steering wheel in your hands, and start steering. Your eyes and your brain will tel you when you are doing it right and when you are not. Stop discussing it and just do it!

Thank you for your explaination.

 

[travis82]

Travis,

Are you pulling our leg? Where did you get this "turning two rounds" nonsense? You don't turn a steering wheel any set amount of turning to accomplish whatever you need to accomplish. You can only tell how much to turn the steering wheel when the car is actually moving. There is no way on earth for you to know how much to turn the steering wheel when you are sitting at the wheel of a car that is not moving.

Sitting at a computer and discussing how to steer a car is absolute nonsense. You need to get into a car, take the steering wheel in your hands, and start steering. Your eyes and your brain will tel you when you are doing it right and when you are not. Stop discussing it and just do it!

Thank you for your explaination.

 

[travis82]

Is there some reason why you want to drive at this age?

It might come in handy for work purposes.

 

[travis82]

Hi. My 2 biggest weakness when driving in the open road is lane changing and overtaking a car.


How do I lane change or overtake a car without accidentally hitting/crashing into someone's car??


So I have to look at the rear mirror and the 2 side mirrors and correctly estimate the time and distance from someone's car before I can successfully lane change or overtake someone else's car??

 

[MrRochesterNY]

Hi. My 2 biggest weakness when driving in the open road is lane changing and overtaking a car.


How do I lane change or overtake a car without accidentally hitting/crashing into someone's car??


So I have to look at the rear mirror and the 2 side mirrors and correctly estimate the time and distance from someone's car before I can successfully lane change or overtake someone else's car??

No, it sounds like your biggest weakness in driving on the open road (or anywhere else) is your lack of practice. If you spent as much time practicing your driving skills as you do thinking about driving or writing about driving, you'd be a consummate driver by now.

Again, get off the computer and get behind the wheel and DRIVE!

 

[travis82]

No, it sounds like your biggest weakness in driving on the open road (or anywhere else) is your lack of practice. If you spent as much time practicing your driving skills as you do thinking about driving or writing about driving, you'd be a consummate driver by now.

AGAIN, get off the comuter and get b ehind the wheel and drive!

Thank you for your advices.

 

[frankfrank]

It takes a lot less than two full turns of the wheel to accomplish a turn.

I believe, I guess, that there are virtual reality car "machines" out there with steering wheels, brakes, etc. which can at least relatively mimic the experience of driving.

travis, when I was 21, the idea of driving still *TERRIFIED* me. A brother-in-law (married to my sister) convinced me to try driving on "the expressway" and I actually did it, and I didn't wreck or anything. I always thought of freeways as "slaughter alley" or something...

With more help from him and my dad, I had a driver's license within a year, and I embraced driving immediately. Within two weeks I was making trips to Romeo, Michigan (80 miles from where I lived...including traversing most of Detroit on the way) to have some fun flings with guys; I managed to fall into a sort of clique up there and in Mount Clemens.

I've been driving for what will be 48 years this coming Monday. Yes, I actually got my driver's license on the SAME date as my first "career-hinting" job. I continue to embrace driving, and I've now willingly moved to Chicago which is a city with awful traffic. In my life, I've driven about 1.3 million miles...and I've driven inside eleven different nations including 3,000+ miles in Australia on the "wrong" side of the road.

Believe in yourself and your abilities, travis82, and with work it should become a self-fulfilling prophesy!!

 

[Latimer]

My first boyfriend had a Porsche with--of course--a manual transmission. I had learned to drive and had always driven cars with automatic transmissions. I wanted to learn to drive stick, but he didn't want to risk my stripping his gears, so we rented a manual transmission car--not that easy in the States--and over the course of an hour he taught me how to drive stick shift.

Driving stick shift on the wrong side of the road in the UK, down country lanes barely large enough for one car let alone two, or navigating a motorway roundabout keeps me in a constant state of anxiety. On our last trip to England my partner and I rented an Audi automatic or hired drivers, figuring the cost was worth cutting down on the anxiety or even saving our lives.

 

[travis82]

It takes a lot less than two full turns of the wheel to accomplish a turn.

I believe, I guess, that there are virtual reality car "machines" out there with steering wheels, brakes, etc. which can at least relatively mimic the experience of driving.

travis, when I was 21, the idea of driving still *TERRIFIED* me. A brother-in-law (married to my sister) convinced me to try driving on "the expressway" and I actually did it, and I didn't wreck or anything. I always thought of freeways as "slaughter alley" or something...

With more help from him and my dad, I had a driver's license within a year, and I embraced driving immediately. Within two weeks I was making trips to Romeo, Michigan (80 miles from where I lived...including traversing most of Detroit on the way) to have some fun flings with guys; I managed to fall into a sort of clique up there and in Mount Clemens.

I've been driving for what will be 48 years this coming Monday. Yes, I actually got my driver's license on the SAME date as my first "career-hinting" job. I continue to embrace driving, and I've now willingly moved to Chicago which is a city with awful traffic. In my life, I've driven about 1.3 million miles...and I've driven inside eleven different nations including 3,000+ miles in Australia on the "wrong" side of the road.

Believe in yourself and your abilities, travis82, and with work it should become a self-fulfilling prophesy!!

Thank you very much for your advices.