One of the easiest ways to tell what kind of steering system you have on your car is by it’s drive train. Most, if not all, front wheel drive vehicles have a rack and pinion steering system. Rear wheel drive vehicles are equipped with the steering gear set up. The rack and pinion system is more compact and will fit nicely with the front wheel drive setup. Since the motor and transmission set in a sideways position under the hood, there is very little room for the steering system. The rack and pinion is made up of a housing that is bolted to a cross member with tie rod ends connected to the rear of the spindle. If you look behind the wheel towards the rear of the vehicle and see the tie rod end connected to the spindle then you have a rack and pinion system on your vehicle. This setup is usually very reliable and the most wear comes from the inner and outer tie rod ends. The rack itself, contained in the housing, is usually very durable. Even though the tie rod ends usually wear out first, the complete rack & pinion is many times replaced as a unit with a rebuilt setup. You can however just replace the inner and or outer tie rod ends if they are the problem.The steering gear setup on most rear wheel drive vehicles have a few more working parts on them than the rack and pinion. This setup comes with of course a steering gear that is connected to the steering wheel shaft and steering wheel. Connected to the steering gear is the pitman arm, which is connected to a steering link that carries the tie rod ends and is also held up on the other side with an idler arm. If you look in front of the wheel you should see the tie rod end connected to the spindle, as opposed to the rack and pinion that is connected to the rear of the spindle. Since the steering gear setup has more moving parts, it is more prone to have problems such as loose steering. But since the engine and transmission set in the forward position in most rear wheel drive vehicles the steering gear setup is more convenient to use.Of course it goes without saying that all modern vehicles come with power steering whether you have a rack and pinion or a steering gear setup. If you didn’t have power steering you would have a very large steering wheel to make those turns easier and probably very large arms after driving for a while. Just ask those early NASCAR drivers who didn’t have power steering; they were mostly big men! Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society