Citroen DS3 R Steering Detailed

Some of the the most successful performance vehicles one the market are the hot hatches. This hyperpowered compacts also come to offer an involving handling and one of the most important components for that is the steering.

Knowing this, the automotive producers are extremely careful when selecting the suppliers that cater for the steering needs of these models. Today, we’re zooming in on the Citroen DS3 Racing’s direction-changing mechanism.

The 202 hp DS3 R features a new single-pinion Electric Power Steering (EPS) supplied by Nexteer Automotive. This is a tweaked version of the system installed on the standard versions of the DS3. The system has received a series of modifications, in order to offer a high level of feedback and a top driving experience for enthusiasts.

Citroen chose an EPS system instead of a hydraulic one in order to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions (up to 5 percent). The single-pinion layout packs the EPS in the engine compartment, further away form the driver than conventional column-mounted EPS system.

“Good steering feel is achieved by overcoming often conflicting requirements: engineers must balance the need to reduce friction and to manage tolerances between components throughout the system. The conventional approach is to use spring loaded bushings, but through a combination of materials expertise and precision engineering and manufacturing, Nexteer has succeeded in eliminating these. The steering specialist’s invention of a polyamide eccentric rack bearing has played a key role in improving its single-pinion system’s refinement and sense of directness,” explained the press release.