Minimum turning diameter

The minimum turning diameter is actually a non-standard term that indicates the performance of the car. The turning diameter is the normative expression, which is a parameter that indicates whether the vehicle's cornering performance is flexible or not.

In general, the turning diameter given in the vehicle specification refers to the diameter of the orbital circle of the outer steered wheel. It refers to the trajectory circle diameter of the center plane of the outer steering wheel of the vehicle on the vehicle support plane (generally the ground). When the front wheel of the vehicle is traveling at the maximum corner, the front axle of the car is farthest from the center of the tire tread of the steering center. The diameter of the trajectory circle formed on the ground. That is, the diameter of d1 in the figure.

Since the left and right extreme corners of the steering wheel are generally different, there are left and right turning diameters.

Turning diameter directly affects the mobility of the car. The smaller the turning diameter, the greater the ability of the car to pass through a narrow curved zone or to bypass unobstructed obstacles, the more flexible it is. The turning diameter is directly related to the wheelbase of the car, the wheelbase and the limit rotation angle of the steering wheel. The greater the wheelbase and wheelbase, the larger the turning diameter. The larger the limit turning angle of the steering wheel, the smaller the turning diameter.

For ordinary cars, their turning diameter is about 10 to 12 meters. For example, we are familiar with the Bora car, its turning diameter is 10.5 meters. This means that it is more flexible than other models with a turning diameter greater than 10.5 meters when steering and avoiding obstacles. If a car turns less than 10 meters in diameter, its turning flexibility is quite good. If it is more than 12 meters, it is a bit clumsy.

The average SUV vehicle's turning diameter is about 11 meters to 13 meters, such as Toyota's overbearing, about 12.2 meters. If the turning diameter of an SUV is less than 11 meters, then it has a good flexibility on the SUV's own strong passability. If it is more than 13 meters, it will be slightly inconvenient.

The turning diameter is directly related to the wheelbase of the car, the wheelbase and the limit rotation angle of the steering wheel. The greater the wheelbase and wheelbase, the larger the turning diameter. The larger the limit turning angle of the steering wheel, the smaller the turning diameter. The minimum turning diameter is one of the performance indicators that a small car can raise in the face of a large luxury car.