Power Steering Gear Reliability: Hydraulic Seal Technology 2002-01-0637

In power steering gear hydraulic system failures, the primary cause is abrasion wear of the seal lip followed by interfacial damage. Secondary causes are low and high temperature. Rate of abrasion wear is affected by interfacial lubricity, seal design and rubber formulation. Interfacial damage is caused by hard particulates from the rubber compound, and both internal and external contamination. Generic solutions to all of these parameters are described in this paper.