Why are the steering wheels of buses/trucks/lorries more or less angled horizontally instead of the angle seen in cars?
In: Engineering
There’s a few answers here…
Having the steering wheel horizontal makes it easier to pull/push the wheels as needed. A bit of a fail-safe, if you have to muscle the wheel as well… but, that’d be pretty rough honestly.
The seats help cushion the rider and can travel a good bit. If the steering wheel was more vertical, the driver would constantly hit the wheel with their knees and thighs potentially.
The steering wheel has more leverage with a direct connection to the steering box. If they used universal joints to change the steering wheel position, it would make it harder to spend 8 hours driving it.
Otherwise, it might very well be partially due to preconceived notions that a big rig should also have a big wheel. As I’m sure an engineer could design a reasonable steering box and steering wheel that would give an everyday feel… and likely be safer with a working air bag.
Latest Answers