Steering system

A vehicle, comprising:

• a vehicle chassis;
• a front wheel assembly coupled to the vehicle chassis and including a left wheel, a right wheel, a first tie rod operably connected to the left wheel, and a second tie rod operably connected to the right wheel;
• and
• a steering system configured to steer the left wheel and the right wheel of the front wheel assembly, the steering system including:
• a steering control configured to receive user input in order to control turning of wheels of the vehicle;
• a steering assist assembly operably connected to the steering control and including:
• a housing;
• a piston slidably arranged within the housing and configured to move axially within the housing;
• an axial rod slidably arranged within the housing and spaced apart from the piston, the axial rod configured to move axially within the housing, the first tie rod connected to a first axial end of the axial rod and the second tie rod connected to a second axial end of the axial rod opposite the first axial end;
• a shaft operably connected to the steering control and configured to rotate therewith, the shaft configured to engage with the axial rod such that rotation of the shaft causes axial movement of the axial rod, the axial movement of the axial rod causing axial movement of the first and second tie rods so as to turn the left and right wheels of the vehicle;
• and
• at least one anti-rotation arm operably connected to the piston and to the axial rod, the at least one anti-rotation feature configured to prevent rotation of the piston and the axial rod.

A method of controlling steering of a vehicle, comprising:

• receiving a predetermined position of a steering control of the vehicle, the vehicle including a steering system including a steering assist assembly having an axially movable piston arranged in an axially extending first cylinder located within a housing of the steering assist assembly, the steering assist assembly further including an axially movable axial rod slidably arranged within an axially extending second cylinder located within the housing, the steering assist assembly further including a first tie rod connected to a first axial end of the axial rod and a second tie rod connected to a second axial end of the axial rod opposite the first axial end;
• moving the axial rod based on the predetermined position of the steering wheel via rotation of a shaft operably connected to the steering control and configured to engage the axial rod so as to axially move the axial rod, the rotation of the shaft causing the axial rod to axially move and arrange the axial rod in a first axial position that corresponds to the predetermined position of the steering control, wherein axial movement of the axial rod at least partially causes the first and second tie rods to axially move;
• and
• supplying and removing fluid to and from a hollow interior space defined within the first cylinder based on the predetermined position of the steering control via a fluid supply system operably connected to the steering control and to the steering assist assembly in order to control axial movement of the piston and arrange the piston in a first axial position that corresponds to the predetermined position of the steering control, wherein axial movement of the piston at least partially causes the first and second tie rods to axially move along with the axial movement of the axial rod,
• wherein the steering system includes at least one anti-rotation arm operably connected to the piston and to the axial rod, the at least one anti-rotation feature configured to prevent rotation of the piston and the axial rod.