Front wheel steering variable control actuator

A steering system for compensating for a yaw movement of a motor vehicle, the system comprising:

• an operator steering input device;
• a steering linkage connecting said operator steering input device to a steerable wheel of the motor vehicle;
• a yaw sensor disposed in the motor vehicle;
• a controller maintained in operable communication with said yaw sensor;
• a drive motor commandable by said controller, said controller commanding said drive motor in response to a sensed yaw moment of the motor vehicle;
• and
• a variable steering actuator responsive to input from said drive motor, said variable steering actuator disposed in said steering linkage between said steerable wheel and said operator steering input device.

A variable control steering actuator for mechanically adjusting an angle of the steerable wheel of a motor vehicle disposed on a steering shaft of the motor vehicle, the steering actuator comprising:

• a controller;
• a braking device disposed on the steering shaft, said braking device being in operable communication with said controller;
• and
• a clutch device associated with said braking device, said clutch device being disposed on an input pinion of the steering shaft, said input pinion being in operable mechanical communication with the steerable wheel through said clutch device and said braking device.

A method for compensating for yawed movement of a motor vehicle, comprising:

• evaluating an input from a yaw rate sensor;
• determining a desired wheel angle of the motor vehicle, said desired wheel angle being indicative of a wheel angle characteristic of an optimum amount of stability possible to the motor vehicle under the conditions to which the motor vehicle is subjected;
• and
• adjusting an existing wheel angle of a steerable wheel of the motor vehicle in accordance with said optimum amount of stability to correspond with said desired wheel angle.