Apparatus for steering front and rear wheels of a motor vehicle

Abstract

A front and rear wheel steering apparatus in a motor vehicle includes a front wheel steering mechanism and a rear wheel steering mechanism which are operatively coupled to front wheels and rear wheels rotatably supported on a vehicle frame for transmitting turning movement of a steering handlebar to the front and rear wheels. While the steering handlebar is being turned from a neutral position to a prescribed angle in one direction, the rear wheels are steered in the same direction as the front wheels, and while the steering handlebar is being turned from the prescribed angle to a maximum angle, the rear wheels are steered in the opposite direction to the front wheels. The front wheel steering angle reaches a maximum value when the steering handlebar is turned to the prescribed angle, and substantially remains at the maximum value even when the steering handlebar is further turned beyond the prescribed angle. The motor vehicle also has a rear swing arm vertically swingably mounted on the vehicle frame and supporting the rear wheels. A junction between a most downstream component of the rear wheel steering mechanism which is coupled to the vehicle frame and a most upstream component thereof which is coupled to the rear swing arm is positioned on a swing axis of the rear swing arm.