I came across an old copy of Autocar a while back,which had an article about a system on a Honda model that had type of rear wheel steering.As far as I remember this involved very slight alighment of the rear wheels as lock was applied.
Can any BR members throw any light on this?
I have never heard of it since, so perhaps it's value in practice was of limited use?
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I recall 'active rear wheel steering' where the rear wheels are turned as the front wheels turn (either the same way or the opposite way, depending on whether the car is cornering at speed or parking) but don't know if this was fitted to any Hondas. If it was, I suppose the extra cost and limited advantage over 'passive rear wheel steering' might have seen it dropped.
You probably know that 'passive rear wheel steering' is where the suspension mountings are configured to distort under side load so as to turn the rear wheels slightly and thus improve handling. I feel sure that the Citroen ZX of the early 1990s had this and there must be lots more. So far as I know, it doesn't work at parking speeds because there isn't sufficient side force to distort the mountings.
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Honda did indeed develop a system - E4WS.
It could operate in in-phase and contra-phase modes depending on speed and used an electric motor mounted in a sort of rear 'steering rack'. There was a whopping great ECU mounted in the boot sprouting think cables to the motor.
I remember being given a demo of a vehicle with E4WS when visiting the Honda HQ at Power Road (nice name) in West London in about 1994.
Nissan had a 4WS system (Super-HICAS) as did Mitsubishi - but they were both hydraulic.
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Strange that this should be mentioned - I found myself sitting at the lights behind one of the old Mizti Galants with that system for the first time a couple of days ago. I remember the reports when they were first released, but had never actually seen one in the metal. I found myself straining as it turnd the corner to see if the rear wheels tracked noticeably :)
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I seem to recall this was fitted to the Prelude (pre 1992 model). I also remember that the great LKJS had one and loved it.
At low speeds it worked by turning the rear wheels the opposite way to assist parking.
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The top-of-the-range Honda Preludes have had 4 wheel steering since 1986 (I think). Initially it was a mechanical system, but it then developed into an electronic system. At low speed the rear wheels turned OPPOSITE to the fronts, to reduce the turning circle dia, and at high speed the rear wheels were turned in the SAME direction as the fronts, improving stability.
I know that the great (awesome!) motoring writer LJK Setright raved about the effects of Honda's 4WS system, and himself actually ran a 4WS Prelude as his car of choice.
I think Honda have dropped the Prelude now, and 4WS.
Also, there was just one version of the Accord (about 1980 I think) that ran an identical mechanical 4WS system. But it was dropped after a couple of years.
I once had a 4WS Prelude for a few days, and really didn't notice any difference, except when parking. The car really could turn on sixpence. It would be good in town.
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One downside I have heard of with the 4ws systems.
If you've parallel parked close in next to a wall, and put full lock on to get out, you find the rear wheels steering your rear wing into the wall.
I've heard of several people hitting walls because of this.
I would assume though once you're used to it, it's not such a problem.
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Thanks for your answers guys. As a relative newcomer to this forum I am amazed by the knowledge of BR members.
It rather reminds me of evenings at motor club many moons ago. Now there were some petrolheads!!
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The Nissan Skyline featured four-wheel steering up until it ceased production in 2002.
Yet another Jap manufacturer who flirted with 4WS in the late eighties was Mazda on a version of the 626 family hatchback!
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i currently run a prelude with 4ws,and agree with everything said about it, roadholding at speed is greatly improved, and i can take corners/bends at 60, which were 40mph ones in previous cars i've had. but like most steering systems, it's only as good as conditions allow,what i really need when in town, is a car with 4ws, on which i can turn the wheels 90 degrees to the body!so that i can escape from a parking spot when other kind people have squeezed up to my front and rear bumpers!!
billy.
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I drive a 96 Accord and I wish they'd fitted 4WS to this car. The turning circle is huge and is one of the (few) downsides of the car. I was exiting a multi storey car park in Glasgow recently and had to stop reverse slightly as I dropped each floor as the turn was too tight, luckily no-one was behind me or I don't know what I would have done!
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