GM Moves Heavy-Duty Pickups to Rack-and-Pinion Steering

GM will equip the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado HD and GMC Sierra HD with rack-and-pinion electric power steering, replacing the hydraulic recirculating-ball gear the trucks have used until now. GM says this is a first for heavy-duty pickups.

Recirculating-ball steering has stayed in heavy trucks long after most passenger cars moved away from it. In that design the steering shaft turns a worm inside a ball nut, with steel balls carrying the load between them, and the nut drives a sector gear connected to the pitman arm. It handles high front-axle loads well and works with the solid front axles common on heavy-duty pickups.

In a rack-and-pinion system the pinion meshes directly with a toothed rack connected to the tie rods, so there are fewer linkages between the steering wheel and the road wheels. Drivers generally get more precise steering and better road feel as a result. The layout requires an independent front suspension, which the Silverado HD and Sierra HD have. The difficulty in applying it to these trucks is the load they carry. Properly equipped models are rated to tow 38,000 lb with a gooseneck hitch and 20,000 lb conventionally, and the diesel dually models have a gross combined weight rating of up to 46,500 lb.

According to GM, the new system has about 30 percent more power than the hydraulic gear it replaces, with better on-center feel, less kickback and quieter operation. With no hydraulic pump or hoses, it requires less maintenance, and full assist is available regardless of engine speed. Steering response can also be calibrated for different drive modes.

Ken Morris, GM's senior vice president of product integration, safety and motorsports, told The Drive that the electric system also makes development faster, since engineers can tune it in software instead of machining new profiles into the gear.

GM has not identified the steering supplier. The trucks go on sale in the U.S. beginning late 2026.

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