How to Steer in Screw Drivers

One of the most confusing aspects of Screw Drivers for new players is steering. Many players attach wheels, hop into a test drive, press the steering key, and nothing happens. The reason is simple but unintuitive: steering is not a property of the wheel. It is a property of the suspension.

Why steering lives on the suspension

In a real car, the steering mechanism connects to the wheel hub through the suspension knuckle. Screw Drivers follows this same logic. The suspension unit is the part that physically rotates to change the wheel angle. The wheel itself just spins — it has no steering capability on its own.

This design choice reflects the physics-based nature of the game. When you enable steering on a suspension unit, the game applies a rotational force to that unit, pivoting it left or right. The attached wheel follows because it is mounted to the suspension. This creates realistic steering behavior where the contact patch of the tire traces an arc, just like a real vehicle.

How to enable steering

To enable steering, enter the build editor and select one of your front suspension units. In the configuration panel on the right side, look for the steering option. Toggle it on. Repeat this for the other front suspension unit. Both front suspension pieces must have steering enabled for the vehicle to turn properly.

You can tell steering is active because the suspension unit will show a small indicator or highlight in the editor. Some suspension types also show a rotation range preview when you hover over them after enabling steering.

After enabling steering on both front suspension units, test your vehicle. The steering input (A and D keys by default) should now turn the front wheels. If the vehicle still does not steer, check the Keyboard Controls page to make sure your input bindings are correct.

Front-wheel steering vs rear-wheel steering

Most vehicles in Screw Drivers use front-wheel steering, which means the front suspension handles all steering. This is the standard configuration because it provides stable, predictable handling. When you turn, the front of the car swings wide and the rear follows, which feels natural and is easy to control at any speed.

Rear-wheel steering is the opposite: only the rear suspension units have steering enabled. This makes the rear of the car swing out when you turn, which can be useful for tight maneuvers but is unstable at high speeds. Rear-wheel steering is rarely used in competitive builds because the car tends to oversteer aggressively.

Four-wheel steering enables steering on both front and rear suspension. This gives the tightest turning radius of any configuration because both ends of the car pivot. However, four-wheel steering reduces stability at speed and can make the vehicle feel twitchy. It is best reserved for slow, specialized vehicles that need to navigate very tight spaces.

For most builds, front-wheel steering is the right choice. It balances responsiveness with stability and works well at all speeds. If you are building a slow utility vehicle or a fun novelty car, experiment with the other configurations.

Troubleshooting steering problems

If steering is not working after you enable it, there are a few common causes to check.

First, make sure both front suspension units have steering enabled. If only one side is active, the vehicle will pull strongly to one side instead of turning smoothly.

Second, check that your suspension is properly connected to the chassis. If the suspension is floating or only partially attached, the steering force may not transfer to the wheel. Press X in the build editor to see the car stats overlay and look for any disconnected parts highlighted in red.

Third, verify your input bindings. Some players experience an issue where the game auto-detects a controller even when none is connected, causing keyboard inputs to stop working. Go to the settings menu and manually switch the input device to mouse and keyboard. This is covered in more detail on the Keyboard Controls page.

Fourth, check for physical obstructions. If the wheel is clipping into the chassis or another part, it may not be able to rotate for steering. Move the suspension outward slightly to give the wheel clearance.

If none of these solutions work, the Getting Started guide covers the full build process from scratch, and the Parts catalog lists all suspension types with their specifications.

Steering angle and responsiveness

The steering angle determines how far the wheels can turn. A larger angle means tighter turns but less stability. A smaller angle means wider turns but more control at speed. Most suspension units have a fixed maximum steering angle that you cannot change in the editor.

Responsiveness refers to how quickly the wheels reach their maximum steering angle when you press the input key. This is determined by the suspension type and the vehicle speed. At low speeds, steering is quick and responsive. At high speeds, the game naturally dampens steering to prevent the vehicle from spinning out.

You can influence responsiveness by adjusting your vehicle weight distribution. A lighter front end steers more quickly, while a heavier front end steers more slowly but feels more planted. Experiment with engine and part placement to find the balance that works for your driving style.