A system and a method for controlling a steering position of at least one rear
wheel of a vehicle are provided. The vehicle has both a brushless electric motor
with a plurality of electrical phase windings and a steering actuator. The brushless
electric motor has a rotor configured to drive the steering actuator. The steering
actuator is operably coupled to at least one rear vehicle wheel. The method includes
determining a desired voltage value indicative of about one-half of a peak-to-peak
voltage to be applied to each of the plurality of electrical phase windings of
the brushless electric motor based on a desired rear vehicle wheel steering angle
and a measured rear vehicle wheel steering angle. The method further includes determining
when the desired voltage value is greater than a threshold voltage level. The method
further includes calculating a phase advance angle based on at least the desired
voltage value and the threshold voltage level. The method further includes phase
advancing a plurality of voltage waveforms applied to the plurality of electrical
phase windings, wherein each phase advanced voltage waveform is phase advanced
an amount substantially equal to the phase advance angle, wherein phase advancing
the voltage waveforms increases a speed of the rotor at a desired torque to thereby
increase a speed at which the steering actuator moves at least one rear vehicle
wheel toward the desired rear vehicle wheel steering angle.