Shorter available development times and fewer available vehicle prototypes have increased the subsystem-based investigation on test rigs within the automotive development process. Steering systems exhibit a direct interface to the driver, therefore, posing high requirements to the control performance of a test bench, especially for the perception of steering feel. This work proposes three approaches to improve the force control performance of permanent magnet linear motors incorporated on a steering test bench. The first method improves control accuracy when a harmonic force signal is introduced into the steering system by adjusting the reference force signal based on the identified peak values of the measured and reference forces. The second method allows the inclusion of the actuator’s inertia and the occurring ratios between steering wheel angle and rack displacement into the control scheme to reduce performance deterioration due to inertia. The third approach considers delay time in the actuator control and estimates its future position for delay compensation. A validation of the proposed methods is conducted, displaying an improvement for all three applications. The proposed methods extend the applicability of a steering test bench within the automotive development process by enabling more accurate and reproductible control performance.