In this paper, we will show that the torque ripple in closed-loop drives of permanent magnet stepping motors is reduced as properly selected lead angle control method. We propose an instantaneous torque equation, which is the function of lead angle, to estimate the influence on torque ripple. We design a closed-loop lead angle control system based on the proposed instantaneous torque equation and measure the instantaneous torque in various excitation modes. It is shown that torque ripple is greatly reduced, as seen from the experimental results as well as from the computer simulation results. For example, torque ripple reduced from 78.25% to 46.82% in the case of 50 PPS single-phase excitation mode operation.