Das Beast: My E30 track / street build

[dvallis]

Sonoma

Friction coefficient for stock brakes is approximately 0.4. In comparison, the Poly-A pads, Hawk rotors and Wilwood calipers will stop a 1900lb E30 like a battleship main anchor. :devil:

[dvallis]

Wife appreciates my new welding skills. Made this package / purse / wife stuff shelf for front porch.

[dvallis]

We're BACK!

Finally back to working on the car. Here we are preparing the authentic Z3 2.7 turns to lock rack (See this post: NICE RACK) with a power steering delete block. It recirculates fluid and keeps the rack from binding.



Next it's time to look at this disaster. Otherwise known as the steering guilbo, or "useless wobbly rubber thing in my steering linkage". It's gotta go. Notice Rob drilling out the rivets.



Rubber atrocity amputated.



Now for the good part. We replace the rubber-ness with two x M8 - 2" bolts. Note they must be #8 CASE HARDENED STEEL. You do not want to shuffle off this mortal coil like Aryton Senna with steering failure in some high speed turn. Separate the bolts with 18 steel washers on each side. Finish with Loctite and lock washers. When done, it's a solid steel mass.



Test fitting before the Z3 rack. Looks and feels great. Note to get that thing on and off, remove the securing bolts, push it UP towards the steering column then remove the lower end.

[sonomabimmers]

loving that solid steering linkage setup

[badwella]

Cool that you kept the stock linkage. Mine had a crap u joint so I did the double e46 linkage build (back before Garagistic started selling them). It doesn't collapse so it's going to drive my steering into my balls or face if I'm in a head on collision.

If you don't want to worry about a ton of washers falling out when you undo the linkage, you can probably go to the local hardware store and get bronze or aluminum spacers.



I know home depot sells some in stores: http://www.homedepot.com/p/10-x-1-2-...5158/204276557

[Elysian]

there is a fair amount. i see a couple a day driving around the south side. bmw cca chapter out here is pretty active they do meets and drives.

Saw a beautiful E28 on Slaughter and So. 1st today. Just mint looking.

[sonomabimmers]

I see that thing on the daily !!!!! It's beautiful and so oem,basically perfect. I haven't caught the owner yet but he lives down the street from me. We need to make Austin a more active community......

[TobyB]

In for pix of busted steering parts while parallel parking high ratio rack with no power steering!

The washer scatter, I predict, will be subtantial.

I poke fun, but I do also wonder how strong that stack is in torsion...
...I remember parking the 2002 with 15's, and that wasn't easy...

t

[peterman]

So, Toby makes a good point about your washer stack. Because the car had power steering, the use of a guibo works because not much force is going through the steering column. Since you removed the power steering, you will now be responsible for putting in the required torque to turn the wheels at low/no speed. This setup will not be that strong in shear. It has the potential to fail - definitely not saying it will fail, but over time it could. You will also most definitely get some "hmmm?" or "eww" looks from fellow racers who spot the setup while sizing up the competition at the track.

A couple of reasons:
1. The washers are a free fit to the bolt. An M8 bolt has a washer ID of 8.4mm. Assuming they are not all lined up the same, you will have multiple line loads through out the stack up making an inconsistent load.
2. A bolted joint should clamp 2 faces together. The stand off distance would not be a terrible thing if this was a compression or tension application. But since this is a shear or torsion application the use of a stand off needs to be much beefier than stacked washers.
3. Grade 8.8 bolts are good but they can still stretch. The washer stack will add a torsion and bending moment to the bolt causing the system to "wiggle" back and forth thereby potentially (probably) bending the nut-washer interface, stretching the bolt and losing your pre-load.
There are grade 10.9 bolts out there that would also work and be quite a bit stronger. Additionally, this would be a proper time to use a shoulder bolt and not a fully threaded bolt which would add some additional strength.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#95327a577/=17bl46w

I would suggest using a proper, solid stand off as suggested by badwella.
Although this is a standard size, it is as close as you can get to reamed sleeve for an M8 bolt. It has quite a bit of meat so it will help counter any bending from the torsion load.

https://www.mcmaster.com/#92320a722/=17bl0at

And just to nit pick it would be an M8 x 50mm, not 2":p

It's looking great! Keep it up!

Pete

[dvallis]

Ha! You guys thought we were going racing with that washer stack? :devil:

Here's the Das Beast Solid Steering Linkage. Prototpe being machined this week. Who wants one? If I get enough interest will make a batch.

[ThatM20Guy]

Any price range estimates?


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[sampayne]

That would be a nice addition for my upcoming rack swap. Definitely interested depending on price, of course.

[dvallis]

Thanks for the interest. Will get pricing tomorrow from a few local shops.

[dvallis]

Update. 3D printing was stupid expensive for some reason, so I'm getting a prototype of the solid steering link machined in 6061 aluminum. It's actually cheaper. Once we like the fit and finish, machine shop will give me a price for small production runs (10 units). Should be ready this week.

[dvallis]

<Sigh. I wish vbulletin could do tables>

Here is my front suspension refresh parts list. Will be scoping it out with Rob this week.

Control arm w HD ball joints (left) Myle 31126758513MY $82
Control arm w HD ball joints (right) Myle 31126758514MY $82
Control arm bushings (Delrin, pair) TMS TSU3080202 $60
E36 HD tie rod (left) Lemfoerder 32111139315 $45
E36 HD tie rod (right) Lemfoerder 32111139316 $45
22 mm adjustable sway bar & bush. IE e30fb22 $225
HD rubber transmission mounts (pair) IE e30transmtrbr $40
Urethane motor mounts (pair) IE e30urethanemm $90
Motor mount reinforcements (pair) IE e30femrefrmnt $20