During my entire M60 swap I have always assumed I was going to use the stock e30 steering shaft. It's in great shape, it didn't need any modifications for the E36 rack and I build my LH exhaust manifold to clear it (at least I thought I did). With the engine in for the last time (I hope) and the exhaust manifolds wrapped in heat wrap it turns out that I only had about 3-5mm of clearance between the E30 steering shaft and the LH exhaust manifold. Too close for my comfort.
I searched around and I wasn't ready to pay up for the extremely expensive steering shaft kit from Vorshlag or buy the parts from Flaming River individually. (still not cheep)
After hunting the local wreckers looking E34 U joints (which I couldn't find easily) I noticed the E36 and E46 steering shafts are nice and thin but they only have 1 U joint. That got me thinking what if you take 2 of those shafts and cut them in haft and stick them back together end to end, making a steering shaft for my length requirements with 2 U joints.
The best steering shafts to use are E46 shafts and you'll see why in a second.
So here goes.
- 2 E46 shafts above, E30 shaft below.
The E46 steering shaft is made of 3 different diameter shafts pressed into each other with what looks like small pins holding them together. The idea is to separate both shafts into 2 halves. It turns out that those small holes are actually adhesive injection holes. BMW used these holes to either inject adhesive or expel adhesive. What's important about this is that that these shafts are "glued" together. There are two ways to separate the shafts. You can heat the large diameter portion and press/pull out the medium diameter portion or you can cut your shafts to size. Cutting them to size is much faster. As you'll see in a second.
Measure your E30 steering shaft from the center of one U joint to the center of the other U joint. Mine measured 7 inches.
PLEASE MEASURE YOUR OWN STUFF. MY MEASUREMENTS ARE ONLY FOR REFERENCE TO THE PROCESS. IF YOU F*CK UP YOUR PARTS BECAUSE YOU USED MY MEASUREMENTS DON'T BITCH ABOUT IT.
Measure and mark both of the E46 steering shafts half the length of the E30 shaft. Measure 3.5 inches from the center of the U joint down the large diameter portion. Cut the steering shafts at your mark.
Both should look like this.
Clear out the remainder of the medium diameter shaft that was stuck in the U joint side of your shafts.
Your 2 E46 shafts should look like RH pic from the cut end.
You see where we are going with this now.
Take one of the remaining halves of the E46 shafts and cut it into 3 parts. Cut at each of the diameter transitions.
Insert the medium diameter tube into each end of the 2 E46 U joints. The medium diameter portion should be about 2.5 inches long. Make sure you center that portion in the two U joint sections (1.25" per side). This 2.5 inch DD portion will be what takes all of the torsional load of the steering shaft as you turn the steering wheel.
Test fit your new shaft. If your shaft is less then 1/2" too short its not a big deal, the two large diameter section will just not butt up to each other. You still have 1" of engagement between the center section to each U joint half. If your shaft is are more than 1/2" too short you will want to get another E46 steering shaft and start 1 half again. (see the note in red bold above)
Once you have confirmed the final length here is where you have options. You need to secure the medium diameter section centered between the 2 U joints. You could...
1) Drill a 1/4" hole through each half of the shaft (1/2" from center line) and use 2 bolts and nuts to capture the center section.
Easy process but not very clean.
2) Drill and tape a hole into each of the U joint sections (1/2" from center line). Use set screws in each of the U joint sections to secure to the center portion. (You may want to add pilot holes into the center section to allow the set screws to grab.)
I would have done this but I don't have any set screws that match my taps.
3) Weld the center seam of the new shaft. When you weld you will want to make sure that your weld penetrates into the center section. (Remember the point of the weld or screws is not to withstand the twisting torque of the shaft. The 2.5" DD section does that. The point is to retain the center section in the middle of your shaft.)
I'm going to weld. Its the cleanest method. I don't have aluminum wire so this will have to wait until I get back to work in the new year.
I ended up drilling 1/16" holes through each end of the U joint ends and through the middle portion. Then I hammered finish nails through just to pin everything together for welding.
I'll follow up after the new year with the welded and painted final product.
Summary...
Cost...
2 - E46 steering shafts = $40 (make sure you don't take the flex joint, the wrecker will ask more for that)
Welding = $5 (for coffee and donuts for the welder at work) (it's probably cheaper to use the set screws but more work)
Total = $45 (that's less than 1 U joint at Flaming River)
Time...
30 - 60mins to make the new shaft, depending on if you are welding yourself or adding set screws.
30 - 60mins to remove the old shaft and install the new shaft.
10mins have a :drink:
I don't think this would take much longer than the steering shaft mod for an E36/Z3 rack and you get rid of the rubber flex joint.
I hope this helps. Good Luck.
I searched around and I wasn't ready to pay up for the extremely expensive steering shaft kit from Vorshlag or buy the parts from Flaming River individually. (still not cheep)
After hunting the local wreckers looking E34 U joints (which I couldn't find easily) I noticed the E36 and E46 steering shafts are nice and thin but they only have 1 U joint. That got me thinking what if you take 2 of those shafts and cut them in haft and stick them back together end to end, making a steering shaft for my length requirements with 2 U joints.
The best steering shafts to use are E46 shafts and you'll see why in a second.
So here goes.
- 2 E46 shafts above, E30 shaft below. The E46 steering shaft is made of 3 different diameter shafts pressed into each other with what looks like small pins holding them together. The idea is to separate both shafts into 2 halves. It turns out that those small holes are actually adhesive injection holes. BMW used these holes to either inject adhesive or expel adhesive. What's important about this is that that these shafts are "glued" together. There are two ways to separate the shafts. You can heat the large diameter portion and press/pull out the medium diameter portion or you can cut your shafts to size. Cutting them to size is much faster. As you'll see in a second.
Measure your E30 steering shaft from the center of one U joint to the center of the other U joint. Mine measured 7 inches.
PLEASE MEASURE YOUR OWN STUFF. MY MEASUREMENTS ARE ONLY FOR REFERENCE TO THE PROCESS. IF YOU F*CK UP YOUR PARTS BECAUSE YOU USED MY MEASUREMENTS DON'T BITCH ABOUT IT.
Measure and mark both of the E46 steering shafts half the length of the E30 shaft. Measure 3.5 inches from the center of the U joint down the large diameter portion. Cut the steering shafts at your mark.
Both should look like this.Clear out the remainder of the medium diameter shaft that was stuck in the U joint side of your shafts.
Your 2 E46 shafts should look like RH pic from the cut end.
You see where we are going with this now.Take one of the remaining halves of the E46 shafts and cut it into 3 parts. Cut at each of the diameter transitions.
Insert the medium diameter tube into each end of the 2 E46 U joints. The medium diameter portion should be about 2.5 inches long. Make sure you center that portion in the two U joint sections (1.25" per side). This 2.5 inch DD portion will be what takes all of the torsional load of the steering shaft as you turn the steering wheel.
Test fit your new shaft. If your shaft is less then 1/2" too short its not a big deal, the two large diameter section will just not butt up to each other. You still have 1" of engagement between the center section to each U joint half. If your shaft is are more than 1/2" too short you will want to get another E46 steering shaft and start 1 half again. (see the note in red bold above)
Once you have confirmed the final length here is where you have options. You need to secure the medium diameter section centered between the 2 U joints. You could...
1) Drill a 1/4" hole through each half of the shaft (1/2" from center line) and use 2 bolts and nuts to capture the center section.
Easy process but not very clean.
2) Drill and tape a hole into each of the U joint sections (1/2" from center line). Use set screws in each of the U joint sections to secure to the center portion. (You may want to add pilot holes into the center section to allow the set screws to grab.)
I would have done this but I don't have any set screws that match my taps.
3) Weld the center seam of the new shaft. When you weld you will want to make sure that your weld penetrates into the center section. (Remember the point of the weld or screws is not to withstand the twisting torque of the shaft. The 2.5" DD section does that. The point is to retain the center section in the middle of your shaft.)
I'm going to weld. Its the cleanest method. I don't have aluminum wire so this will have to wait until I get back to work in the new year.
I ended up drilling 1/16" holes through each end of the U joint ends and through the middle portion. Then I hammered finish nails through just to pin everything together for welding.
I'll follow up after the new year with the welded and painted final product.
Summary...
Cost...
2 - E46 steering shafts = $40 (make sure you don't take the flex joint, the wrecker will ask more for that)
Welding = $5 (for coffee and donuts for the welder at work) (it's probably cheaper to use the set screws but more work)
Total = $45 (that's less than 1 U joint at Flaming River)
Time...
30 - 60mins to make the new shaft, depending on if you are welding yourself or adding set screws.
30 - 60mins to remove the old shaft and install the new shaft.
10mins have a :drink:
I don't think this would take much longer than the steering shaft mod for an E36/Z3 rack and you get rid of the rubber flex joint.
I hope this helps. Good Luck.
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