Steering Rack swap?

[driftxsequence]

I'd be tentative, depending on the cost and difficulty of swapping. I imagine you need to replace all the seals while in there..Already dropped the subframe before so I have no qualms with getting it out of the car but I've never pulled a rack apart.

[nando]

All E30 racks are way too slow. The 325is has the same rack as the rest - the E30 M3 isn't much better.

Yeah, I'm going to contact them. That would be way easier. Maybe we could get 5 to 10 people on board?

[The Dark Side of Will]

bump.

Having another look at this while goofing around with my N52 parts - I think it may be feasible to swap the guts from another rack into the ix rack, with modifications.

the E46 xi rack is wider, but the diameter is really close (16mm vs 17mm), and all the centerlines seem to match up. The E46 input shaft is 3/4" shorter though. I think there's about a 50% chance of those parts working, but there would need to be modifications.

I guess another question is, would the internals of an E36 rack possibly work (flipped over), as I'd bet the width is closer to the E30 ix than the E46 is. Or any other ZF rack with similar dimensions..

What made me think about this again was the E46 rack has a lot of issues with fitment, and it would be waaay simpler to do using the original rack housing. You could use ix tie rods, PS hoses, steering joint, etc.

In the end one of the two bolts that holds the input shaft housing together was rusted to nothing, so I couldn't get it all apart to see - but it's worth investigating further IMO. The thing I notice the most about the E30 when jumping in for a spin is how ridiculously slow the steering is, it drives me crazy.

Anyone have a cheap E36 rack I could borrow? Or take measurements off one? (rack length/diameter, input shaft length).

What about a RWD E30 rack? iS? M3?

Or this:
https://www.quaife.co.uk/quaife-prod...teering-racks/

If Quaife would make a drop in rack for a less than exorbitant price, that would be awesome.

[nando]

Or this:

https://www.quaife.co.uk/quaife-products/motorsport-steering-racks/

[nando]

bump.

Having another look at this while goofing around with my N52 parts - I think it may be feasible to swap the guts from another rack into the ix rack, with modifications.

the E46 xi rack is wider, but the diameter is really close (16mm vs 17mm), and all the centerlines seem to match up. The E46 input shaft is 3/4" shorter though. I think there's about a 50% chance of those parts working, but there would need to be modifications.

I guess another question is, would the internals of an E36 rack possibly work (flipped over), as I'd bet the width is closer to the E30 ix than the E46 is. Or any other ZF rack with similar dimensions..

What made me think about this again was the E46 rack has a lot of issues with fitment, and it would be waaay simpler to do using the original rack housing. You could use ix tie rods, PS hoses, steering joint, etc.

In the end one of the two bolts that holds the input shaft housing together was rusted to nothing, so I couldn't get it all apart to see - but it's worth investigating further IMO. The thing I notice the most about the E30 when jumping in for a spin is how ridiculously slow the steering is, it drives me crazy.

Anyone have a cheap E36 rack I could borrow? Or take measurements off one? (rack length/diameter, input shaft length).

[berlow94]

Sorry for the lack of updates guys. I am starting a new thread for this now in the group buy section.
please take a look!

[madman23]

Nando- I have GC camber plates and offset CAB's and it helped immensely. Now I am getting excited about this steering rack fix. Now all I need to do is lighten the car up 200lbs and i'm good.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm warming up to building an AWD car in a RWD chassis, though.

[nando]

It's been discussed before. It was optimized for weight transfer under acceleration/braking on slick surfaces (ice/snow).

You can use M3 offset CABs and GC camber plates to gain a bit more camber. I think the max is around 2.5-3 degrees - stock is about 1.2 degrees. No real downsides IMO - aside from the camber plates being pretty harsh on the street (zero rubber isolation).

[madman23]

Has anyone ever angled the strut mounts back to gain more caster? Any negatives to that? I never understood why BMW did that for the IX.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Chuckle.
I do most of my driving in Fieros, which are light in the front with manual steering. The way that hydraulic power steering essentially "clips" the feedback to steering effort has always felt not so great to me.

Installing the steering quickener above of the spool valve will increase the wheel torque necessary to crack the spool valve by the inverse of the quickener ratio and, in my estimation, improve steering feedback.

Of course no matter what iX's have crappy steering feedback for hard pavement driving due to their essentially non-existent caster angle.

[downforce22]

interested, depending on price.

[Kershaw]

Which is fine if, like me, you think power steering is too light and has poor feedback anyway.

[madman23]

Count me in. My rack needs a rebuild BAD!!!

[The Dark Side of Will]

Those work, but they also double the input force.

Which is fine if, like me, you think power steering is too light and has poor feedback anyway.