Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Originally posted by Surtr View Post
    Is it really necessary to use the BMW bolts, nuts and spacers? It seems like everywhere I find them it's going to take over a week to get them to me. I tried to look them up elsewhere, but I don't know the size of most of them and can't find a cross over :-\.
    No, it is not necessary to use BMW spacers and bolts. For the spacers to mount the rack in the subframe I just stacked washers on the top and bottom so that I could position the rack higher up to correct some of the geometry that changed when the car was lowered. The bolts for the linkage I used M10x50mm with nyloc nuts from the Depot. Spacers for the linkage I turned on the lathe so that it would compensate for the difference in ID between the two halves, but you could just get some scrap aluminum that is ~13mm thick and drill a 10mm hole in it (doesn't even have to be cylindrical).
    sigpic
    '86.5 325eis Track Ho | '08 128i DD | '04 Silverado Tow Vehicle

    Comment


      or. if you dont have an airbag steering column and there is just a short splined shaft sticking out of the firewall you can just cut that shaft an inch or 2 shorter and you wont have to worry about taking the joint apart and putting spacers in it
      First: 1984 318i
      Second: 1987 325
      Third: 1987 325is
      Current: 1990 325i (Soon To Be 335i)

      Comment


        OK, thanks. I'm kinda confused as to why washers can't be used as spacers on the steering knuckle, too. I guess I can come up with something.
        '07 Female Miniature Dachshund, Long Hair Edition, Red.
        Mods so far: Reproduction delete kit, biweekly nail shortening.
        (Pics hopefully coming soon)

        Comment


          Originally posted by Surtr View Post
          OK, thanks. I'm kinda confused as to why washers can't be used as spacers on the steering knuckle, too. I guess I can come up with something.
          hey - is your car an airbag car?

          ill be doing an e36 swap in the near future as well.

          Comment


            Originally posted by Nic01101011 View Post
            hey - is your car an airbag car?

            ill be doing an e36 swap in the near future as well.
            No. I saw you looking for a z3 rack when I was searching for rack stuff. I thought you'd have done it by now. Are you sticking with z3 or doing a different one?
            '07 Female Miniature Dachshund, Long Hair Edition, Red.
            Mods so far: Reproduction delete kit, biweekly nail shortening.
            (Pics hopefully coming soon)

            Comment


              it was a pain finding a suitable rack, I found a guy parting a 95 M3 in Sac. Ill be picking up the rack next week

              Comment


                Originally posted by Nic01101011 View Post
                it was a pain finding a suitable rack, I found a guy parting a 95 M3 in Sac. Ill be picking up the rack next week
                I think I ended up with a Z3 rack, but prolly not the one you're looking for. I can't find anything about it. Somebody else asked about it a few pages back.

                Does anybody know what part # 32131140828 is from?

                Edit: I guess it's from a Z3 M and it's the same 3.2 LTL as other E36s.
                '07 Female Miniature Dachshund, Long Hair Edition, Red.
                Mods so far: Reproduction delete kit, biweekly nail shortening.
                (Pics hopefully coming soon)

                Comment


                  Originally posted by Surtr View Post
                  OK, thanks. I'm kinda confused as to why washers can't be used as spacers on the steering knuckle, too. I guess I can come up with something.
                  My only concern with using washers on the knuckle is that it might introduce some additional flex.

                  pics of my solution:
                  sigpic
                  '86.5 325eis Track Ho | '08 128i DD | '04 Silverado Tow Vehicle

                  Comment


                    Originally posted by SkinnyVT View Post
                    My only concern with using washers on the knuckle is that it might introduce some additional flex.

                    pics of my solution:
                    That's pretty sweet. Mind giving the measurements of that? I'm going crazy trying to figure something out before next weekend :-\
                    '07 Female Miniature Dachshund, Long Hair Edition, Red.
                    Mods so far: Reproduction delete kit, biweekly nail shortening.
                    (Pics hopefully coming soon)

                    Comment


                      Originally posted by Surtr View Post
                      That's pretty sweet. Mind giving the measurements of that? I'm going crazy trying to figure something out before next weekend :-\
                      I would if I had them written down, I'm not pulling it out of the car to measure. I machined it with the steering knuckle sitting next to me and just measured when I needed to without writing dimensions down.

                      I believe the actual spacer section is 0.55" [14mm].
                      sigpic
                      '86.5 325eis Track Ho | '08 128i DD | '04 Silverado Tow Vehicle

                      Comment


                        I think its AKG that makes a rack swap kit. It includes machined spacers for the rack and the knuckle.
                        S50'd

                        Originally posted by TDE30
                        What is this faggy shit I have happened upon?
                        Originally posted by slammin.e28
                        I can always live in a M3. Can't M3 a house.

                        Comment


                          Originally posted by SkinnyVT View Post
                          I would if I had them written down, I'm not pulling it out of the car to measure. I machined it with the steering knuckle sitting next to me and just measured when I needed to without writing dimensions down.

                          I believe the actual spacer section is 0.55" [14mm].
                          Ah, thanks for that. I don't blame you for not wanting to take it out. Now all I seem to need is a rough estimate of the outside diameter.
                          '07 Female Miniature Dachshund, Long Hair Edition, Red.
                          Mods so far: Reproduction delete kit, biweekly nail shortening.
                          (Pics hopefully coming soon)

                          Comment


                            Originally posted by Surtr View Post
                            Ah, thanks for that. I don't blame you for not wanting to take it out. Now all I seem to need is a rough estimate of the outside diameter.
                            The OD isn't critical, I just used a piece of scrap square stock and turned it down to be round. I believe my goal was 0.75" OD, but like I said it doesn't matter as there is nothing to interfere with. I also suggest that you take a file to the surfaces of the knuckle where the spacer, bolt head and nut rest as there was a significant seam from the casting process which doesn't allow the pieces to rest flush.
                            sigpic
                            '86.5 325eis Track Ho | '08 128i DD | '04 Silverado Tow Vehicle

                            Comment


                              I just finished the swap without spacing the knuckle. I just cut away some of the sound insulation from the firewall where the column comes out. Then I slide the knuckle on further. I also slid it down further on the shaft coming from the rack. I took the bolt out, slid the knuckle down as far as I could without creating any binding, then smacked the bolt through and tightened it up. I did have to take a little metal out of the upper knuckle because of the slightly greater angle, but it sounds like everyone has had to do that.

                              I used washers to fill the gap when mounting the rack, and put one of them under the rack to lift it slightly. I used the E30 high pressure hose and reversed it, and it fit with no bending.

                              All of my techniques/ideas came from this thread, I had no original ideas. Just confirming that this worked for me.

                              btw - 88 325ic 06/88 build date - no airbag

                              Comment


                                taking this on soon

                                Post on how the none modified knuckle is working for you after some time behind the wheel. Seems like everyone spaced the knuckle for a reason.

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X