How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[FLG]

No problem. I got the line on with very little tweaking.

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[e30austin]

Spacer install instructions

http://www.akgmotorsport.com/gallery/?level=album&id=26

Solid flex disk instructions

http://www.akgmotorsport.com/gallery/?level=album&id=31

Thanks so much! Got it all back together just a few minutes ago. Going to try to figure out how I can modify my high pressure line coming off the pump to the rack (the e30 line.)

[FLG]

What is the reasoning for the solid flex disc over just bolting the two pieces straight together?

No idea . I just didn't Wana deal with getting washers or finding correct length bolts.

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[Northern]

What is the reasoning for the solid flex disc over just bolting the two pieces straight together?

[FLG]

Spacer install instructions

http://www.akgmotorsport.com/gallery/?level=album&id=26

Solid flex disk instructions

http://www.akgmotorsport.com/gallery/?level=album&id=31

[e30austin]

Hmmm. I got no directions with mine. With mine, I got two spacers, one small one and one bigger one. What's the small one for?

[FLG]

I had to drill out the holes with the AKG kit as per directions, but it worked out great.

[e30austin]

So...the hardware kit I got from Emotech failed. The bolts were 2mm larger than the hole they were going into, so they had to be modified, and the spacers spaced it out so much that the rack wouldn't go into its slot. Ugh. So much for being bolt in. Hopefully I can figure the rest of it out tomorrow.

[MattAvino]

I am very surprised that more people aren't doing this. This is what I'm going to be doing (I didn't even know that someone else had done it)
This is by far the best option, especially when considering budget and time consumption.

[KVF]

Finally did this and it's the cats meow! Completely turns the e30 into a more modern every day driver. Thanks for this very informative write up!

A few quick things I learned along the way, to help those who may be years late to the party like me...

Heat is your friend! The stupid knuckle was stuck on the steering column and I tried every trick listed to no avail... Buddy who works on big rigs popped by and laughed at me. "Soak a rag, toss it over the fuel & brake lines and heat up the knuckle stupid!" Done; knuckle slid off like butter; no one blew up!

If you disconnect the knuckle from the rack before pulling rack, you only have to slightly bend drivers side tab and can passengers untouched; if your doing the bend tab method.

You don't have to shorten knuckle if you don't mind spacing rack down and sliding knuckle further up on steering spline (it's not notched like on the rack).

[Todd Black 88]

I kept my stock line and just bent it in a vise.

[atomedge]

This might be a stupid question but I've just got a Z3 rack and I was wondering if I need a Z3 high pressure line or does the e36 line OP posted work just fine? Thanks.

[FLG]

The difference is waffleswaffleswaffleswafflesing amazing

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[e30austin]

Awesome, it is a go tomorrow! New M3 front brakes and E36 M3 3.2 rack with new E30 tie rods. Car has needed all of the above for two years. lol

[FLG]

Yes just did it this weekend ordered the hoses from Steve at blunt tech using part numbers that op posted. Also got the rack spacer kit from akg and a solid flex disk from akg

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