How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[jimmyv65]

My non-air bag experience

Points to mention:

1) I think this parts list is off and it is much easier if you buy the spacer kit form e30tech, AKG or other vendors that sell a spacer kit. Here's my breakdown on the parts I actually needed from list. Keep in mind I bought the e30tech spacer kit.

No--7/16 Bolt 2 Inches Long - - xxxxxxxxxxxx - - - - -x2 - - -$???
No--Bolt M10x50 - - - - - - - - - 26111226737 - - - - x2 - - -$2.70
No--Self Locking Nuts - - - - - - 07129964672 - - - - x2 - - -$0.60
Yes--Copper Seals 14x20 - - - - -32411093596 - - - - -x4 - - -$0.68
Yes--Copper Seals 16x22 - - - - -32411093597 - - - - -x4 - - -$1.04
Yes, but just 2--Self Locking Nuts - - - - - - 07129922716 - - - - -x4 - - $1.20
Yes--Power Steering Res. - - - - -32411097164 - - - - x1 - - -$19.50
Yes, but better options exist--High Pres. PS Hose - - - - - 32411141953 - - - - -x1 - - -$74.00
No--Spacer - - - - - - - - - - - -72118119268 - - - - -x1 - - -$2.05
No--Spacer - - - - - - - - - - - -72111847480 - - - - -x2 - - -$1.92
No--Nut - - - - - - - - - - - - - -72111977925 - - - - -x2 - - -$1.10
Yes, but better options exist--LP PS Return Hoses - - - - - xxxxxxxxxxx - - - - - x2 - - -$14.50
Yes--Bottle of ATF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -x1 - - -$2.50
No--I did Nachos--Tacos - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - -x3 - - -$2.75

2) Safety Loss--The mod that everyone does takes away the column collapse safety feature. I am interested in the method shown in post #856. I didn't do this one, but wonder if it would be the safer route.

Watch the column come at the dummies head in this video on the old chevy at 49 seconds. Safety Video Sorry to be a Buzz Killington, but it is worth mentioning.

3) You versus the steer knuckles -- The hardest part on this job by far is getting the steer column in an out. Aluminum and Steel will corrode together over time in a nasty way. The column knuckles are aluminum and the shafts are steel. In rust belt states, this corrosion is only going to be worse. As stated in post #855, heat is your friend. So is a tie rod fork or pickle fork. I had to cheat a flat crow bar plus the pickle fork in between the knuckle and the fire wall to get it to move.

4) Getting the column back in..go deep on the shaft :) : The further on the shaft you get the knuckles, the better the column alignment. Be willing to go way past what looks normal. I like the option of using an M6 bolt on the rack side of the shaft and cheating that one further down. The deeper you get the knuckles on the shaft, the less you will have to grind away metal on the knuckle.

For getting it in, some longer rods to tap with a hammer and help the knuckle back on the shaft really helped.

5) Low Pressure Lines: 16 x 22mm Bulk Hose--I had trouble finding this tubing. I used 5/8" ID tubing from a hydraulic supply store. 16MM is .629 inches. 5/8" is .625. It worked just fine and was 4 dollars. I did the same with the smaller one. It was very close to a 1/2" line.

6) Low Press Line Burst -- After I got it all together and started it, my clamp in the LP line from the rack popped off. On the 36 unit, the LP line has a stronger connection(like the HP lines) for it's first connection. If you use the LP line from an E30, I'd make sure you have a really good clamp or two in the LP line from the rack.

7) High Pressure Hose: I used the line listed above and don't feel it is ideal(I think it is the e36 line). In hindsite, I'd either 1) get a new e30 hose or 2) bring my old e30 hose to the hydraulic supply guys and have them rebuild it. They rebuilt option would be less expensive! I wish I would have done that. They could reuse the banjo ends and clamp up fresh soft lines.

I hope these notes can help anyone trying this project. And yes, it is a very nice improvement in steering.

[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