How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[Todd Black 88]

I put the knuckle back on the coloum first and slid the rack onto it from below.

[Klug]

If I was going to do it again, I'd attach the knuckle to the input shaft at the firewall before thinking about the rack.

Is there any reason why this DIY suggests to do the rack shaft first rather than the shaft at the firewall? It seems troublesome to get the knuckle over the firewall shaft on after the rack is mounted from previous posts.

Tackling the rest of my job this weekend, want to see if there is a reason people put it on in this order.

Thanks!

[karmatose]

I'm currently stuck trying to get the knuckle off as well, what kind of tie rod separator did you use?

I just accomplished this over the weekend. I got the rack off the knuckle with much effort and a pickle fork but couldn't get the knuckle off the input shaft (even with a pickle fork). I sprayed it with penetrating oil but that didn't seem to do anything. Since the fuel lines were so close by I didn't really want to apply heat, but after an hour of struggling to get this thing to move, I *CAREFULLY* applied a bit of heat with my map torch being mindful of the fuel lines and tried again with the pickle fork and it slid forward about 90% of the way after few good reefs. I was able to wiggle it the rest of the way home.

Getting it on was difficult too. I was able to get the knuckle on the rack off the car, but I was only able to wiggle it onto the input shaft a wee bit. After a while of wiggling this bastard and trying to get it onto the shaft all the way I grabbed some wood and a hand sledge. A few decisive whacks on the bottom of the rack where that big ass nut lookin' thing is (Z3 1.9L rack) I was able to drive it home so it lined up in the subframe. I don't recommend doing it this way, but it worked fine for me. My knuckle was pre-modified to work so I'm not sure what to tell you as far as that goes, but there should be many good photos floating around on the way demonstrating what to do there. If I was going to do it again, I'd attach the knuckle to the input shaft at the firewall before thinking about the rack.

Hope this helps.

[kts]

I used this bad boy http://www.harborfreight.com/16-inch...ator-1759.html

Its wide enough to go around the splines and not damage them, but small enough to wedge it out. A perfect one would be a single wedge like the fork but only one sided. Just be careful of ripping apart the firewall padding, its pretty soft. I had it fully between the FW and knuckle then hammered the fork towards the rear of the car to push it out, it worked eventually.

Your in the same boat as me, I tried a chisel and got that slit opened as much as possible (it was about x2 the size of the slit on the rack) and it wouldn't budge. I looked all over the interwebs for some help and couldn't find anything either....just stick with it, it will come off eventually (took me about 2.5h total of tinkering with it using PB which didn't seem to help too much)

Thanks for the info man! I got to thinking after a pickle fork like that would be the only kind of separator that might possibly fit/work, I don't know what I was thinking about the other ones.

Ugh sounds like I have quite the night ahead of me trying to get that damn thing off. Thanks for the tips and words of encouragement!

[Klug]

I tried a thick screwdriver as well with no luck, then I went with this punch (really a chisel I guess since it was flat and thick like a flat-head screwdriver) and still nothing. I have been hitting it the last few days with Liquid Wrench in the morning and afternoon so I'll see if that has helped tonight at all. Thanks for the tips, hopefully with the Liquid Wrench and some time it'll finally give and come off.

I used this bad boy http://www.harborfreight.com/16-inch...ator-1759.html

Its wide enough to go around the splines and not damage them, but small enough to wedge it out. A perfect one would be a single wedge like the fork but only one sided. Just be careful of ripping apart the firewall padding, its pretty soft. I had it fully between the FW and knuckle then hammered the fork towards the rear of the car to push it out, it worked eventually.

Your in the same boat as me, I tried a chisel and got that slit opened as much as possible (it was about x2 the size of the slit on the rack) and it wouldn't budge. I looked all over the interwebs for some help and couldn't find anything either....just stick with it, it will come off eventually (took me about 2.5h total of tinkering with it using PB which didn't seem to help too much)

[kts]

Rather than a punch, try a thick slotted screw driver to open the pinch. You wont hurt the pinch bolt but be careful you dont drive it so as to damage the splines (hence the reason to use a thicker screw driver). Use some PB Blaster as well to loosen and crud

I tried a thick screwdriver as well with no luck, then I went with this punch (really a chisel I guess since it was flat and thick like a flat-head screwdriver) and still nothing. I have been hitting it the last few days with Liquid Wrench in the morning and afternoon so I'll see if that has helped tonight at all. Thanks for the tips, hopefully with the Liquid Wrench and some time it'll finally give and come off.

[jeffnhiscars]

Rather than a punch, try a thick slotted screw driver to open the pinch. You wont hurt the pinch bolt but be careful you dont drive it so as to damage the splines (hence the reason to use a thicker screw driver). Use some PB Blaster as well to loosen and crud

[kts]

Just a follow up, ended up using the tie-rod separator to get it to wedge itself off...what a pain in the neck...now I can't wait to slide the thing back on...ugh

I'm currently stuck trying to get the knuckle off as well, what kind of tie rod separator did you use?

One like this? http://solberg.umd.edu/E30/ball-joint-separator.jpg

Or like this? http://www.amazon.com/OTC-7315A-Univ...gy_auto_text_y

Or a picked fork like this? http://www.harborfreight.com/16-inch...ator-1759.html

I've removed the bolts both where the knuckle attaches at the steering column and where it attached at the steering rack and I can't get either side to give, even after I hammered the crap out of a punch in that crevice as recommended in the How To.

[Solarian]

The pressure doesn't change, you could reuse the same stuff, but I got my new low pressure hoses and reservoir from Blunt for dirt cheap, and it's good to change out the reservoir due to build up in it. Prolongs the life of your new rack. I mean, it failed for a reason, so why not do everything you can to make sure it doesn't fail again? Definitely flush the PS system too.

[ridingsupreme]

Was my question too stupid? Lol come on humor me please.

[cormier]

Hmmm-- how sharp are your angles? I feel like mines pressed so far onto either side that the angle isn't that bad at all

[Klug]

You will need to grind off the corners of the yokes so they will take a sharper angle without binding. The e30tech DIY should have pics of what to remove

Thanks! I wasn't aware I needed to do that.

Just incase any one here in the future needs to know. Grind so that its rounded out and it loses the squared end. The second arrow area (at the 3 o'clock position) should be grounded down by a few MMs as well.

[jeffnhiscars]

You will need to grind off the corners of the yokes so they will take a sharper angle without binding. The e30tech DIY should have pics of what to remove

[Klug]

Just a follow up, ended up using the tie-rod separator to get it to wedge itself off...what a pain in the neck...now I can't wait to slide the thing back on...ugh

btw, There isn't any finished knuckle pictures of e30tech's hardware kit, so here's my finished product.

[ridingsupreme]

Sorry if this has been covered, sorry in advance for being a newb. I live by not fixing things that aren't broken. So my question is for a z3 rack conversion on my e30 do I really need to place all the ps hoses with the new rack? My originals are surprisingly still in great shape but the rack has taken a dump. I got lucky and got a granny's garage car. Only 134k on the dash. My theory is that a tighter ratio rack would have high hydraulic pressure requiring new lines but I'm a newb and not quite sure. Don't want to replace parts that still work fine.

I'm hoping to get away with merely swapping racks and modifying the steering knuckle. And obviously changing the fluid