How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[r3dl3tr5]

So do I need new bolts for the ps rack to mount to the frame? If so, what size?

Thanks,

[cobraken]

So do I need new bolts for the ps rack to mount to the frame? If so, what size?

Thanks,

No, use the ones the car had.

[Uber E30]

If anyone could chime in on this would be great! Gonna have the car worked on again in a couple weeks and would love to solve this.

Basically it's the boot at the very top where it goes to through the firewall to meet with the steering wheel. When I turn the wheel it rubs and makes an annoying sound, how can I clear this boot? Sprayed it with WD-40 but doesn't help much.

Your firewall needs to be routed... thats basicly the only mod needed when doing this conversion on an airbag car.

[dnova89]

^what do you mean by the firewall needs to be routed? As in cut a bigger hole?

[Uber E30]

Sort of... there is a plate that is removable in the firewall, the plate has a hole for your steering column to go through. That plate needs to come out and either get cut up, or ideally a new one needs to be made. Im going to do one this weekend i will take some pics for you.


NM i found the guide for it, ignore the top part and just scroll down to the part about air bag cars:

http://www.rmeuropean.com/bmw-e30-steering.aspx

[movementality]

woo done!
no more power steering = what? 5-10 pounds out of the car
I need new tie rods though :/
new e36 or e30 tie rods? also e30 locking plates look simpler and therefor much cheaper,
can the locking plates be used interchangeably?

[movementality]

never mind i found my answer

[der affe]

i have a 95 M3 rack with M3 tie rods. i used E30 lock tabs though, they are a lot thinner and were about 1/2 the price of the E36 ones at the dealer. 5 months later i had the pass side inner completely fall off. when i removed the boot, i found it had sheared the E30 lock tab and backed itself off.

i know it was properly torqed down when i did the install the first time though, so it was not user error that caused this. i bought new E30 lock tabs and reinstalled then along with red loctite just to make sure.
they have a little play in them so when i put the new inners and outers on, i will buy new E36 lock tabs and use them along with loctite again.

when you use the E36 tabs, you will need to either buy a special thinner headed wrench or grind down one to use as they are thicker and give you less clearence.

since this happened, i have done a little searching and it turns out that this has happened to several other people using the E30 lock tabs onan E36 rack.

[cobraken]

i have a 95 M3 rack with M3 tie rods. i used E30 lock tabs though, they are a lot thinner and were about 1/2 the price of the E36 ones at the dealer. 5 months later i had the pass side inner completely fall off. when i removed the boot, i found it had sheared the E30 lock tab and backed itself off.

i know it was properly torqed down when i did the install the first time though, so it was not user error that caused this. i bought new E30 lock tabs and reinstalled then along with red loctite just to make sure.
they have a little play in them so when i put the new inners and outers on, i will buy new E36 lock tabs and use them along with loctite again.

when you use the E36 tabs, you will need to either buy a special thinner headed wrench or grind down one to use as they are thicker and give you less clearence.

since this happened, i have done a little searching and it turns out that this has happened to several other people using the E30 lock tabs onan E36 rack.

I just used blue Lock Tight. I would have used locking tabs had i had them but it came from BMA with only locktight on the tie rods. I guess thats why there racks are so much cheaper.

[movementality]

i have a 95 M3 rack with M3 tie rods. i used E30 lock tabs though, they are a lot thinner and were about 1/2 the price of the E36 ones at the dealer. 5 months later i had the pass side inner completely fall off. when i removed the boot, i found it had sheared the E30 lock tab and backed itself off.

i know it was properly torqed down when i did the install the first time though, so it was not user error that caused this. i bought new E30 lock tabs and reinstalled then along with red loctite just to make sure.
they have a little play in them so when i put the new inners and outers on, i will buy new E36 lock tabs and use them along with loctite again.

when you use the E36 tabs, you will need to either buy a special thinner headed wrench or grind down one to use as they are thicker and give you less clearence.

since this happened, i have done a little searching and it turns out that this has happened to several other people using the E30 lock tabs onan E36 rack.

mm i see i went ahead and ordered some e36 ones with new e30 tie rod ends.

also i guess i didn't space my knuckle far enough apart i guess but i don't have the bolt in hole to tighten the end on to the pinion. does that seem like a bad idea? i don't think it'll strip but i don't feel like taking the rack out again... that was a pain

[87e30]

mm i see i went ahead and ordered some e36 ones with new e30 tie rod ends.

also i guess i didn't space my knuckle far enough apart i guess but i don't have the bolt in hole to tighten the end on to the pinion. does that seem like a bad idea? i don't think it'll strip but i don't feel like taking the rack out again... that was a pain

Seems like a bad idea to me, just for the sake of what could happen. I'd definitely put it on a list of things to do sooner before later.

Realistically I doubt anything will happen... but better safe than sorry.

[Danny]

Seems like a bad idea to me, just for the sake of what could happen. I'd definitely put it on a list of things to do sooner before later.

Realistically I doubt anything will happen... but better safe than sorry.

Says the guy with three brake booster nuts in.

[87e30]

Says the guy with three brake booster nuts in.

:rofl:

BUT I did put tie rod locking plates in, thread lock on the steering knuckle, and tighten all of my steering components.


There is no way in hell 3 nuts are going to full off of the brake booster with out me noticing. The last one fell under the carpet. :(

[Danny]

Well buy another you noob! :rofl:

BTW Clayton you aren't on AIM and that's disappointing.

[BDK]

So after reading all 34 pages of this conversion,
in a non airbag cabby...
1. You can use the e30 HP hose and just reverse it.
2. You can just use spacers and not modify the steering knuckle assembly.
3. Prolly best to use e36 m3 inner and outer tie rods since they are beefier.
and all this will work with e30 CA's and e30 M3 Offset bushes...

or am I wrong?

Can someone please confirm/correct this?
I am ready to do this conversion but want to make sure that I am getting the right parts...

Thanks