How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[jeffnhiscars]

Can you post a pic of the whole knuckle w wheels straight ahead then maybe another after turning the wheel say 1\4 turn.

The bolt has to be completely removed from the bottom knuckle in order to get it on the rack splines. Once the bolt hole is in line with the groove THEN you slide the bolt in.

Guys I need some serious help. Today I put on the tie rods, the banjo bolts EVERYTHING except I have yet to fully get the knuckle to the groove. I pulled and wiggled and did everything to get it to slide down more.... and it just is not going. I don't know if its a lack of strength I only weigh 130. Or I am just screwed. I haven't even ran the car in weeks due to this but I cranked it to check for leaks at the banjo bolts. NONE. But while I was in the car I turned the wheel a little left and riight to get fluid going through the pump and the rack. But then just to see how the ratio felt I was going to go to lock and it seemed like it kept spinning. It felt like more than 1.6 turns from center. I freaked and turned back to center turned the car off and locked it. But then I looked and nothing seemed wrong. Knuckle was stiill straight wheeels back straight. Its like it slipped but it didn't slip on the splines.
Does anyone have a spare knuckle assembly for Airbag they will sell me?
Or do they have a clue what happened?

[davem]

Guys I need some serious help. Today I put on the tie rods, the banjo bolts EVERYTHING except I have yet to fully get the knuckle to the groove. I pulled and wiggled and did everything to get it to slide down more.... and it just is not going. I don't know if its a lack of strength I only weigh 130. Or I am just screwed. I haven't even ran the car in weeks due to this but I cranked it to check for leaks at the banjo bolts. NONE. But while I was in the car I turned the wheel a little left and riight to get fluid going through the pump and the rack. But then just to see how the ratio felt I was going to go to lock and it seemed like it kept spinning. It felt like more than 1.6 turns from center. I freaked and turned back to center turned the car off and locked it. But then I looked and nothing seemed wrong. Knuckle was stiill straight wheeels back straight. Its like it slipped but it didn't slip on the splines.
Does anyone have a spare knuckle assembly for Airbag they will sell me?
Or do they have a clue what happened?

okay there's a lot of information in your post but if you only weigh 130 i could see you having trouble sliding the knuckle back onto the rack (i'm a bit bigger but it was still physically a pita, especially since you are probably lying on your back - try using a tool or something to push and take advantage of leverage. another possibility is that the splines on the knuckle or the rack are slightly damaged. if the splines are fucked the two pieces will not want to come together. I pulled a knuckle of a car at a junk yard and the splines were messed up and the knuckle didnt want to go onto the car - cleaned up the splines with a metal file and it went on much easier.

[jeffnhiscars]

He has the upper clamp locked down & the lower one is on part way & stuck so I thinks its kinked rather than bad splines & there's just not enough wiggle room to deal with fussy splines in such a tight space. This should not take any more force than a gentle tap on a socket extension as a drift.

I always do the lower spline 1st since it has one spot where you can get the bolt through & he's not there yet.

I suggest removing the upper clamp bolt & the rack mount bolt on the drivers side. Then loosen the passenger side bolt (dont remove it) so the rack becomes a lever that pivots around the passenger side mounting bolt. Make sure both clamps are wedged open & that the splines have Neverseize or equivalent. That should allow the lower clamp to go "home", slide the bolt thru to keep it there, then you can pivot the rack with one hand while you work the upper clamp in to place with the other. Replace the driver side rack mount bolt finger tight, then position the upper clamp so the u joints have a slight angle to them & lock it down.

Tighten everything, check for binding joints, bleed the rack yada yada

[MattBimmer]

Hey Jeff Thanks again for the call I removed the top spline and gave the knuckle some slack the bottom knuckle STILL didn't want to move hardly at all. I DID lube and lube and lube and tap and tap till eventually it had moved maybe 2 to 3 mm. I need another 6 to get to the groove where I can slide the bolt through and lock it down. I don't think the spline was lubed at all when I went to put this on at 1st so I am thinking its just metal on metal seizure and just needs more lube and love with some tapping. If I totally screwed it up, which I will know Saturday I will start looking for a new knuckle lol.

[jeffnhiscars]

Hey Jeff Thanks again for the call I removed the top spline and gave the knuckle some slack the bottom knuckle STILL didn't want to move hardly at all. I DID lube and lube and lube and tap and tap till eventually it had moved maybe 2 to 3 mm. I need another 6 to get to the groove where I can slide the bolt through and lock it down. I don't think the spline was lubed at all when I went to put this on at 1st so I am thinking its just metal on metal seizure and just needs more lube and love with some tapping. If I totally screwed it up, which I will know Saturday I will start looking for a new knuckle lol.

That makes sense. If its jammed up though try to wedge the clamp open further or else you may want too remove it and start over before you damage the rack.

Hang in there :up:

[MattBimmer]

FINISHED!!!! After making this probably the longest swap ever, i finally finished today. Everything seems great and will be getting aligned Monday. One thing I can attest to is the friend to help your ass out. It would come in handy quite alot. That being said major Kudos to Jeffnhiscars for the advice to get this thing going again. Thanks again Jeff!

[gkurey]

Does anyone know much about adjustment of the large bolt on the bottom of the rack (22mm) and the bolt under the cover (2 bolts)? I have some slop in the center of my rack as well as the steering feels too light. I run an s52 with an plain jane e36 rack so all e36 steering but using the e30 lines. Aside from rack adjustments, I'm wondering what could cause the light feeling...generally my steering feels over assisted.

Also, it has come to my attention that the e36 return hose has some sort of restrictor in it. I didn't use the e36 line as it has that crazy cooling loop in it and it doesn't fit. Maybe my woes are related to a non-restricted return line? Let me know what you all think...if anything!

Thanks guys...great thread BTW. Props OP!

Edit: Forgot to mention that I have a current alignment on good tires and all of that is in spec.

[agile30]

Did the swap in about 5 hours including changing brakes, the passenger strut mount, and installing the urethane coupler..... holy shit it feels awesome.

[Boostesi]

You should put a note on step 16, If you have an airbag car, stop here and notch out the hole in your fire wall an inch to the right (from inside your car), and do not modify your steering shaft, as it will slide right on, and having not done my research first i ground out the rivets and took out the flex coupler to find out i needed to put it all back together again just as i took it out. lol

[Djplatinum50]

Does anyone know much about adjustment of the large bolt on the bottom of the rack (22mm) and the bolt under the cover (2 bolts)? I have some slop in the center of my rack as well as the steering feels too light. I run an s52 with an plain jane e36 rack so all e36 steering but using the e30 lines. Aside from rack adjustments, I'm wondering what could cause the light feeling...generally my steering feels over assisted.

Also, it has come to my attention that the e36 return hose has some sort of restrictor in it. I didn't use the e36 line as it has that crazy cooling loop in it and it doesn't fit. Maybe my woes are related to a non-restricted return line? Let me know what you all think...if anything!

Thanks guys...great thread BTW. Props OP!

Edit: Forgot to mention that I have a current alignment on good tires and all of that is in spec.

Sorry for the resurrection, but im doing this swap myself now on my e30. My e36 has that "cooling loop" as well. Are we suppose to figure out a way to hook that up? Or just fun the low pressure line straight from the reservoir as described by the OP. I am using the e30 lines?
Thanks

[jeffnhiscars]

Sorry for the resurrection, but im doing this swap myself now on my e30. My e36 has that "cooling loop" as well. Are we suppose to figure out a way to hook that up? Or just fun the low pressure line straight from the reservoir as described by the OP. I am using the e30 lines?
Thanks

Done this twice recently on non-airbag cars, both times using the e30 hoses and no cooling loop. Neither car has blown up..yet.

[Djplatinum50]

Cool thanks

[blackhawkimpact]

I'm about to do this. So the 95 m3 rack is the way to go??

[36brua]

I'm about to do this. So the 95 m3 rack is the way to go??

there is soo much this is best that is best etc.
I installed a plain E36 rack and it is noticeably better. E36 tie rods.E30 hoses massaged
+ make sure you know your part #'s for the more scarce racks 95 M / Z3.
like others have said this is a great upgrade GL
info Ive collected...
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=172261 wh33lhop
Z3 non-M racks are all the same.
- LINEAR ratio (same rack travel per input turn across the entire rack length)
- 53.5 mm of linear rack travel per 1 360 degree rotation input.
- 144.5 mm of total rack travel (translates to 2.7 turns L2L)
- installed 13.9:1 ratio

Z3 M racks and '96+ E36 M3 racks are the same.
- PROGRESSIVE ratio (rack is slower on-center, quicker towards L&R rack locks)
- 45.5 mm of linear rack travel on-center per 1 360 degree rotation input.
- 145.6 mm of total rack travel(translates to 3.2 turns L2L)
- installed 15.6:1 mean ratio
- Same p/n rack as E36 non-M, but locks were modified to shorten gear travel from 154.7 to 145.6mm

'95 M3 racks are the slowest and shortest of all US-spec E36 racks, until 200 deg of rotation from on-center.
- PROGRESSIVE ratio
- 39.0 mm of linear rack travel on-center per 1 360 degree rotation input.
- 117mm of total rack travel (translates to 3.0 turns L2L)
- installed 17.6:1 mean ratio

And btw, regular z3 rack > z3M rack = regular e36 rack
So the regular z3 rack would be the best



OR

95M3 - uses 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
96+M3 - use 3.25 turns lock-to-lock
Non-M E36 - uses 3.5 turns lock-to-lock
Z3 1.9, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0 - use 2.7 turns lock-to-lock
MZ3 use - 3.25 turns lock-to-lock

the only one that does not share the same rack is the Z3/M version. they use the 96-99 M3 racks.
32131095575 is the same part # for all the z3's:

r3v

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=66247

e30tech
http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21391

[TinyT]

Hey guys, I have a slip steering shaft available.

Includes everything to replace your stock shaft and uses chromoly universal joints.

$310 shipped in the US