How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[LateFan]

Right, exactly. But…pre-airbags, all cars had a collapsible steering column so it doesn't cave in your sternum, even in a medium speed hit. Bars and a race harness are silly in a street car.

That ARC asylum joint is more than the whole reman rack at rack doctor.

[rturbo 930]

LateFan, I had the same concerns too that I would be compromising on safety if I did the mod shown in the OP. But, based on a bit of research I did, the guibo has a safety feature too. I couldn't find much info on it, but it seems like the guibo is designed to let the two parts of the shaft separate in the event of a serious crash, or something to that effect - don't quote me on that though.

I also read that installing a solid guibo isn't something you want to do in a street car because of the amount of vibration that comes through the wheel. But this is all based on hearsay pretty much. I haven't had the shaft apart to look at how it goes together, and I don't have any experience with a solid guibo either.

So it seems that no matter what you do, you have to make a compromise. Not sure which I'll do, but I'm leaning towards keeping the guibo. Reason being, it seems like the two long studs you'd replace would only allow it to collapse and inch or two at most, so you're not really losing all that much in terms of safety... but I could be underestimating their purpose.

[pandaboo911]

I honestly don't understand why you would run a solid steering guibo. Even in a racecar it sucks. The slightest flat spot in your tire and you will be hating life


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[LateFan]

Yeah, I agree with both of you that using the solid IE coupler or taking the coupler disk out and bolting the shaft together solid sounds like a sketchy idea for a DD.

And I'm not completely understanding the original design's intent - it looks like it would give maybe 3 or 4" when it shears off. Is that enuf to save you? And that's the case, too - the rack and shaft aren't pushing into the cabin, it's your chest hitting the wheel.

If the new set-up with spacers could shear off, is there really any room to collapse in there with the long bolts?

And then here I am - I drive an old Alfa with seatbacks that don't lock, lap belts only, and no headrests. But to send your kid out in an older car is different.

If the ARC shaft or similar has the same amount of telescoping space, that could work. Costs more than the rack itself.

[LateFan]

ah ha...I found the post I was remembering. It's in the identical thread on E30tech...Post #103

http://www.e30tech.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21391&page=11

Quote:
Originally Posted by everlast - Post #100
"Has anybody here considered the fact that bolting the knuckle together removes the purpose of the knuckle? It's designed to collapse on front end impact. Bolted together it won't do this, it will impale you instead.

I'm going to try to find a solution with much smaller bolts with thin washers that would collapse under impact. I'll post my results.

vvvvv

I finished modifying my knuckle today.. I used aluminum spacers to get the required length, but use very heavy duty all nylon nuts to provide the clamping force. I was able to torque them very high, but in an impact I believe the nuts will let go with about the same intensity as the slip fittings. I hammered the slip fitting apart today without much effort, but didn't feel like hammering the nylon nuts apart as a test. Hopefully I'll never know if this works as a break-away or not, but it certainly holds the knuckle together."

^^^^
Anybody else try this? Makes sense, if the nylon nut threads shear off.



Oh, another question -
If you have to replace hoses anyway, why not go with the E36 hoses, which have a cooling loop built in? Are they a lot more $ than new E30 hoses?
Thanks - I know this thread is years old now.

[marshallnoise]

Nylon and heat cycles spell disaster.

[Wanganstyle]

I honestly don't understand why you would run a solid steering guibo. Even in a racecar it sucks. The slightest flat spot in your tire and you will be hating life


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Our lemons car has no steering guibo; it doesn't suck; also helps that we have 0 drivers that like to crash. I don't suggest anything but stock parts for street use
......
Look at any z4 or e46 they don't have them stock; they use a telescoping steering shaft of different design.

[LateFan]

Nylon and heat cycles spell disaster.

ah, that could be a problem.

I found some higher heat plastics at McMasters....

http://www.mcmaster.com/#hex-nuts/=wluu8t

They list acetal, PTFE, PEEK, and polypropylene with higher temps.

[marshallnoise]

Delrin might work too. Don't know if they make fasteners out of it though.

[LateFan]

When you look at it modified, there's not a lot of collapse distance even if it does shear the threads. Inch and a half?

[rturbo 930]

Yeah, it's not going to do much. I figure it gives you an inch, maybe an inch and a half at most. So I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Q8y_drifter]

Maybe a flat milled shaft design like this might work?

[LateFan]

Our lemons car has no steering guibo; it doesn't suck; also helps that we have 0 drivers that like to crash. I don't suggest anything but stock parts for street use
......
Look at any z4 or e46 they don't have them stock; they use a telescoping steering shaft of different design.

Like #3 and 4 here on an E46? Could that be adapted with a JY part? Looks pretty long.

[LateFan]

Maybe a flat milled shaft design like this might work?[/IMG]

Yeah. I wonder if those slide or are set to length with a set screw? Similar to the ARC piece. No rubber isolator. $325.

[Wanganstyle]

Like #3 and 4 here on an E46? Could that be adapted with a JY part? Looks pretty long.

[ATTACH]95751[/ATTACH]

We fit a z4 non powered rack and it's steering shaft (shortened /welded solid) to our e30 Enduro car. 50 hours+ later and it's still untouched and perfect

same results as any aftermarket u joint setup from anyone but with the parts BMW setup to work with the z4&e30 natively (stock z4 part)