Steering Rack Swap

[babbleheap]

Friends and colleagues,

Swapping out the old rack in my E30 with a Z3. Plenty of guides and videos to do that on the internet. I'm disinclined to bend the subframe tabs to remove the rack, though. I've seen a couple mentions of lifting the engine to make space to drop the rack. Is this as simple as unbolting from below and jacking up from the oil pan? Seems like the simpler and more elegant solution if so.

[khiobrien2]

Friends and colleagues,

Swapping out the old rack in my E30 with a Z3. Plenty of guides and videos to do that on the internet. I'm disinclined to bend the subframe tabs to remove the rack, though. I've seen a couple mentions of lifting the engine to make space to drop the rack. Is this as simple as unbolting from below and jacking up from the oil pan? Seems like the simpler and more elegant solution if so.

Just bend the tabs on the subframe. It is so easy and far from fragile, you would have to try extremely hard to fuck something up. I have done it both ways and lifting the engine was much more difficult.

[babbleheap]

Just bend the tabs on the subframe. It is so easy and far from fragile, you would have to try extremely hard to fuck something up. I have done it both ways and lifting the engine was much more difficult.

You are correct. I lifted the engine first, but getting enough clearance to swap the rack was difficult. Wound up bending the tabs and it was simple and painless.

[khiobrien2]

You are correct. I lifted the engine first, but getting enough clearance to swap the rack was difficult. Wound up bending the tabs and it was simple and painless.

Hahaha nice. Enjoy the new rack!