Steering rack swap for airbag cars...

[whelton70]

on and on step 15 do I have to eat some tacos and drink some beer ? I would rather eat a MOES HOMEWRECKER burrito with chips and queso and drink some beer if that would be OK?

[Fanzotti]

I'm pretty sure this has been answered but I just want to confirm. If I have a non air bag car no modification will have to be made to my chassis to install this. I'm pretty against slicing up the chassis. Is the only real modification neccessary for these cars is to the the steering knuckle?

Does anyone have some sort of master steering rack parts number list and how many turns lock to lock these different racks are? I'm in the shopping around phase and I'm combing the junkyards so this would be a great help.

[whelton70]

its a direct fit for non airbag cars so go for it and I think someone posted a link in this thread to what the lock to lock is for the different racks that can be used.

[bmwman91]

Uhoh, back from the dead again.....

I am in the middle of this right now (1997 1.9L Z3 rack). dude8383 said he pulled it off with no mods to anything at all with his E36 rack. So far, nothing has needed modification (other than minor bends to the PS lines). However, fitting the rack has been difficult and I have stopped for the evening. It FEELS like the steering shaft is getting stuck on the firewall plate, which makes sense since a lot of people had to change it.

The input shaft to the new rack is longer than the original one, but it is not an issue. Just pass it through as far as the original one went, but no further or it will bind on the knuckle. Whatever nut thingy is inside the car allowing the main shaft to move must be loose on mine because I can push it in & out by hand. I'll have to check that tomorrow. Anyway, it has made fitting the new rack really, really easy actually (although it is impossible to get the knuckle off as such) since I can adjust the position of the knuckle.

So, unless dude8383 can shed light on the situation (which I hope he can, maybe I am just missing some small detail), I will be doing a little dremeling.

[e304me]

I have a template for a new plate i could send you in a week or so when i get home

[bmwman91]

Thanks man.

However, I got it all done. A good night's sleep and a little tinkering got it all together without much of an issue. I was able to modify the existing one and reuse it. I have to say, this upgrade was the only worthwhile one other than the lighter flywheel.

[e304me]

yep, z3 rack is quite the difference. Even better with no PS!

[abepark]

alright back from the dead again, I got a 95 M3 rack and I'm having trouble just getting the bolts for the subframe to line up. now there are two holes on the top that the bolt can go through (diag and straight through) the e30 rack bolts went straight through but I can't seem the get the rack the twist enough so the rack reinforcements are straight up and down. Do i have to mod the fire wall before this rack can be bolted to the subframe? or can it be bolted without the mod but will bind when you turn it. so far I got the column knuckle bolted on just fine.

[FredK]

Yes. The firewall MUST be modded. You may also have to slide the steering joint back by loosening the huge compression nut inside the cabin.

[abepark]

yea that nut is a nut buster....couldn't get it to budge....well than tomorrow I will go about hacking up the firewall and moving the column before I can bolt it up to the subframe.

[E30_fiend]

I may be doing the e36 M3 rack swap soon. Can you take a picture of how the bolts lined up on the subframe and a picture of the trimming work done the firewall?


TIA






Taylor

[FredK]

yea that nut is a nut buster....couldn't get it to budge....well than tomorrow I will go about hacking up the firewall and moving the column before I can bolt it up to the subframe.

Yeah, sometimes it's a pain in the ASS. In one 318is I have, it was easy as pie--it was already loose! In the other, it was on tighter than Satan's puckerhole.

I was gonna take pics, but then I forgot to. You basically mod the lower left corner (viewed facing the firewall from inside the engine compartment) around a 1/2".

[E30_fiend]

I was also wondering. I have a line on a 97 M3 rack. Will the job to install this be any different than the earlier e36 M3 racks??



TIA





Taylor

[FredK]

Nope. Same exact rack housing.

[E30_fiend]

Nope. Same exact rack housing.

How about the lock to lock ratio? I know its on here somewhere but I'm on my blackberry not my computer so. . .

Lock ratio please?






Taylor