Rack swap help

[atjSanz]

So I am new to e30 and have been learning a lot on the boards. I bought a 1990 325is 5 speed swapped and wanted to do a rack swap. The old owner says he did a rack swap, but was unclear on the details, it does feel 3.2 turns L2L, so I'm gonna guess it's an e36 rack . I bought a good condition used ZHP yellow tag that I want to put in. But I don't recognize what the previous owner did for his swap... Can anyone identify these parts or how it was put together. Here are some pics for reference. All the videos I've seen and tutorials definitely don't have these parts and of course the previous owner won't get back to me. As far as I know I have a non-airbag car. This current set up seems really sketch because the steering shaft is just resting on the firewall which is causing grooves on the shaft. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mtech325]

If the steering shaft is resting on the low corner of the firewall opening towards the center of the car, then you most likely have an airbag car (as most 1990+ e30s are in the US).

A quick way to tell if you have an e36 rack swap in the car already is to check where the rack mounts to the front subframe. If there are metal spacers present, then it's not the stock e30 rack, as the e36/e46 racks have slimmer mounting tabs.

An airbag car also does not need the steering linkage modified from the firewall to the rack, so if there are no spacers in the steering linkage, it's also an airbag car (AKG's site has good pics showing the difference on a non-airbag car). The reason for the steering shaft rubbing the firewall opening on the airbag car has to do with the change in angle of where the steering linkage meets the steering rack. This is why the firewall opening has to be enlarged a bit for proper clearance.

Other telltale signs of an airbag car are the SRS lights in the overhead check panel, along with various orange connectors and the orange SRS computer under the dash (which may have been unplugged/removed). The airbag cars can be swapped to a non-airbag steering wheel by use of an extra spacer. If the wiper/signal stalks seem extra close to the steering wheel, that's another indicator of an airbag car.

[atjSanz]

So I just looked at my manufactured date, and it's 3/90. My overhead indicator doesn't have airbag light, my cluster doesn't have an airbag light. The steering wheel is period correct for a 1990. However the research I've done says bmw put airbags on all e30s in 1990. So I'm guessing the previous owner took the airbag system off. Now my question is do airbag cars have a different steering shaft than non-airbag. I know the angle is different and you have to modify the firewall, but the parts on my car don't seem right.

[mtech325]

Yes the steering columns are different. An airbag car will have a 32mm nut on the steering shaft under the dash (which your has based on the pictures).