z3 rack, seeking all feedback

[theroundcow]

ive got the fast rack being delivered today. i bought the e36 rack swap kit from garagistic along with the delrin steering coupler. i plan on lifting the engine up slightly so i dont have to bend the subframe tabs too much and also am planning on 'lightly bending' the power steering lines so they fit. is there something im overlooking? one of the writeups said i need a new reservoir? theres a little bit of inconsistency and alot of age to most of the existing posts so i was hoping to get some recent personal feedback from everyone here.

Thanks!

[citizen_insane]

I put an E46 rack in my car and all I needed was the rack and the spacers from garagistic. I also just raised the engine up and had no issues fitting the rack in the bay. A lot of people replace the reservoir because they tend to be falling apart after 30 years. The only part of it that was confusing for me was which tie rod ends to get, but that was solved by ordering from Rack Doctor and there was an option for the E30 conversion tie rods.

[theroundcow]

hmm what does that entail? I bought tie rod end assemblies for my e30 rack only to find the issue was internal to the rack itself. my plan was the re-use my existing e30 tie rod assemblies, only heard a word of mouth that this would work but i sure was hoping it would.

[theroundcow]

also what were your experiences with grinding the U joint so it clears during rotation? ive read that people dont like doing that with the engine in.....

[ForcedFirebird]

Usually when purchasing a rack, the warranty is void if the reservoir is not replaced.

You can shave the knuckle in the car, I did on the race car, but it's not too horrible to just pull it out, either.

e30 rod ends to fit the e30 strut assembly.

[theroundcow]

thanks everyone! i just want this to go as smoothly as possible, the rack kind of fell into my lap so i figure this weekend im going to knock it out. not sure regarding warranty, but im paying $500 to get the one rebuilt by the more quality vendor, according to my friends at said shop. someone said e30- power steering hoses need to be switched in order to be used on the e36 rack? can anyone confirm/deny this? thanks again guys, wish i could buy yall a coffee or beer depending on what time youre reading this.

[bradmer]

thanks everyone! i just want this to go as smoothly as possible, the rack kind of fell into my lap so i figure this weekend im going to knock it out. not sure regarding warranty, but im paying $500 to get the one rebuilt by the more quality vendor, according to my friends at said shop. someone said e30- power steering hoses need to be switched in order to be used on the e36 rack? can anyone confirm/deny this? thanks again guys, wish i could buy yall a coffee or beer depending on what time youre reading this.

theroundcow that is more than 3x $$$ what I pay to have the steering racks rebuilt locally in San Diego.

You can go here, this member nailed it down pretty well for the restofus.
https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/for...ring-rack-swap

If you search in Google using < r3v / steering rack swap > you will find numerous threads that are extremely helpful and get into the steering knuckle which should be removed to be worked on. I think there's a kit out for that now as well. The reservoir has a filter in it so that is why they suggest replacing it. I have e36 tie rod ends, they were a bit beefier than the e30 ones in the side by side visual and they fit. Great mod, good luck.

[theroundcow]

Ah i should clarify that i paid $500 for the rack, already rebuilt. ive got it in my hands now, it seems well taken care of and clean. ive been referencing that thread, and others, pretty constantly but i see vague descriptions of the utilization of the high pressure PS hose listed, its an e36 line i assume but needs less alterations than the stock e30 line to fit? it didnt get done this weekend so im thinking of ordering the listed PS line and reservoir, and as for the low pressure line, just use something generic? my garagistic kit hasnt even shipped yet so ive got that delay as well...

[theroundcow]

ok everybody heres my update / plea for help. the z3 rack is in, it is AWESOME. my old rack must have been busted ontop of being slow af. i got two days of ultimate driving experience and then today while working from home i found a heavy puddle of my new power steering fluid / ATF. the leak is clearly coming from the shaft of my power steering pump. i see the leak run down the pulley shaft, down onto the pulley, and then drips down from there. this would make me think the pump would be rebuilt (ugh what a PITA) but ive read the internal shaft can shear and the whole thing needs to be replaced? anyone have any insight?

[Andre3127]

My steering shaft put up so much of a fight that I had to cut the middle of the shaft then remove the column to pull it off the spline. My high pressure hose fit without any bending, and I clearanced my U joints using a file to round the forks and a three corner scraper to carve out the crotches.

[theroundcow]

100th post!

i opened up the u joints via a dremel and they dont rub at all, i think something that is overlooked is that how deep you can get the spines to engage in the steering knucle reduces the angle of the ujoints. i suspect the people with binding issues did not get adequate spline engagement, maybe not though. i definitely bad to bend my lines, not too much, but i had to take it out a couple times before i got it. it felt great to drive. just to clarify, my steering pump on the engine is whats leaking.