Zionsville E36 rack worth it?

[Brian 89 325i]

OK, well since i FINALLY fixed that fucking vibration, im moving on to the next big problem. My rack leaks pretty bad, so im debating getting

1) Stock replacement, Great cost but the same ol' 4.0 turns
2) E30 M3 rack, Not very cost effective but simplest upgrade.
3) E36 regular rack, only 460 for the kit from ZA Not bad for a rebuild and some other goodies. And 3.5 turns
4) E36 M3 Rack from ZA for almost 600 but its 3 turns and you still get everything you need.

So is it really worth it or should i just settle for what ive got or what? Thanks

Brian

[rward325]

Lukas did the E36 M3 Rack and was really happy with the reults. If you have the money to spend I would invest in the E36 M3 rack.

[Ryan Stewart]

was there ever an e36 non-power rack?

I dont really want power steering in my finished product, but would like a little faster steering.

[JRowe]

Search the web for used/rebuilt e36 m3 racks. If you look long enough you can usually find them for about $200-300. Do the conversion yourself. No need to pay zionsvilled $600. Ask Stu about the conversion. I believe he did his without the expensive kit.

[ColdAccord]

no, trust me, you want power steering.

i didn't have it in my old civic, it sucked. didn't like it at all

and my bimmer. the p/s belt broke. i know thats just a power rack without power, but its just reall really crappy driving it. i dont really drive it at all. cant wait till i do the swap and get p/s again

[Ryan Stewart]

I had a true non-power rack in my toyota and I liked it. More reliable and didnt suck any drivetrain power. I didnt think it was hard to turn although the few that drove it thought so.

I would not want an unpowered power rack though. That is just asking for trouble.

[ColdAccord]

eyah, thats why i dont really drive it anymore. but i'll find out after the swap if my shit is still good

[Brian 89 325i]

I thought you needed special mounts and a different steering knuckle? Its probably not worth the extra few hundred but, depending on how hard the DIY conversion i just may go with that. If anyone has anything to add about the conversion go for it.

Brian

[BeirBrennerE30]

isnt the '95 m3 rack shorter than all the other m3s???

[Rob]

Re: Zionsville E36 rack worth it?

1) Stock replacement, Great cost but the same ol' 4.0 turns
2) E30 M3 rack, Not very cost effective but simplest upgrade.
3) E36 regular rack, only 460 for the kit from ZA Not bad for a rebuild and some other goodies. And 3.5 turns
4) E36 M3 Rack from ZA for almost 600 but its 3 turns and you still get everything you need.

Does anyone have the actual ratios for these racks and the E30 ones?

[Jonathan M3]

isnt the '95 m3 rack shorter than all the other m3s???

Yes, the '95 rack is 3.0 turns, while the '96-'99s were 3.2 turns IIRC.

I'm also looking into picking up the zionsville rack for a project car, but dont want p/s either.

[chrisd]

it's funny, I love my dead p/s rack. It feels like there's quite a bit more feedback from the wheels. All I want now is a steering wheel spacer.