My 1988 e30 325ix - Garage'd

[jeenyus]

Yeah, it was significantly more than 56. if they were that rare, there would only be like 10 or less left. I've probably seen more than 56 totaled 88's in my time as an E30 enthusiast, including my own parts car.

nice ride though, glad to see you're trying to bring it back to par. What are the chances you'll like it more than the Audi? :p

I guess that depends... I love the Audi so much. I think working on the e30 is really easy in comparison, but you also have that added variable of rust which makes things super brittle and hard to work on...

Granted I have had about 7 years with the Audi and really know it front to back. The e30 just needs to get there still. It's gonna be a lot of work.

I did just order some tie rods and a new IE steering coupler so that will be a nice addition. Once the steering is taken care of it's on to the transmission which really needs the love. 8)

[jeenyus]

I got some stuff in the mail yesterday I hope to get on this weekend.


Tie Rods and Poly Steering Coupler from Ireland Engineering. I hope this tightens up my steering wheel feel a little bit.

[jeenyus]

Also, I know this is a noob question, but I cannot figure out how to get these lugs off my car so I can remove the tire...


Am I missing something? There aren't any sockets I can even get to fit on there.

[audiquattrot]

are you sure those are iX tie rods?

[jeenyus]

I'm assuming they are. The Ireland Engineering website said,

Replacement part. These Tie Rod Assemblies are for all 1984-1992 E30 3-series (318i,325,325i,325ic,325ix,M3).

[nando]

They are wrong. Rwd tie rods dont work on an ix.

[jeenyus]

They are wrong. Rwd tie rods dont work on an ix.

You gotta be fuckin' with me. Why would someone advertise that if they were incorrect?! dafuq... Can you point me to something that compares the two so I can see the difference and possibly order others then?

[nando]

because it's an ix... it's a common mistake. if they list it as being the same as all other E30s, it's a red flag that you need to verify fitment. almost nothing on the ix suspension/drivetrain fits a RWD car directly.

[jeenyus]

because it's an ix... it's a common mistake. if they list it as being the same as all other E30s, it's a red flag that you need to verify fitment. almost nothing on the ix suspension/drivetrain fits a RWD car directly.

That's good to know... Pretty irritating to say the least though... I was planning on doing this like today or tomorrow. Pretty big bummer...

I called Ireland Engineering and I guess I will have to discuss the logistics. :roll:

[jeenyus]

So I am guessing that the steering racks are different as well then? I mean that would be my assumption since the tie rods are directly related to the steering rack.

[nando]

yes, they are different lengths and the tie rods are basically the inverse of each other.

[audiquattrot]

one word of advise, don't cheap out on the tie rods either. I just replaced mine over the wkend (this time w/ OEM ones), b/c the cheap ones 1/3 of the price crapped out on me in less than 2yrs.

[jeenyus]

one word of advise, don't cheap out on the tie rods either. I just replaced mine over the wkend (this time w/ OEM ones), b/c the cheap ones 1/3 of the price crapped out on me in less than 2yrs.

so like 455.78 for tie rods? Hmm... That is discouraging... I'm bummed because the ad on IE says they use these tie rods on their race cars, etc.

Is Ireland Engineering not the company I assumed they were or something? Should I be looking at parts on a different website?

[nando]

RWD tie rods are cheaper than ix parts.

did they go up that much? they used to be $120 or so per side. the factory BMW ones seem to last forever though, mine have about 80k on them and they still feel brand new.

[audiquattrot]

so like 455.78 for tie rods? Hmm... That is discouraging... I'm bummed because the ad on IE says they use these tie rods on their race cars, etc.

Is Ireland Engineering not the company I assumed they were or something? Should I be looking at parts on a different website?

run the part #'s thru bmwmercedesparts.com They are a BMW dealer, and always have the cheapest prices. I use them a lot.