How To Guide - E36 Steering Rack Swap

[Quailane]

The washers are required to fit the E36 rack because the mounting points on the rack are a lot shorter and won't cover the distance between the bottom and top mounting tabs on the E30 subframe. I just threw on a bunch of flat washers from the hardware store, although it was annoying lining all of them up together to slide the bolt through.

[318idol]

Swap Completed: Mission Accomplished

Okay, I did it. Quite a thrash --will take half the time next time. (Ha, like there's ever a next time...)

Swapped in a standard e36 rack, with help from this thread, into a 1991 318i with an airbag.

All the tips were pretty much correct.

My thoughts:

1. The position of the column through the firewall must vary a bit from car to car. Mine was up against the bottom corner of the firewall opening (with plate removed). I made a completely new plate AND augured out the firewall using a die-grinder and a carbide tip. Like knife through butter. The idea is to put the column in the CENTER of the round hole that the rubber boot slides into (per stock). This is the cleanest way and offers the best weather protection. Yes, it's a pain to make a new plate. But not as big a pain as getting the boot back in place. Sheesh, no way to really grab the sucker to pull it into position!

2. You really need to loosen the compression nut on the steering column -- which can be a bear. It allows the column to shorten itself, which was only way I could get the rack to line up with the subframe mounting holes. Remember to tighten the big nut down as tight as you can, to keep the column from rattling.

3. I wasted 20 minutes trying to remove my original rack. It wouldn't pull off the column spline, even though the bolt was loose and I had hammered in a screwdriver to widen the clamp. Tip: Take that bolt all the way out, as it sets in a depression in the spline, keeping it from sliding free. Duh...

4. Used the e30 PS lines, with gentle bending. The banjo bolts are a tight fit, as the fluid ports are close to the motor mount (the opposite side from where the e30 rack ports are located. Weird.)

5. My e30 rack came complete with tie rods, off a complete car. I simply measured the length of both racks, tie rod to tie rod, and made the e36 match the e30. The e30 was about 3/4 inch wider, for those keeping score. Still, off to the alignment shop tomorrow.

6. All in all, no big surprises. Some steps just took longer. Degree of difficulty is enhanced by working on a garage floor and under the dash and behind the pedals. Need to work on my yoga.

7. My power steering pump still hums at idle. Might still be purging air out of the fluid. Any ideas?

8. The car feels way better -- tighter, more direct, quicker. If your rack is leaking, it is worth the trouble. Just find a lift. And work on your flexibility.

Thanks for all the help! Gary

[pilotskillse30]

I have a 95 m3 rack ready for the mod...question is do the e36 m3 tie rods get changed for e30 tie rods or do the stock e36 m3 fit just the same?

[pilotskillse30]

The benefit of the washers is you can move the rack ups and down to prevent bump steer. The tie rods should be straight across level with the rack when the car is on the ground

my current e30 rack died, my tie rods are not straight across with the rack, might this have been the reasonm my rack took a crap on me, and when I install the m3 rack how do I correct it if they same occurs

[Spinning Tires]

If its not straight across, its not going to wear the rack out. Its more of a handling issue. You put the car on the ground and use the washers to fill the gap on the brackets because the e36 rack isnt as thick as the e30 rack. if you have to move the rack up, you put more washers on the bottom and vice versa. just make sure you use the same combination of washers on both sides. you dont want the rack to be crooked.
Also you can use either tie rods. i dunno the benefit to either or but they both work

[Lof8]

I just completed this swap today and thought I'd add a few things. I reused all of my e30 lines. The line from the rack to the ps pump is the one that seems it would need to be bent to fit its position on the e36 rack. Instead of trying to get the right bends in the hard line, I just unbolted both ends and flipped it 180 degrees. The end that used to mount to the rack is now at the pump and the pump end now bolts to the rack. worked like a charm!

Its a lot of work. I spent a good 5 hours, but the results are fun!

[bmwaddict]

I just completed this swap today and thought I'd add a few things. I reused all of my e30 lines. The line from the rack to the ps pump is the one that seems it would need to be bent to fit its position on the e36 rack. Instead of trying to get the right bends in the hard line, I just unbolted both ends and flipped it 180 degrees. The end that used to mount to the rack is now at the pump and the pump end now bolts to the rack. worked like a charm!

Its a lot of work. I spent a good 5 hours, but the results are fun!

Congrats, how do you like the new feel, tried it out?

I am in the middle of doing this right now, a bit more work for me since I am going turbocharged soon. I pulled off the rack, suspension (going with GC coilovers and Koni SA) subframe (reinforcing and installing IE Urethane engine mounts) and took off the steering knuckle.

I cannot use the steering knuckle since I have a euro e30 and the knuckles are different and cannot be shortened except to be cut and welded. I had an 87 325i knuckle but it did not come apart easily. I machined off the rivits and the two halves wont budge with prying or gentle punching. I eneded up cutting therough the space with my band saw and the actual rivits came off with the plastic insert but the other end which where the rivits spread and which was machined off would not come out.

I guess you guys still used the plastic inserts, I can machine them but was thinking of using aluminum since they awould be bolted tight.

Did your rivits come off easily from both halves?

Thanks for the tip on the rotating the pump hose. :)

[bmwaddict]

I have a 95 m3 rack ready for the mod...question is do the e36 m3 tie rods get changed for e30 tie rods or do the stock e36 m3 fit just the same?

You cannot swap e30 outer tie rods with the e36 inner, they are different. You either swap both e30 inner and outer tie rods onto the e36 rack or use e36 outers and inners on the e36 rack.

[bmwaddict]

No replies so I went ahead and did this.
I had to cut the rivets between the knuckles since removal of the ends did not separate them. The longer remaining part of the rivets came off in my vice with a fight but the shorter pieces where I machined the end of the rivets would not budge.
I placed them in my vice and got them out with an old socket and a hex driver, my 30 ton press would have been an over kill :D I applied some pressure on it and they came off with a bang.

You can see the pics of the lil suckers which were suck. The plastic inserts were shot and so I machined some aluminum ones, they have a factory fit and finish. I machined some tiny grooves in them, applied some JB weld and pressed them in.

Both sides of the knuckles have recessed seats where the bolts are so I machined the spacers with an exact extension to fit the recessed seats, it not only makes the spacers fit square and tight, but allows them to have more surface area when tightened. I am happy with the fit and finish though it took me a couple of good hours to measure and machine the four pieces.

You can also see the spacers I made for the rack to be mounted on the subframe.

[bmwaddict]

More

[Gnarles]

No replies so I went ahead and did this.
I had to cut the rivets between the knuckles since removal of the ends did not separate them. The longer remaining part of the rivets came off in my vice with a fight but the shorter pieces where I machined the end of the rivets would not budge.
I placed them in my vice and got them out with an old socket and a hex driver, my 30 ton press would have been an over kill :D I applied some pressure on it and they came off with a bang.

You can see the pics of the lil suckers which were suck. The plastic inserts were shot and so I machined some aluminum ones, they have a factory fit and finish. I machined some tiny grooves in them, applied some JB weld and pressed them in.

Both sides of the knuckles have recessed seats where the bolts are so I machined the spacers with an exact extension to fit the recessed seats, it not only makes the spacers fit square and tight, but allows them to have more surface area when tightened. I am happy with the fit and finish though it took me a couple of good hours to measure and machine the four pieces.

You can also see the spacers I made for the rack to be mounted on the subframe.

I had this same problem last night. I ground down the rivet heads and those things do not want to budge. I guess I will have to press them out like you did. Thanks for the pictures.

[Spinning Tires]

I still dont understand why you screw around with putting those spacers on the knuckles

[free]

Is this the rack I want? For a 06/88 325ic.

http://www.rackandpinionwhse.com/servlet/the-1863/RACK-%26-PINION%2C-1994-dsh-1998/Detail

[pilotskillse30]

I was trying to install my 95 m3 rack, I will have to remove the cooling lines, how do I cap this off from the rest of the PS system? Oh and I wish I hadn't bent the tabs rather of lifted the motor instead hope it lines up.

[Surtr]

Is it really necessary to use the BMW bolts, nuts and spacers? It seems like everywhere I find them it's going to take over a week to get them to me. I tried to look them up elsewhere, but I don't know the size of most of them and can't find a cross over :-\.