Originally posted by madman23
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Steering Rack swap?
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Originally posted by The Dark Side of Will View PostThat doesn't actually reduce any force feedback.
I @$$ume that it's designed to transmit steering torque unassisted for long periods of time. I've never heard of one break.
Which is why, if you read that ZHP rack thread I posted above - some racks have better/more responsive feel than others, even if the ratio is identical. On the E90, the steering is really heavy, but that also gives it a lot of feel and responsiveness. The E30's steering in comparison is super light and mushy. I'm certain the design of the torsion bar on the E30 steering rack is the reason, and why it really doesn't work very well as a 'manual rack'.
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Ok. So in speaking to the guys about the electric rack mod they said their rack cannot be customized to fit our spacing. We can go the rout of doing the electric swap which will allow you to change the steering feel and behing that put a steering quickener. Does hat sound like a good option to anyone?
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Originally posted by nando View PostNo, but it reduces how responsive the steering is.
The E30's steering in comparison is super light and mushy. I'm certain the design of the torsion bar on the E30 steering rack is the reason, and why it really doesn't work very well as a 'manual rack'.
Another part of the reason the iX steering feels mushy is that the suspension has essentially no caster. There's not good feedback from the front tires about when they start to slip. There are a lot of factors at play.
Originally posted by nando View PostI did consider that too. A steering quickener would double the response (but also the effort). But honestly, I'm not interested much in electric steering. that sounds like a bunch of extra weight, complication, and taking up valuable space.
The the effort change associated with the quickener depends on where it is relative to the spool valve or torque sensor. If the quickener is "downstream" of the spool valve or torque sensor, then there should be very little change in steering effort from adding one.
This is an advantage for the electric power steering, as divorcing the spool valve from the steering rack requires a lot of extra work.
With the Quaife rack, we wouldn't need steering quickeners either.
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To answer your question on feel - I am sure it makes a difference, because otherwise the ZHP 330i rack wouldn't feel different from the non-ZHP rack. They have the same ratios, travel, etc, the only difference is the torsion bar (which is thicker). The steering is noticeably heavier with more feedback.
Both electric *and* a quickener is not going to be less space. You gotta pack that somewhere.
I would be happy to remove the PS and all that complication though. Since I'm working on a swap, there's an extra cost associated with making all of that work too (I don't have a PS pump for this motor, and now I wouldn't have to buy one, fab hoses, buy a new reservoir, etc). I bet that all weighs easily 30lbs. Removing the reservoir would give me more space for a plenum too.
So perhaps the options of a manual rack and an electric booster would be enough to satisfy most people? I think I'd be perfectly fine with manual steering, personally, but I understand not everyone is (I think with how much weight I'm removing from the front, it will be fine). It's not like a steering quickener costs much less than a Quaife rack and pinion (you still need a bunch of couplers to make it work, fab a mount bracket, etc) - and the electric assist is already an investment on its own.
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It also seems the quickeners are not well suited to street use - they need regular inspection/maintenance. They also put extra strain on your PS pump which will have to work 50-100% harder.
And they present a safety issue since you replace part of the column, which is collapsible in case of an accident, with a fixed part.Last edited by nando; 11-20-2018, 11:40 PM.
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I'm at the point now where I think I just need to buy another rack. It's amazing to find places like rack doctor who charge around $250 and sites like ECS charge up to $1,200 for a re-manufactured rack. Why the drastic difference??? FCP has one for $342. Who do you trust?
I had purchased two manufactured racks from a somewhat unknown vendor and swear that both are bad. Steering wander that I've never been able to iron out by replacing EVERYTHING else. At my wits end.Last edited by EyExR; 02-20-2019, 05:55 PM.
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Originally posted by EyExR View PostI'm at the point now where I think I just need buy another rack. It's amazing to find places like rack doctor who charge around $250 and sites like ECS charge up to $1,200 for a re-manufactured rack. Why the drastic difference??? FCP has one for $342. Who do you trust?
I had purchased two manufactured racks from a somewhat unknown vendor and swear that both are bad. Steering wander that I've never been able to iron out by replacing EVERYTHING else. At my wits end.
Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk'91 318i (Alpine) - daily
'88 325ix (Zinno) - drive here and there!
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