Non-BMW Stuff on a BMW Forum
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Nice. Are you currently using the stock rack? This is definitely something I want to do in the future.
Swapping the rack with the motor out is easy, not sure about in the car. Biggest PITA I could see would be getting the steering shaft and rack splines to line up and get it "all the way on". Is your car non-airbag? Shouldn't need additions on the steering shaft for non-airbag.
Curious to see how it goes for you.
I have an e36 rack in there now that I did when I first got the car. However, it was a random ebay rack that was like $80. So, I guess I'm not surprised.
From what I read, with the engine in the car you bend the lower mounting tabs for the rack down and it should just drop out then. I do not have an airbag, which made things easier. But the absolute hardest part I could see when swapping the racks with the engine in is removing the steering knuckle for the spacer and reinstalling that. That was a PITA while being able to sit in the engine bay.
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I have an e36 rack in there now that I did when I first got the car. However, it was a random ebay rack that was like $80. So, I guess I'm not surprised.
From what I read, with the engine in the car you bend the lower mounting tabs for the rack down and it should just drop out then. I do not have an airbag, which made things easier. But the absolute hardest part I could see when swapping the racks with the engine in is removing the steering knuckle for the spacer and reinstalling that. That was a PITA while being able to sit in the engine bay.
When I did the front suspension on the e30 last summer, I dropped the rack and resealed it while I was in there. I had to bend the tabs down to get the rack out, but otherwise it wasn't too bad. I used a big flathead screwdriver in the gap in the splined coupler and the rack came out without much issue. Definitely easier with two people, for both install and removal, one holding the rack and the other holding the coupler and prying it open.
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When I did the front suspension on the e30 last summer, I dropped the rack and resealed it while I was in there. I had to bend the tabs down to get the rack out, but otherwise it wasn't too bad. I used a big flathead screwdriver in the gap in the splined coupler and the rack came out without much issue. Definitely easier with two people, for both install and removal, one holding the rack and the other holding the coupler and prying it open.
That's good to hear that it wasn't too bad. Just glancing at it it looks nearly impossible to do with the engine in the car. I'm going to pull it in the garage tonight and will hopefully be able to remove it pretty quickly.
I'm also swapping out the Bosch/Behr AC compressor with a Seiko unit. My Behr compressor is on the do not fly list for r134 compatible compressors.
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I'm also swapping out the Bosch/Behr AC compressor with a Seiko unit.
Like the watch company? lol
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Like the watch company? lol
Exactly. It tells time and cools the cabin.
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With the car in the air, it was very notchy. With the car off it had the exact same feel. Took off the belt for the PS pump and it felt like it had some resistance when I spun it. With it having the same feeling with the car on or off I feel like I can rule out the pump. I spun the rack by hand on the steering knuckle and there was no visible binding on the joints, but it felt like the resistance was coming from the rack and not the universal joints. It felt like it would hit resistance below my hand before above it. So I’m pretty confident it’s the rack.
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So hopefully someone can give me some input here if this looks right. The top u joint has free motion back and forth in one direction and the other direction seems to be very limited and to get beyond that limited range of motion I have to give it some force.
Attachments:
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input: that u-joint is f*in toasted.
Well, allllllrighty then. And the OEM coupler assembly seems to not be available anymore.
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When the steering shaft is bolted to the rack, is the circled area fouling on one another when you turn the steering wheel?
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When the steering shaft is bolted to the rack, is the circled area fouling on one another when you turn the steering wheel?
It is not. I looked carefully for that because I know you have to grind out some material on there when you do the rack swap. The video might now be showing up (at least it's not for me) but I tested both directions of motion for that joint and one direction was very smooth and seemed to have full motion and the other direction had very, very little free motion and anything outside of this small window of movement required a lot of force.
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I would find a used replacement, or opt for a flaming river U joint.
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🥳SOLD BMW E24 633CSI - BMW M30B32 🧪SOLD HCH ES9 - 1.3 LDA
👽BMW E30 325IC - Toyota 1JZ-GTE ⏰ HONDA EF9 CIVIC SI - JDM B18C5
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🤹♀️SOLD BMW E36/7 Z3 - BMW M54B25 🧓SOLD BMW E10 2002 - BMW M10M05 -
I would find a used replacement, or opt for a flaming river U joint.
I have decided that I’m going to avoid used parts whenever possible. The seem to be too much of a gamble. Went with the Condor solid steering joint.
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Looks good against the silver.
I like them better than I thought I would.
My rack still didn't go out today. "Hopefully tomorrow" is what I was told. After being told last week Friday that it was going out on Monday, then yesterday that "there's no reason it won't go out tomorrow (today)". Not only do I want to drive my car, but I need it out of the fucking garage so we can keep moving shit out of the house.
/rant
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Solid burn.
No burn intended. Only pun intended.
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Purple tag e46 rack in and the Condor steering thing. It was a pretty significant PITA. The splines on the rack from the rack doctor weren’t great. They give them a coat of paint and I’m not sure they cleaned them before doing that so they were all goobered up. And then one side of the shaft between the two joints would not fit into the joint without some major assistance. But it’s in so hopefully I won’t have to worry about any of the steering stuff for a long time.
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