Fitting an E36 steering rack

[MarkF]

Hi guys, i know this has been discussed before but am struggling to find anything decent with the search function.

Basically i have an '87 320 (facelift non power steering model?!). I am running a 325 engine and have the pump, resevoir etc.

Can anyone tell me what i need to connect the rack to the column, which hyd. pipes i will need (E30 and/or E36) and which track rod ends to use.

Also am i right in thinking the E36 rack bolts up the same as the E30 one?

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance!

[uzdubmwe30]

Use the manual mounting holes to fit the rack (bolts up), and i'm sure you can use the standard UJ.

You can bend the e30 feed pipe I think to fit.

[MarkF]

Manual mounting holes??? What are these?

[Silverfang]

I've just done this conversion on my own 320i Hopefully this little lot should help fill you in!

There's 2 sets of holes where the rack mounts onto the subframe, the ones which are the further forward towards the front of the car are the manual rack holes.

You'll need 2 spacers 14 mm thick (I think the bolts are M12 so spacers would need to fit them) or washers making up to take up the space since the E36 rack is thinner than the E30 one on it's mounts. The holes may need a little fettling to get the bolts in, mine did.



There's a lug shown here that also needs removing to give enough clearence on the sump.

As for pressure lines, the return line from the E30 can be carefully reshaped to fit the E36 rack. The pressure line though I had to get made up from a company called Pertek, not cheap at £80 mind! But worth it considering i've had zero leaks since the installation bar a slight weep from the return line on the tank.


Finally the connection from rack to column can be done a few different ways, I decided to get a machined spacer to allow me to use the E36 UJ for the rack end, and a E30 for the column, be that i got the distance a little out but I had to go at the design from scratch but should have a definitive design sorted soon.

[GrindCulture]

Thought about putting that little write up type thing on the E30 wiki? Would seriously help, the search facility can be a right pain in the ass.

[MarkF]

Excellent! Thats a great help thanks mate! Whats even better is that i get hyd. hoses made thru my work and im sure sooner or later one of our pieces of plant will require an E30 PAS hose!!! Im assuming that in your last pic the U.J's above the alu spacer are standard E30 and ones below are E36???

Thanks for the help!

[Silverfang]

the UJ arrangement is as you said, E36 at the bottom, E30 up top

I'll get on and do a small guide for the Wiki page, and pull my finger out and alter that design for the spacer.

EDIT: there's one already there!

[MarkF]

Your a star! Im gutted i no longer have access to a mill/lathe to macxhine up the spacer . Im sure i will knock something up though!

Looking forward to the guide!

Thanks again

[Silverfang]

Your a star! Im gutted i no longer have access to a mill/lathe to macxhine up the spacer . Im sure i will knock something up though!

Looking forward to the guide!

Thanks again

Already there http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... onversions

I just made a few alterations to the length of the spacer on that conversion (I think it needs to be about 55mm long with 8mm holes for the bolts, 2 opposing holes on a 45mm PCD and 2 on a 50mm PCD if i remember correctly) This deletes the rubber completely from the arrangement.

My spacer was 45mm long and was about 12mm too short, so we bunged the rubber in to space it out but that took it a little too long to get in easily. so 55mm ought to be about right but don't quote me on it!

[GrindCulture]

Your a star! Im gutted i no longer have access to a mill/lathe to macxhine up the spacer . Im sure i will knock something up though!

Looking forward to the guide!

Thanks again

Already there http://www.e30zone.net/e30zonewiki/inde ... onversions

So it is, I actually remember reading it a while ago but couldn't find it again

[MarkF]

Thanks for the help guys! I know exactly what to do now! Roll on the weekend!