E30 Zone

I found out why the PAS was making funny noises yesterday: the rack had leaked all of the fluid out.
As a temporary move I disconnected the PAS belt.

The steering feels quite a bit better now! I like it a lot more. It's one finger light above 25mph and is only noticeably heavy at low speeds.

Did any E30s come with manual steering? I thought they did. But wasn't the gearing even more turns lock to lock?

Talking about steering, I no longer find the steering so annoying. I've noticed that when driving it on flowing roads or round roundabouts etc then I don't need to make much movement anyway.

I actually prefer the non pas feel.,ive found the pas cars can be a bit vague at times

i have a non pas car and a smaller wheel a right struggle with good tires on the tight parking but on track its amazing

did you notice any power difference when you took the belt off?

Mine has no PAS, tech 1 sport, but as its my first car im gonna have it fitted.

Dominitry wrote:Mine has no PAS, tech 1 sport, but as its my first car im gonna have it fitted.

That i gona fit
ive sorced it for you as well you just need to sort the cash and we can take a trip to see scot

Do my washer fluids while your there bitch!

be nice and i will

It's nice to have for parking, but I find for some uplifting b-road bashing no PAS makes all the diff..

didn't bother putting it on my 335i, nicer and more feel without i reckon. only downsides are parking, and not being able to wind lock on so easily when drifting, but neither is a major issue really

I do find pas easyer when entertaining.
But there is a better feel out on the road without it.

im getting old now so i like my pas

i did notice about the drifting
having heavy steering makes it hard for a drift , but i like hard work . and it doesnt straighten it self up without pas

psychochild187 wrote:i did notice about the drifting
having heavy steering makes it hard for a drift , but i like hard work . and it doesnt straighten it self up without pas

it does straightem with pas.....just less viciously

ive run both and i know i prefer with the PAS, however never had a proper manual rack, just a pas one with no belt

no pas is good for track but not for drifting and caning rounf town

also good for saving a few kg right off the front of the car karan! i have no pump, bracket, belt, crank pulley, res, fluid, fluid lines...

but then with a stock m30 i need all the help i can get to keep up with these bloody m-power conversions i think your iS will have enough in reserve to go pretty quick even with PAS installed!

I always thought a PAS rack wouldnt work properly when the fluid isnt being pumped around as when you try to turn steering on a PAS rack where the pump isnt working the steering wont move at all. At least thats what I found.

The best steering I had on any car yet was my old CRX vtec which had a manual rack. I have never liked PAS since that.

I've taken a PAS rack apart and it's very interesting inside.
They will turn without the pump connected.
However, they have a torsion bar inside designed to allow the shaft to twist so that various ports line up if you're turning left or right. This slop is still there without the PAS connected and isn't ideal really.