E30 Zone

Hello Guys,

Need some help - Im trying to reduce the width of the steering knuckle UJ connecting the column to the rack. What are my options?

This will complete a long awaited s50 conversion, so any help would be extremely appreciated!

Cheers,

adil

you could remove the rubber disc from the UJ and just use spacers to connect the 2 metal end-bars together?

Have you seen this?

>>Click<<

Im going down this route... Eko has done it on his build and imo works fine, and all importantly gives the extra clearance needed

OBs

Thanks for the help guys -

OBs - that looks very interesting - I will keep on the lookout for e34 half shafts.

Stuart - I think ill give that a go - would there be any issues with not having the rubber mount?

Cheers guys,

adil

i think youd get an increase in the vibrations coming through to the steering wheel!

There was also another thread by Dan318is in whixch he had machined an alloy joint to replace the rubber! have a search; was a group buy thread in the ENGINES section i think

Thank you Siddiqi1 - ill run a search right now.

this is what i did:

m50 conversion.

Pic of mine...


2 E34 shafts cut to length,drilled and dowled for extra strength then welded using 3 phase industrial mig.
Gives ample manifold clearence on M50 engine and steering feels better than ever

Found this here guys, it's a very tidy mod walkthrough for the e30-e36 m3 rack conversion for the UV but the principle would be the same for any of the mods I would think, just alter the size of the machined alloy spacer to suit and substitute the correct end.
http://users.tpg.com.au/adtha/E36rackin ... thpics.pdf

You can actually get an ally spacer already tapped on FleaBay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BMW-Solid-Alumini ... .m14.l1318

It's got a bit of 'engineering' work req to size the spacer to suit but gives you almost as solid as an OEM spec of mod that would pass any MOT I would reckon... This is the one I'm going to do soon methinks...

Oh, you'll need a .PDF reader (Adobe Reader) to view...

Just to point out that the MOT tester was more than happy with my creation

eko wrote:Just to point out that the MOT tester was more than happy with my creation

Wanna make me one? (Z3 rack?)

oze30 wrote:

eko wrote:Just to point out that the MOT tester was more than happy with my creation

Wanna make me one? (Z3 rack?)

Easy enough to do yourself Colin.
Couple of E34/E32 coupling and shafts,cost £10 for all 4 parts.
Shafts cut to length drilled about 5mm in each end and dowled out of a bit of scrap rod then I gave it to a neighbour to weld up at work.
Hardest part is getting the couplings off the scrap car especially if the engine is still fitted

Bobby,

the link you put on with regards to the ebay spacer! can you use this to replace the rubber in the current OEM linkage without any further mods? My rubber joint is perished now and instead of putting the rubber back again; this alu spacer is tempting; but isnt alu able to melt so near to the exh manifold?

Saboor

Alu melts at a higher temp than most manifold can muster, so I'd say you're pretty safe.

Sid, no problems with melting at all I wouldn't think, as oze mentions. If heat was a problem then the rubber joint would go well before an alloy one would, this is also the reason for the metal cup tho, it's a heat deflector. This is a straight swap for the rubber bush and supplied with bots to replace the rivets that you'll have to drill out to get the rubber one off. So the mutts dry roasted by the looks of it

thanks oze and bobby; help much appreciated! not a bad price; and its a long term solutin i think you wont need to look at again! great! how hard do you guys think it is to drill out those rivets then?

The Ebay link people can custom make them in different thicknesses too. I'll be looking at these later, once I've worked out what's hitting what.

Excellent Ozer, even better for the m3 rack conversion, need to get in touch with them.
If you've got a vice sid, pretty easy I would reckon, do a quick guide hole for the bigger drill with an 1/8th part then a drill the size of the rivet at med speed and a drop of oil to look after the bit... job's a goodun

Sorry for grabbing your post Adil Hope you got your answers

thanks mate!! doesnt sound hard at all!