Power steering conversion help..E46 or z3 rack?

[Rog1]

Can anyone help please..I am a little confused

I have a m20 325i cabrio, and noticed the rack has been damaged by possibly driving on a speed hump by previous owner (has minor leak) and needs replacing.

It has the purple tag power steering which is from the E46...I noticed the steering linkage is v close to the exhaust downpipe. Is this normal?..


Now for its replacement, Options I have is to replace like for like or should I replace with the z3 rack..I'm reading mixed reviews..some say e46 rack is built better others say Z3 is a better responsive rack..

Any sound advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

[DanThe]

E46 rack is newer and in my opinion of driving E30's with all the types of popular rack conversions, is the better rack for road use. Yes the linkage is very close to the exhaust downpipes, I make reinforced engine mount upgrades to help give extra clearance and limit engine movement for this, id upload a picture but photobucket has ruined the internet just lately
If your on facebook click the link below and you should find some pictures of the mounts

[Brianmoooore]

Short answer is that the difference between the possible replacement racks is minor, compared to the massive difference from the original E30 rack.
All the replacements have the input spigot at a more acute angle than the E30 version, which aims the steering shaft towards the exhaust.
Further clearance can be obtained by making up a modified clamp that holds the bottom of the steering column to the bulkhead, moving the bottom of the column, where it enters the engine compartment, a few mm towards the side of the car. Top of the column isn't rigidly fixed in place, and the fraction of a degree change in angle won't cause any problems. Clearance on the brake pedal is the limiting factor, IIRC.

[Rog1]

Thanks for your replies

if installing an upgraded engine mount, will this be a poly type?..I wouldn't want vibration from the engine etc. resonating into the car if you know what I mean. For the upgraded mount/s how much are they?


I will get the garage to check re: moving the base of the column..

Cheers