E30 Zone

so as aboce which is the best e36 rack to use... ie lowest ratio...

the m3 one? evo or non-evo, or is there no difference?

cheers
Karan

There's a variety of choices mate, discussed with Adam.

Here.

Z3 or M3 seem favourite, I've got both at the moment, a final and conclusive side by side comparison is due in the next few days.

is the 318is rack the same as the M3

Ive just looked at my ETK.
If Im reading it right, it seems the E36 M3 3.2 Evo has the same part number for the rack as all the other E36 models Only the M3 3.0ltr is different.

I do now seem to remember something about the M3 3.0ltr having less turns lock to lock.

Not sure about the Z3 rack, but from reading the link above, it seems the M3 3.0ltr rack does have the quickest ratio.

If Im reading it right, it seems the E36 M3 3.2 Evo has the same part number for the rack as all the other E36 models Only the M3 3.0ltr is different.

I do now seem to remember something about the M3 3.0ltr having less turns lock to lock.

Not sure about the Z3 rack, but from reading the link above, it seems the M3 3.0ltr rack does have the quickest ratio.

We think that it may be something to do with the length of the steering arms on the M3/Z3 models.

We've got the actual ZF part numbers from loads of M3 racks and it appears that there are several different racks from both the 3.0L and the Evo.

My guess is that the Z3 and M3 3.0L have the same ratio but the Z3 has less lock, possibly limited via a 'limiting tab' for specific Z3 clearance issues.

M3Compact wrote: My guess is that the Z3 and M3 3.0L have the same ratio but the Z3 has less lock, possibly limited via a 'limiting tab' for specific Z3 clearance issues.

So for a better turning circle the M3 3.0ltr rack would be the best choice.

I know there was alot of confusion over the whole M3/M3 Evo racks when I got mine. In the end, just to make it simple, I told the guy I would have the rack from the same car as the engine.

So for a better turning circle the M3 3.0ltr rack would be the best choice.

Possibly. If the Z3 does have a 'limiting tab' it may be easy to remove.

M3 3.0L and Evo have the same turning circle, 3.0L has less turns, but if the steering arms aren't the same, who knows?

M3Compact wrote:but if the steering arms aren't the same, who knows?

Do you mean the tie rods?

If so, they seem to be the same right across the E36 and Z3 range.

Do you mean the tie rods?

No, the actual steering arms that the TREs bolt to. They're deffo different/stronger on the M3s but I'm not sure yet whether they may be longer (further from the hub centre).

If they were, obviously this would slow the steering down which may account for the higher ratio rack. IE faster rack but the same speed actual steering due to the longer steering arms.

We're measuring them all up in the next few days, hoping to fit the 'stub axle' with the shortest steering arms combined with the highest ratio rack to give the quickest steering.

i thought the lock had something to do with it...

i think an e36 rack will do for my purposes.... if it turns out there is a bettre option... then i can just do a straight swap as the prep work will already have been done..,,

Karan

i think an e36 rack will do for my purposes.... if it turns out there is a bettre option... then i can just do a straight swap as the prep work will already have been done..,,

I've got a standard, tested one removed from my Compact that I don't need.

Offers?

will let u know dude...
as i have someone getting me one...
do u have all the UJ assembly....?

cheers
Karan

do u have all the UJ assembly....?

I only have the one on the car plus a spare that I want to keep.

It may be better for you to get it all together, I don't want to part with the spare resevoir/pipes etc either. I'll take Ԛ£50 for the rack if anyone can collect it.

M3Compact wrote:

do u have all the UJ assembly....?

I only have the one on the car plus a spare that I want to keep.

It may be better for you to get it all together, I don't want to part with the spare resevoir/pipes etc either. I'll take Ԛ£50 for the rack if anyone can collect it.

whereabouts are u?

cheers
Karan

Karan wrote:
whereabouts are u?

cheers
Karan

Near Leeds.

Much measuring today.

Z3 is the rack to go for, it's the quickest steering with least turns lock to lock.

The only one we haven't measured is the E36 M3 3.0 Litre, Evo rack is the same ratio as standard with slightly less lock.

just as an interesting thing.. there is a remanufactured rack on ebay atm that i was looking at but its listed as fitting the z3 AND the e36 (non M3)

Read an article in CCC ages ago about an E36 M3 (non Evo) which said the chaps who built it opted for a manual rack from an E30 because it was quicker than the standard M3 one.

How odd!

Turbo-Brown wrote:Read an article in CCC ages ago about an E36 M3 (non Evo) which said the chaps who built it opted for a manual rack from an E30 because it was quicker than the standard M3 one.

How odd!

Could it be possible that the manual E30 rack actually outputs faster than the E36 power racks but the E30 has longer steering arms, which would 'gear it back down'?

Seems unlikely.