Dropping the steering column down slightly,

Post Sat Jul 05, 2008 11:30 pm

ive seen several people have add spacer to lower their steering columns.

the sheers bolts dont seem to have a nut on them to undo them so how do i get them out?

any information from others is widely appreciated.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 1:17 am

shear them.....then replace them with a nut and bolt of the correct length with a spacer

grinding them off should work

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:45 am

Why would you want to drop it down?! Unless you are short..

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:59 am

I would like to drop the column on my 325,, the bucket seats are nearly on the floor which makes the steering wheel feel rather high and a little uncomfortable,, dropping the column an inch would be a big plus.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:57 am

Center punch and a hammer should do the job nicely, there not under alot of torque.

But doing this does put the coloum bearings under strain.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 10:05 am

Played around getting a comfy position on mine, tried lowering the column but found I couldn't comfortably make a full rotation keeping both hands on the wheel- they caught on my legs.

I ended up with a 60mm spacer to bring the wheel closer to me and the standard hieght

Removed mine as Nelly says

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:07 am

Jhonno wrote:Why would you want to drop it down?! Unless you are short..

in my track car, my bucket seat is almost right on the floor, so lowering it slightly would help to get a pretty perfect steering wheel position,

im going to get a 60mm quick release boss so i may try that first before i move the column down.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:14 pm

I assume the iS is the track car?

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:37 pm

Personally i never liked the quick release bosses, always felt i tiny bit of play which i hated. Unless you do for a race spec splined quick release i wouldn't bother and would just use a standard spacer.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:11 pm

Jhonno wrote:I assume the iS is the track car?

nope my 316 is,

problem with adding a 60mm spacer will make it very hard to get in and out of the drivers seat. Hence why a quick release boss is needed.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:37 pm

without wishing to diverge too far.. BUT.. Wouldn't the iS be a more suitable candidate? Seems a shame to turn a clean calypso into a track turd

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:49 pm

Jhonno wrote:without wishing to diverge too far.. BUT.. Wouldn't the iS be a more suitable candidate? Seems a shame to turn a clean calypso into a track turd

im sure it would also be a shame to have put a m20 in there and also to have ripped all the interior out, and i may also be spraying it gloss black in the next month but at the end of the day its a 17 year old e30,

and the iS was bought for one reason a car fo em to get about in and be used ot having more power before i step into the m20, the iS will be sold to fund the insurance for the track car.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:51 pm

I'm running a 30mm spacer in mine, and I'm going to go a size smaller in steering wheels. It's fine for me, and I'm bigger than you. I don't hit my legs with the wheel I've got. Unless your not sitting right. (Too reclined)

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:52 pm

oze30 wrote:I'm running a 30mm spacer in mine, and I'm going to go a size smaller in steering wheels. It's fine for me, and I'm bigger than you. I don't hit my legs with the wheel I've got. Unless your not sitting right. (Too reclined)

Colin if its not to much of a problem could you get me a couple of photos please?

you have recling buckets dont you?

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 6:37 pm

no. Just sparco roadster seats. Fixed. But mounted as flat and as forward as possible allowing reach (although i'm still 1inch short I think) and the wheel could do with another 30mm reach. Other option is to get a dished wheel.

by reclined I mean by tilting the whole seat backwards. Leave the seta upright and use thigh pads to raise your legs if thats the way you sit. I'll try to get some pics, but it's just a seat and steering wheel.

Post Sun Jul 06, 2008 7:12 pm

ive got quite a dished wheel at the moment, if you could get me a couple of photos of the column aswell would be appreciated.

Post Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:04 am

I put a quick release adaptor on my steering wheel to bring it closer, then decided to replace the steering wheel and it just so happened on eBay there are some really cheap OMP deep dished wheels (£65 quid, suede) so I bought one of those and now have a spare quick release adaptor if anyone's interested? Acts as approx 60mm spacer.

Post Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:33 am

bramley wrote:I put a quick release adaptor on my steering wheel to bring it closer, then decided to replace the steering wheel and it just so happened on eBay there are some really cheap OMP deep dished wheels (£65 quid, suede) so I bought one of those and now have a spare quick release adaptor if anyone's interested? Acts as approx 60mm spacer.

How much you after?

Ian, you should be fine getting in and out without a cage with X door bars.

Cars with the single SD bars are very easy in and out, mine with X door bars, and eared seat and a 60mm spacer is mmm tight!

Post Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:35 pm

JimmyC wrote:
bramley wrote:I put a quick release adaptor on my steering wheel to bring it closer, then decided to replace the steering wheel and it just so happened on eBay there are some really cheap OMP deep dished wheels (£65 quid, suede) so I bought one of those and now have a spare quick release adaptor if anyone's interested? Acts as approx 60mm spacer.
How much you after?

Well I paid £24.99 plus £9.99 delivery off ebay, I've driven about 5 miles with the adaptor in place. The anodized finish (purple) is worn around the ball-bearing mechanism, happened almost straight away. It didn't come with bolts but I bought a load of nice stainless steel cap head bolts, so I'd throw in a handful of them with it (unused).

£22.50 delivered?

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 12:07 am

Definitely looking at this modification next.

I installed a Cobra Sebring Pro (race seat with side impact head protection ears), to sit my legs the right distance from the pedals. Problem was the steering wheel was too far away. Installed a Lifeline QR Boss, acts as a 55mm spacer, but also put the wheel up higher. This combined with the lower seating position mean that the steering wheel is not almost above shoulder height!

I won't have to drop it much to get it better suited, and with the QR Boss, getting in and out is no sweat.

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:16 am

This is one of the first things i did to mine. It's been fine for a few years, though if you drop it loads you'll stress the joints etc. I've got a quick release boos on it, so the wheel is closer too.

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:05 pm

i have an OMP silver 60mm wheel spacer hardly used £30 posted ?

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:15 pm

WHy dont you just put a couple cushions or something on the seat

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 6:26 pm

SHAKEELE30 wrote:WHy dont you just put a couple cushions or something on the seat

suppose could raise the seat but thats dont give the right position,

Post Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:18 pm

and doing that leaves little space for a helmet, unless you're an oompa loompa.

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 2:47 am

That pic was awesome help.

Took f**kin ages to remove the bolts, but then BMW didn't really want you to remove them.

I went with 2x 16mm spacers, as it still supports the column some; when i took the bolts off, if hung down a lot more than 16mm, and lower than that I began to hit my legs turning the wheel. Used 2 M8x20 bolts on the side of the bracket, and 2 M8x30 bolts on the spaced section.

Results? Awesome control over the car, finally have the wheel & pedals in the right spot for my lanky 6'2" frame wtih short arms. Can't believe how good it was - might need to invest in a flat bottomed steering wheel though...

agent006 wrote:This is one of the first things i did to mine. It's been fine for a few years, though if you drop it loads you'll stress the joints etc. I've got a quick release boos on it, so the wheel is closer too.

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 11:56 am

What happens if you crash?

I guess it is ok if you are in a harnessed seat, but if you only have a seatbelt i'd be worried?

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:28 pm

Jon_Bmw wrote:What happens if you crash?

I guess it is ok if you are in a harnessed seat, but if you only have a seatbelt i'd be worried?

Why? It's not closer, just lower.

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:35 pm

Arn't the shear bolts supposed to shear and drop it even lower. If you have bolts...

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 12:49 pm

aren't the sheer bolts there for security reasons, rather than saftey . i thought it was to stop anyone gaining access to the ignition lock

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 1:28 pm

Jon_Bmw wrote:Arn't the shear bolts supposed to shear and drop it even lower. If you have bolts...

Shear bolts, as in the bolt head shears off at a certain torque when the bolts are fitted to stop it being removed. Bolts shearing in the steering column is the last thing you want in a crash.

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:00 pm

I thought, for whatever basar reason, that a couple of bolts sheared allowing the wheel steering wheel to move as not to trap the driver or cause injury.

Silly me

Post Tue Sep 02, 2008 3:11 pm

I have found what I was looking for and I got a bit confused it seems

"Two bolts hold the column up to the dash cross rail, and the other two are part of an arrangement that help stop the column being forced backwards in a crash."

So I presume the main bolts remained unchanged and therefore it is safe