E36 steering rack for M3 RHD conversion?

Post Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:33 pm

A friend of mine is getting an M3, which will be converted to RHD - any reason why we couldnt use an E36 steering rack for the conversion seeing as it will probably need a custom exhaust manifold made anyway?...

are all e36 racks 3 turns lock>lock, or only the m3 (theres the z3 too i suppose, thats 2.7 turns or something right?). anything would be better than 4 turns....

cheers

Post Wed Jun 01, 2005 3:41 pm

why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo

z3 1.9 rack is 3 turns

most e36's are 3.4

Post Wed Jun 01, 2005 5:18 pm

Jhonno wrote:why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo

z3 1.9 rack is 3 turns

most e36's are 3.4

Z3 1.9 rack is 2.75 turns for the same amount of output as an E36 M3 rack that has 3.2 turns.

Z3 1.9 is deffo the rack to go for if you want the quickest steering.

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:35 am

Jhonno wrote:why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo

how so? besides, in my country LHD cars are forbidden

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:39 am

By converting it to RHD you will have to put links across for the breaks, this according to many reduces the feeling of them.

Also the strearing will never be the same...

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 12:52 am

bloody purists!

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:00 am

Boots_Walker wrote:
Jhonno wrote:why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo
how so? besides, in my country LHD cars are forbidden

brake feel isnt the same

you lose the m3 steering

issues with manifold

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:26 am

Jhonno wrote:
Boots_Walker wrote:
Jhonno wrote:why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo
how so? besides, in my country LHD cars are forbidden
brake feel isnt the same

you lose the m3 steering

issues with manifold

is there anything so special about the m3's steering other than it having a quicker ratio than a standard e30? RHD conversions are often criticised for the steering but isnt that because people generally use a standard 4 turn e30 rack? wouldnt using a faster e36 rack actually be an improvement? am i missing something?

brake feel - would be the same as any other RHD e30, i cant see a problem there

manifold will be custom

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 10:08 am

I don't really see the problem if you use an E36 M3 (or Z3 1.9 sounds good too) and get a custom manifold made up. I definately wouldn't want a brake pedal like my RHD E30 though but if I was doing this conversion I would probably spend a bit extra and get a pedal box or figure out a way to get all the brake stuff onto the right hand side. I think all those things can be fixed to be at least as good as the original M3.

Like was said, what option does he have? In Australia LHD cars aren't allowed.

Aston

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 10:12 am

Like was said, what option does he have? In Australia LHD cars aren't allowed.

could always move some where else......!

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 11:51 am

Gwynleym10 wrote:
Like was said, what option does he have? In Australia LHD cars aren't allowed.
could always move some where else......!

thats a possibility, just need to find another country where shorts and t-shirts can be worn all year round ;)

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:22 pm

Jhonno wrote:
Boots_Walker wrote:
Jhonno wrote:why the conversion to RHD? ruins the M3 imo
how so? besides, in my country LHD cars are forbidden
brake feel isnt the same

you lose the m3 steering

issues with manifold

Sorry J but thats just wrong! how can that ruin the car? The guy is going to use a quicker rack, the brakes are hardly going to change with the extra modifications, and the manifold doesnt need to be changed that much.

Andrew

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:30 pm

Demlotcrew wrote:
Jhonno wrote:
Boots_Walker wrote: how so? besides, in my country LHD cars are forbidden
brake feel isnt the same

you lose the m3 steering

issues with manifold
Sorry J but thats just wrong! how can that ruin the car? The guy is going to use a quicker rack, the brakes are hardly going to change with the extra modifications, and the manifold doesnt need to be changed that much.

Andrew

I agree.... this is aload of BULL.... the car will be miuch improved.....big effin deal if u have to depress the brake pedal 1/2cm before they kick in.. at which point its the same as any m3 anyway.....

m3 lhd purists crack me up... the only big deal was the loss of a quick steering.,,,,however this is being seen to with e36 rack...

only prob is welding on the metal brackets that hold the column....

its a lot of work though but should be great when its done!!

go for it!!! and keep us updated!

cheers
Karan

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:34 pm

The problem with RHD M3's back in the day was that they used the rack from a normal e30 and so it was said that the steering feel was lost. As Andy has said if a quicker rack is used then it shouldn't be a problem and it should in theory improve on the LHD m3 rack. There has been some discussion about racks on bmwcarclub forum and it has been said that the quickest racks are: e36 m3 non Evo and the z3 ones.

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:41 pm

here is the link....http://www.bmwcarclubforum.co.uk/forum_ ... 18292&PN=1

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 1:51 pm

Well its nice to finally get a bit of positive feedback

the conversion will be hard work, but doing it DIY saves a lot of $$$ (Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£Ãƒ”šÃ‚£

) and it should be a great learning experience.

thanks for the link M3Imy, a stock E36 rack would even be fine (although not quite as good). availability will probably determine what we end up using, BMW parts are not as common down here and not cheap either - especially M bits...

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 2:43 pm

I'd like to see the M3 when it's done, unfortunately Newcastle isn't exactly local. Will you post pictures?

Hopefully I'll be looking for an E30 M3 in a year or so when I finish University (hopefully in the next month) and get a good paying job

. I'd like to get a LHD one and convert it too, make sure everything is done properly.

Aston

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 2:44 pm

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 3:34 pm

astondg wrote:I'd like to see the M3 when it's done, unfortunately Newcastle isn't exactly local. Will you post pictures?

Hopefully I'll be looking for an E30 M3 in a year or so when I finish University (hopefully in the next month) and get a good paying job . I'd like to get a LHD one and convert it too, make sure everything is done properly.

Aston

yeah I plan on getting one a bit further down the track too, after i finish uni etc (car in question here is for a friend). i'd be finished last year if i went straight from school and didnt stuff around, oh well

hopefully when i get mine the conversion will be nice and easy cause i'll have already done one

until then i'm going to keep enjoying teh 323i, i've been having these crazy ideas of 3.0l strokers with throttle bodies...

Post Thu Jun 02, 2005 7:01 pm

Jhonno wrote:

LOL

Post Fri Jun 03, 2005 2:24 am

Boots_Walker wrote:yeah I plan on getting one a bit further down the track too, after i finish uni etc (car in question here is for a friend). i'd be finished last year if i went straight from school and didnt stuff around, oh well hopefully when i get mine the conversion will be nice and easy cause i'll have already done one

until then i'm going to keep enjoying teh 323i, i've been having these crazy ideas of 3.0l strokers with throttle bodies...

I would have been finished last year too if I didn't do an uneccessary 6 months at TAFE

.

I like the idea of a 3L with throttle bodies (throttle bodies just do something for me

) but if I was doing that I would probably like to just get a 3L E36 M3 engine

. I think I'll be keeping my 323i for a bit too, I am planning on pulling a lot of it apart as soon as the semester finsihes and making it like new again.

Sorry to go OT

.

Aston