Quick racks,Z3 conversion-now with pics! for 4 and 6 cyls

[dannyg1983]

I have now purchased a z3 rack for my e30 Cosworth. If any of you need a z3 rack look on 247spares.co.uk, quite a few breakers have them. I have a few questions before I fit the rack:

• Where can I purchase the solid steering doughnut? The only clearance issue is right at the top near the bulk head and this should sort.
• Can I use the z3 track rod ends?
• The pipes have already been modified at the engine end to fit the Cosworth pump but the rack end is still standard. Can you use the same feeds with some bending or will I need to make up new ones? Are the banjo's the same size?

Cheers Dan 07979 50 70 80

[Onz]

how much did you get your rack for?

[schuey]

You can use the Z3 ends,you may be able to bend the pipes if you are careful!

[liam012]

group buy on the hoses and subframe spacers goin here:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=91188

[Onz]

nice one mate!

[Yaninnya]

group buy on the hoses and subframe spacers goin here:

http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... 4&start=35

"No topics or posts met your search criteria"

Jan

[liam012]

cheers yan
:
http://www.e30zone.net/modules.php?name ... ic&t=91188

[dannyg1983]

I have a cosworth fitted in my e-30 and the down pipe already hits the uj on very hard left bends. Am I likley to be able to fit a z3 rack. Also would a z3 be too sensitive for track use, should I go for something in between?

One end of the rack pipes have already been modified to fit the cossie pump can I bend the rack end of the pipes (still standard) to fit the new rack? Are the banjos the same size?

cheers Dan

[DRIFTBOY]

I can't speak for the Cosworth conversion but I have an M30 3.5 conversion and I've tried standard E30, E36 and Z3 steering racks in mine.
The standard E30 rack is terrible in my view.
E36 is a great improvement, makes the car much nicer to drive.
Z3 rack is even better! But more expensive to buy. It does feel slightly too sensitive at first but I got used to it in no time and I wouldn't want to go back to any other rack.
It's especially good for correcting a sideways 'moment'.

However, due to the angle of the steering coupling with E36 and Z3 racks I do have more trouble with the exhaust manifold contacting the steering coupling on sharp left hand corners though.
I'm looking to remedy the problem by turbo charging the M30 and re-routing the exhaust!

But it is something to consider if you are already tight for space!

[Dave_M3]

BUMP STEER!!!

Have the E36 rack fitted in the iS for a few weeks, Had 15"s on spacers until I my new tyres for the 17"s arived so was putting down the funny effect on steering down to the spacers (BBS's dont fit on the front of my iS, Dont ask why )

But anyway, have the 17"s on and I'm still getting bump steer.
I put the spacers over the spacers rather than underneath since clearance is better this way.
Now, I want the spacers underneath the rack to bring the track rod ends back in line with the control arms so bump steer will be eliminated.

Trouble is, having the rack up against the top of the subframe is up against the join of the sump casings.

Any of the iS lads on here manage to get it to fit with spacers underneath???
I'm thinking my engine mounts could be sagging since I'm only caught for a few mm.

[tomstickland]

I run my Z3 rack in 318iS with the spacers above and have not noticed any bump steer effects.
I assume that you've had it all tracked up properly.

This is a very useful summary, one which I keep losing:

Normal E36 rack is 3.4 turns.

M3 Evo rack is the same as a normal E36 rack with limited travel, which leads to 3.2 turns.

3.0L M3 rack is progressive and desperately slow in the middle. (3 turns, same amount of travel as Evo rack.)

Z3M/breadvan rack is the same as the Evo rack.

Non-M Z3 rack is the one to have. 2.75 turns for the same travel as the Evo/Z3M rack (3.2 turns), easily the fastest rack.

I've personally measured and confirmed all of the above.

I've got some photos of the conversion at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92961862@N ... 477586953/
and a video at

[MissG]

Do they do a manual rack for the Z3?

My track car hasn't got power steering.

[DRIFTBOY]

Do they do a manual rack for the Z3?

My track car hasn't got power steering.

I don't think so.

But I did read somewhere that a Talbot Horizon left hand drive quick-rack fitted upside down works well in an E30.
I can't vouch for the truthfullness of this but it might be worth investigating.?

[Onz]

I've got some photos of the conversion at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92961862@N ... 477586953/
and a video at

Thanks for posting that fella great work!

[anisotropy]

Guys with regards to routing the pipes -what do I want to avoid? Just having them too loose/ too close to heat /near belts or fan? Can they touch the sump etc. or will engine vibrations wear them? Hoses I had made are a bit awkward -first ones in the return he got the banjo the wrong size and the diameter of the hose wrong

[Dave_M3]

I'm routing both out to the front of the car under the rad. Think it's the easiset since you don't want hoses getting jammed between the sump and cross member or things like that.

What I want to try in the summer is make up a set that incorporates an oil cooler in front of the rad on the return hose. Oil cooler will just be some thin hard lines bent around in an S loop and out the other side and going up to the resivoir. In theory it won't be too difficult, just the time to do it is the sticky part, lol

[Dave_M3]

was playing with a friends E46 316 he bought a week or two ago today at some old big disused industrial estate in the wet. He wanted to learn how to drift or how to control the rear end properly after he had an unexpected spin at a junction during the weekend.... His traction control refuses to work which I think is brilliant. Only problem is the lowly M43 now, lol.


But anyway, I was amazed how quick and easy the car was to catch over-steer and reel in.
Done abit of investgating and realised it had 2.5ish turns lock to lock

Anybody know if the E46 racks are externally identical to the E36/Z3 racks???

Should find some broken E46s easy enough and plus the fact that they are newer will mean they are in better shape.

[Onz]

the e46 compact racks are supposed to fit

[Dave_M3]

Ah, back ro square one, lol. Be just as hard to find an E46 compact scrapped as a Z3

I must change a few bushes on the 316 for him during the week. Must have a look around the rack to see what it looks like eaxactly and take a few measurements.

[tbmw]

didnt ian use an e46 330ci steering rack

believe he said it was very good too

[Dave_M3]

Yep, the 330Ci racks are the ones to have for a road car I reckon

[Yaninnya]

Anyone knows the E46 M3 steering rack ratio? Shoud be lower than standard E46.
Jan

[Onz]

I always thought the E46 M3 felt like it was the same lock to lock ratio just geared differently, so its slow when the wheels face forwards and speeds up as you get closer to lock.

[crazyenglishman]

http://www.howeracing.com/Steering/Inde ... tealth.htm


Any news on this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Yaninnya]

I always thought the E46 M3 felt like it was the same lock to lock ratio just geared differently, so its slow when the wheels face forwards and speeds up as you get closer to lock.

No, E46 M3 rack is with constant ratio. The E36 M3 3.0 is a variable ratio.
Jan

[gIzzE]

For those who wanted a "how to........." there is this one, sorry if it has already been posted.....

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthr ... 6+rack+diy

[stuartgallafant]

Hi, can anyone tell me if the little 'nubbin' circled in the picture is the bit you have to grind off so it will fit the iS properly?



cheers

[stuartgallafant]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

BUMP

anyone got any ideas?

[Kedge]

Didn't have to grind anything off to fit a Z3 rack to my iS

[stuartgallafant]

sweet

i was just deading through the thread again, and martinaston said he had to because it was going on a 6 cyl E30

gonna do this soon me thinks

[Kedge]

Probably going to be fitting one to a 6cyl E30 soon.

Is there any manifold clearance issues on the manifold of anyother issues anyone has found with M20s?

Also has anyone fitted one to a car with a 6 branch fitted?

[FlappySocks]

I recently fitted one to an m20. Didn't have to cut anything off to install it, and no manifold issues. The only thing I did do is remove the metal pipes on the rack,to help get it into position, and then reinstall them afterwards. No need to bend the metal mounting tabs, as some people do. I went for a Z3 rack, but I would have liked to have tried an E36 rack to see if the Z3 rack justifies the extra expanse.

[Kedge]

Thats cool then, going to be taking mine off the iS on putting in on an M20.

I've got custom pipes on mine so shouldn't have any issues with them being in the way

[Martinaston]

yaeh that was for an M20, i just halved the length of it and the bolt.
That reminds me i should put a bit of thread lock on it

[Martinaston]

Kedge i ended up just clumping the bottom down pipe with a mallet because it was still hitting the bottom UJ.