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e30ftw

E36 rack swap

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I'm doing this swap soon to my e30,

Just wondering what everyone is using to make the new steering coupling? I can't find a good source online for Polyurethane tube / cylinder I can cut to length and drill as required to connect the e30 and e36 steering arms together.

What has anyone who has done this used, and from where?

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If you want to go full custom, im looking at getting some u-joints from Flaming River to be used with a double d shaft.

or Iv heard of making one using 2 e34 u joints with 2 e34 steering columns welded together.

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you can use the E30 one without the spacer in the middle. That's what I have on mine.

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Interesting, no issues with WOF having it that way?

Lower end slips over the e36 rack and splines are the same ?

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splines are the same, but its a race car so no WOF to worry about.

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I have done it a couple of times now just by removing the flexi coupling and bolting the two shafts directly together. Just use spring washers and Loctite and you should be fine.

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I did this a few weeks back. Bolt it together and do away with the guibo. Use self locking nuts and washers. Loctite wouldnt hurt. Although its weird because i didnt seem to need to shorten it?

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Why isn't this common knowledge ha,

Every thread goes on about using e36 lower end with e30 upper end and a custom guibo.

Makes my life easier

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If you want to go full custom, im looking at getting some u-joints from Flaming River to be used with a double d shaft.

or Iv heard of making one using 2 e34 u joints with 2 e34 steering columns welded together.

I've used those I joints and double d shafts on my e30. Saves a lot of room for exhaust

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Im in CHCH and am looking at doing the same swap soon. I don't know whether its easier when it's a 318 but thats what mine is. In the sticky rack swap thread the guy uses urethane from Mulford which is in CHCH here for the steering shaft coupler. I'm going to go in and see if they still sell it. It looked like there was enough urethane in the block purchased to do a few so it could be an idea to get a few cut to size at the same time....

Edited by agent75

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Yea on Sanches one we're just welding the two parts together and removing the bolting areas to allow more room for exhaust for m52 swap.

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You wouldn't be able to get away with doing that on a street car though.

I see... Go on

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I have purchased a rack and have all of the bits i need. I have actually put the new rack in but have found the rack fouls on my exhaust. My car is a late 318i so I may be experiencing difficulties that others don't (ie i think most people have a 6) has anyone done this swap on a 4? i was just going to get a curve welded in to the pipe but wondered whether anyone has any thing to add. I have taken out the exhaust and its reasonably tight for room but not impossible. are there aftermarket manifolds? possibly the race guys might have encountered this. (please, no "put a 6 in it" suggestions unless you have all the bits and lots of spare time to help me!)

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Yup that's exactly what I ended up doing.

Was following some UK forum write ups and some on here too, which had a custom e36/e30 hybrid. You do kinda notice the steering wheel gets a bit more rattle but nothing major.

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I'm not sure if its a good idea to remove the rubber coupling. I'm not sure if this is true, but I've been told the coupling is suppose to tear apart in the car was in an accident instead of pushing the steering column into the driver.

In the end I just made up an adapter so I could re-use the rubber coupling.

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I'm not sure if its a good idea to remove the rubber coupling. I'm not sure if this is true, but I've been told the coupling is suppose to tear apart in the car was in an accident instead of pushing the steering column into the driver.

In the end I just made up an adapter so I could re-use the rubber coupling.

seems plausable, however only if the impact was tbone from the side, if it was head on wouldnt make any difference.

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Hey guys, the guy I bought my car off gave me two steering racks with it as he was planning to swap at some point. He told me one was an e36 m3 evo one but I been racking google for the part number and all I can find is one's from an E46 of some sort and the other an E36 318...

Not sure if anyone can shed some light but would appreciate if they could. These are the part numbers:

First one (e46?):

ZF 7852 974 491

BMW 1 096 908

Second one (e36?):
ZF 7852 955 242
BMW 1 141 609 0

Edited by potatomash

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Hey guys, the guy I bought my car off gave me two steering racks with it as he was planning to swap at some point. He told me one was an e36 m3 evo one but I been racking google for the part number and all I can find is one's from an E46 of some sort and the other an E36 318...

Not sure if anyone can shed some light but would appreciate if they could. These are the part numbers:

First one (e46?):

ZF 7852 974 491

BMW 1 096 908

Second one (e36?):

ZF 7852 955 242

BMW 1 141 609 0

im not getting a hit for the first, can you check BMW part number?

the second i am getting E36 and Z3, possibly case is the same for both with different innards?

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Not sure if this clears anything up, both are the same height, but the one at the back has a different shaft connection. Thats the e46? one..

2015_05_16_21_44_34.jpg

Also found more numbers lol, 1 095 016 on the bottom of one, quick google shows e46 m3??
And the other has 1 137 481...e36 m3??

Both also seem to be roughly 3.5 turns lock to lock by just turning the spline by hand

So confused :wacko:

Edited by potatomash

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