z3 Steering rack retrofit: Install and information
 

I’ve decided to try and pull as much information together on the steering rack swap from the z3 1.9 roadster to the e36 chassis since I’ve been seeing that a lot of people are having problems with their steering systems as well as myself.

So far I’ve collected this knowledge...please feel free to add more information but try to keep the thread on topic.

Parts needed [Part #'s from Realoem.com]

Z3 Steering Rack - Part #32131095575
2x Hexagon Screws with Flange - Part #32136751257
2x Hex nut with Flange - Part #31351095452
Piping - Part #32131096109
Power Steering Reservoir - Part #32411097164
New Crush Rings
Cadmium Banjo rings
New Power Steering Lines
You can use e36 tie rods with the Z3 rack....but I will look further into this.

While you’re down there, you might as well check everything else out as well, and/or upgrade other parts such as...

[Parts and Part #'s from Bavauto.com]
Control Arm w/solid ball joints - Left - Meyle - Part # : 31 12 1 140957M
Control Arm w/solid ball joints- Right - Meyle - Part # : 31 12 1 140958M
Performance Tuned Front Control Arm Bushing - Offset To Increase Caster - Part # : N81924BAV
Performance Tuned Front Control Arm Bushing - Part # : N81364BAV
Tie Rod Assembly - Left - Part # : 32 11 1 139 315
Tie Rod Assembly – Right - Part # : 32 11 1 139 316

A few places to get your z3 Steering rack:
Bimmerzone.com – Remanufactored MAVAL unit - Their price $306.22, Core $175.00…comes with remaned unit and tie rods.
Local Junkyard or forum – May be able to find a cheaper price.


Some info links:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=484333&referrerid=&highlight=Z3+STEERING+RACK

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227276&highlight=steering+rack


Please add as needed to help benefit the topic. Still searching for a DIY and may have found it, but I need to look over it first and will post later.

Thanks,
Blue

I thought TI racks were basically the same as Z3's? BTW, pass on the Meyle control arms as they are known as the low end brand. Lemforder is a good one as well as is FebiBilstein. I used E30 M3/`95 M3 LCAB and `96-`99 M3 strut hats (reversed) when I put in my new suspension. The rear subframe bushings on my car were shot by 100k miles so they were replaced with Ireland Engineering Urethane ones (street version).

Do you have any part #s for anything and/or a link to where to buy them?

I've not heard anything bad about the Meyle HD control arms. Are you just talking about their regular control arms? The m3 control arms are not worth it for the price.. Considering on a tracked car the M3 control arms need to be replaced every 2 years you could buy the Meyle HD control arms and replace them every year for 3 years and spend the same amount of money...

But you can easily get more than a year out of the meyle HD's on a tracked car. So in a street car they should last awhile.

There are MANY, MANY people running Meyle control arms and I've never heard anything negative about them...

I was replacing Lemforder ball joints every 10k miles with the HR/Bilstein setup and 17x8 wheels.

I have meyle control arms on my car thats were installed within the last 50k by the previous owner. My car was in the shop about a week ago and they said that one of the control arms/ball joints needed to be replaced...is this is the life expectancy that they have? I had the same 17x8 rims as dusten but the car was on stock suspension.
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Has anyone use the control arm bushings from here or know anyone who has used them?

http://www.treehouseracing.com/

I'm running Meyle control arms, better than OE..but not a lifetime part..esp if you use them. I've gotten over a year use out of my this set.

Z3 racks are american made by Mavel(Sp, some North American Auto Parts Company) while the Ti uses the stardard e36 rack of e36 3sers and the 96-99 M3s..the 95 M3 is different as is the Z3 racks.

Copied and Pasted from one of the previous threads:

95M3 - uses 3.0 turns lock-to-lock
96+M3 - use 3.25 turns lock-to-lock
Non-M E36 - uses 3.5 turns lock-to-lock
Z3 1.9, 2.5, 2.8, 3.0 - use 2.7 turns lock-to-lock
MZ3 use - 3.25 turns lock-to-lock

Sorry to revive this but according to my RealOEM lookup info, the E36 including the M3 (95 not included) use part #32131096280 as does the 318ti. So 96+M3 do not use anything different than the standard E36.

Such an old thread, shouldve been closed due to my noob questions back then. :rolleyes:

Nah... though if you want to help me by revising this I would appreciate it. I hope to do this conversion sometime next year.

I thought it was the MZ3 rack that had fewer turns lock-to-lock?

Nope MZ3 has a higher ratio

BTW, back then, the m3 used control arms that had solid ball joints, like the new design, whereas the non-m's had the lower end type ball joints; not to mention the web design in the arms themselves. Now, all the arms are the same as an "OE" replacement.

just to confirm; So the Z3 ( all models) with a 2.7 turn to turn ratio is a direct fit in our ti with 3.2 ratio? if so , any comments on how this turned out would be great