Steering Joint upgrade

[ryanmkincaid]

I saw this on youtube and wondered if anyone else has done this upgrade?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oblh7Ve-9HE

[TheJordanWhitte]

I did it just last week, i’m assuming his steering shaft bushing was far worse than mine because I didn’t notice a huge difference but it is a little more solid feeling and you feel the road more.

[ryanmkincaid]

I did it just last week, i’m assuming his steering shaft bushing was far worse than mine because I didn’t notice a huge difference but it is a little more solid feeling and you feel the road more.

Interesting. I may have to follow up with you on that mod in a few months to see how you feel about it

[wgknestrick]

I saw this on youtube and wondered if anyone else has done this upgrade?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oblh7Ve-9HE



I did it and was one of the (I think first-ish) who documented that BMW PN# was interchangable on E36s. I also did this with a 1.8 Z3 rack, FLCA, so obviously the before/after was significant, but hard to pin on 1 single mod. These cars with an entire new front steering and suspension refresh will change your mind. There is absolutely no reason to ever install the rubber bushing back on any E36 car. This part is $40 and will outlast any E36. The stupid design of the steering shaft geometry has the rubber Guibo acting like a universal joint and bending through each turn of the wheel. It should just act as a straight torsional damper. You can't make them solid or eliminate the rubber in the original existing part as they have to bend about 5deg or so. This also eventually wears them out and adds steering feel modification to the wheel. The universal joint eliminates that and returns a solid feel to the wheel where you can get better feedback from the road and tires.

[jmo69]

Unless I've got the wrong part, current price is $147, not $40. 32311151454 https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-steering-coupling-bushing-32311151454

[TheJordanWhitte]

Unless I've got the wrong part, current price is $147, not $40. 32311151454 https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-steering-coupling-bushing-32311151454

http://www.bimmerworld.com/BMW-Parts/BMW-Swivel-Joint-32311151454.html

Although it’s out of stock now:/

[jmo69]

http://www.bimmerworld.com/BMW-Parts/BMW-Swivel-Joint-32311151454.html

Although it’s out of stock now:/$147 for Genuine $33 for MTC

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[TheJordanWhitte]

$147 for Genuine $33 for MTC

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Yup, that’s what I used.

[ryanmkincaid]

I did it and was one of the (I think first-ish) who documented that BMW PN# was interchangable on E36s. I also did this with a 1.8 Z3 rack, FLCA, so obviously the before/after was significant, but hard to pin on 1 single mod. These cars with an entire new front steering and suspension refresh will change your mind. There is absolutely no reason to ever install the rubber bushing back on any E36 car. This part is $40 and will outlast any E36. The stupid design of the steering shaft geometry has the rubber Guibo acting like a universal joint and bending through each turn of the wheel. It should just act as a straight torsional damper. You can't make them solid or eliminate the rubber in the original existing part as they have to bend about 5deg or so. This also eventually wears them out and adds steering feel modification to the wheel. The universal joint eliminates that and returns a solid feel to the wheel where you can get better feedback from the road and tires.

i take it that by your reply this is a great mod to do to the car

[JEC928]

You guys that have done it, how much did you enlarge the upper bolt hole?

[ultimatetester]

Is it really needed to enlarge the hole? Can’t you just use the bolts that originally come with the new joint?

[blckstrm]

Is it really needed to enlarge the hole? Can’t you just use the bolts that originally come with the new joint?

I thought I replied to this last night - so if a double post shows up, you know why.

I wouldn't enlarge the hole - the problem is the E34 has a relief in the upper shaft just like the one in the rack input shaft, so what you really need to do is grind a relief in the upper shaft (both cars have a relief in the bottom / rack input shaft, but the E36 does not have it in the top). If you have a dremel, you just position the joint where you want it and stick one of the smaller grinding fittings inside the bolt hole and grind on the shaft until the bolt will pass through. The guy in the video use a thin round file, which would take days.

[Edit] But yes, the short answer is that this must be done.

[Thrifty S50]

Condor sells a whole shaft replacement. Not sure i like it as much

https://www.condorspeedshop.com/products/steering-shaft-conversion-e36

[TheJordanWhitte]

I thought I replied to this last night - so if a double post shows up, you know why.

I wouldn't enlarge the hole - the problem is the E34 has a relief in the upper shaft just like the one in the rack input shaft, so what you really need to do is grind a relief in the upper shaft (both cars have a relief in the bottom / rack input shaft, but the E36 does not have it in the top). If you have a dremel, you just position the joint where you want it and stick one of the smaller grinding fittings inside the bolt hole and grind on the shaft until the bolt will pass through. The guy in the video use a thin round file, which would take days.

[Edit] But yes, the short answer is that this must be done.

I used a dremel, you don’t need to do much.

[JEC928]

Thanks blkstrm and Jordan.

I think the video guy chewed up the hole in the joint, rather than cut a relief in the splines. Probably got aluminum dust in the u-joint bearing, LOL.

[pbonsalb]

Maybe pass a small round file through then remove coupler and dremel area round file touched? I have the old style solid coupler sitting on my work bench. My stock coupler is not in bad shape since so replaced it a few years ago along with the shaft. But solid has less play than rubber bushed so I am hoping to notice.