Z3 1.9l Steering Rack...

[tfolks206]

Cool, thanks Tostito. You'll be a big help for local stuff in Seattle

If I went with a ZHP, is this the one you are talking about? https://shop.rackdoctor.net/2002-200...892-712ZHP.htm

[pbonsalb]

I’d fix the suspension problems and maybe the tie rod ends. After you get the car driving properly, decide whether you like the rack.

[TostitoBandito]

Cool, thanks Tostito. You'll be a big help for local stuff in Seattle

If I went with a ZHP, is this the one you are talking about? https://shop.rackdoctor.net/2002-200...892-712ZHP.htm

That's the one. Note that you'll have to eat the core charge in addition to the listed price since they won't give you enough for your M3 rack to justify shipping it.

I’d fix the suspension problems and maybe the tie rod ends. After you get the car driving properly, decide whether you like the rack.

This is probably good advice. You can replace the rack later. It's not like you need to take any of the suspension off to do it, you literally just disconnect two hoses and the flex joint and then unbolt it from the subframe and pull. The main reason I did mine at the same time was because I needed to replace the leaky reservoir and some of the lines anyways, that's easier with all the crap out of the way, and if you're doing that you may as well swap the rack while you have it drained.

Also, if you put on new tie rod ends you can always just move those to the new rack if you get one. They won't be wasted.

[tvcasualty]

I dunno what youre used to but the M3 rack to me is too light and overboosted and thats with 255 width 200TW tires. Shimmy could worn FCABs too when is the last time they were replaced?

[tfolks206]

I dunno what youre used to but the M3 rack to me is too light and overboosted and thats with 255 width 200TW tires. Shimmy could worn FCABs too when is the last time they were replaced?

Honestly great question, no idea. The previous owner did not have any records but the car is in good shape, just past due on some maintenance and I don't plan on giving this up in the foreseeable future so its all getting replaced as funds allow. I will save that for last however and do the suspension work first.

[pbonsalb]

These cars are 20 years old. Every bushing, ball joint, link, tie rod End, mount, etc under the car should be replaced that has not already been replaced. Probably wheel bearings, too. Big job but worthwhile. Then think about shocks, springs, steering racks based on what you want to change.

[tfolks206]

These cars are 20 years old. Every bushing, ball joint, link, tie rod End, mount, etc under the car should be replaced that has not already been replaced. Probably wheel bearings, too. Big job but worthwhile. Then think about shocks, springs, steering racks based on what you want to change.

Planning on it! Very close to ordering the rear suspension refresh kit and then the front kit soon after. Going to miss driving it for a bit while it sits up on jackstands From what I have read from Tostito in other threads, I will probably just stay stock and get replacement springs and shocks.

[blckstrm]

Not trying to thread jack here, just trying to follow along. I have a 98 M3 and IMO the steering is a little tough to turn, I don't know if this is standard or not but would love to switch to something that is a little easier to turn. This is not a track car and is just a fun toy used as a second car that I am trying to keep relatively stock, so any recommendations would be appreciated!

When my wife gets in my car for the first time in a while she always asks if my power steering is dead. It's certainly got a lot less boost than a decade newer Escalade. To some extent that is just how it's designed.

I last did my FCA bushings and RTAB bushings 8-ish years / 100k miles ago.

I just replaced them with delrin last night. They weren't completely shot, but had visible cracks on the outside.

I got hit on my rear passenger wheel about two years ago, which broke the trailing arm. Despite asking the shop to put in a new RTAB, it was obvious when I took off the RTAB plate that it wasn't new - it was clearly original, and it was clearly completely shot (and about half separated).

This isn't completely obvious by looking (you can't see the RTABs without taking the plate off, which requires an alignment or very careful disassembly / reassembly and then also checking your alignment). It's also not completely obvious when driving, either, especially if you have nothing to compare it to. They go bad so slowly, and like most of us you probably bought your car somewhere past 100k miles.

But what IS completely obvious is driving the car after you've refreshed everything.

For me, this was the last piece of a slow rebuild that started last year with a ZHP rack and E34 u-joint for the steering rod. I thought the car drove well before doing all of this, but the thing is just laser precise now. Many have said that new factory rubber bushings / steering guibo are almost the same as other aftermarket solutions (at least initially), so doing the full refresh will definitely give you a much better baseline.

Also, the delrin bushings had a much lower NVH impact than I expected. I already have a LTW flywheel, and did not notice any additional NVH (possibly) aside from a little increased booming on particularly bad / abrupt road imperfections that were already jolting the car anyway. I just did it last night, so I haven't driven more than a couple miles, but for the most part it seems about how it was before from an NVH perspective, and significantly better in the handling department.

It really is hard to evaluate the impact of an improved / faster rack when there are other worn components in the system.