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Thread: Z3 1.9l Steering Rack...

  1. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by TostitoBandito View Post
    Great info. Those documents seem to indicate that the 96-99 M3 also had a variable/progressive rack, yes? I mean, they tout it as a feature.
    Yes that's exactly what the documents (i.e. BMW) state.

  2. #27
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    It wouldn’t be the first time BMW AG Press release has inaccurate info, or early released info that was changed for production.

    I have the original BMW SMG1 press release info and in the same document 2 different numbers for shift speeds are quoted. I.E. BMW’s own info should not be take as set in stone.

    However, this does of course not mean all their info contains errors. Which makes it interesting new info. Maybe the rack is still progressive, but less extreme. The 3.0 racks are know to be a lot slower than the 3.2 although overall LTL is less.
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  3. #28
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    Yeah it's been known for a while that the 95 M3 has a less desirable rack than the 96-99 M3. Yeah it's 3.0 LTL, but it's reportedly slower until you've turned the wheel 200 degrees from center in either direction and has significantly less rack travel. The slow speed of the rack negates the fewer turns LTL. Seems like the 96-99 rack is just a bit quicker overall despite having 3.2 LTL since it has quite a bit more overall travel, and it may have a slightly smaller progressive dead zone as well. Maybe the slow/limited 95 rack was due to the slightly different front suspension geometry compared to the 96-99? Or maybe BMW just decided they wanted a quicker rack.

    Z3 M racks and '96+ E36 M3 racks are the same.
    - PROGRESSIVE ratio (rack is slower on-center, quicker towards L&R rack locks)
    - 45.5 mm of linear rack travel on-center per 1 360 degree rotation input.
    - 145.6 mm of total rack travel(translates to 3.2 turns L2L)
    - installed 15.6:1 mean ratio
    - Same p/n rack as E36 non-M, but locks were modified to shorten gear travel from 154.7 to 145.6mm

    '95 M3 racks are the slowest and shortest of all US-spec E36 racks, until 200 deg of rotation from on-center.
    - PROGRESSIVE ratio
    - 39.0 mm of linear rack travel on-center per 1 360 degree rotation input.
    - 117mm of total rack travel (translates to 3.0 turns L2L)
    - installed 17.6:1 mean ratio
    1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy


  4. #29
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    How do we identify the rack other than trusting what it says? Is there part numbers or manufacturer part numbers for the Z3 racks.
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  5. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genes1s View Post
    How do we identify the rack other than trusting what it says? Is there part numbers or manufacturer part numbers for the Z3 racks.
    Yes there are manufacturer (not BMW) part numbers on the tags affixed to the rack itself. If you don't trust that for whatever reason, I guess you'd need to take the rack apart or take precise measurements of the rack in action. You can find these numbers referenced various places online, though it can take some digging. To be clear, if you look up the rack on realOEM it will give you the BMW part number which could be used for multiple completely different steering racks. The same BMW part number just means they will all fit on the car.

    I believe the Z3 racks were manufactured by ZF.
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  6. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by TostitoBandito View Post
    Yes there are manufacturer (not BMW) part numbers on the tags affixed to the rack itself. If you don't trust that for whatever reason, I guess you'd need to take the rack apart or take precise measurements of the rack in action. You can find these numbers referenced various places online, though it can take some digging. To be clear, if you look up the rack on realOEM it will give you the BMW part number which could be used for multiple completely different steering racks. The same BMW part number just means they will all fit on the car.

    I believe the Z3 racks were manufactured by ZF.
    I'm thinking if I were buying from Craiglists or Ebay, but buying it from Rack Doctor is probably the safest route especially with lifetime warranty.
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  7. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by Genes1s View Post
    I'm thinking if I were buying from Craiglists or Ebay, but buying it from Rack Doctor is probably the safest route especially with lifetime warranty.
    Turn the rack lock to lock, and count how many turns it takes.... if it takes 2 & 3/4 turns... it is the rack you are looking for.

    The moment my rack arrived, I wrapped it in rags and lightly placed it in my bench vise, then took a pair of vise grips with another rag, and put them on the rack input shaft, and turned the shaft lock to lock.


  8. #33
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    The original non-M Z3 racks have a yellow zinc body and is manufactured by TRW. Pics of it here https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/s...8#post28707288

    Here is a pic of the BMW plate on original non-M Z3 racks from the factory. https://www.r3vlimited.com/board/sho...2&postcount=11
    The first two lines on the plate are usually the same across all racks but the third line is unique.

    The remanufactured BMW part # is 32131095575
    Last edited by hc1001; 05-08-2018 at 06:33 PM.

  9. #34
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  10. #35
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    I had good luck buying a pair of 2.7 LTL racks from car-part.com. Nothing special, just a junkyard locating website. I paid $150 per, shipped, from a junkyard a few hours away. They've both held up to years of track abuse quite well!
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  11. #36
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    I bought mine from a local salvage yard for $175. Been in there for five years. No issues.
    It doesn't have to come from a special rack place. There are plenty of junked Z3s out there.

  12. #37
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    Detroit Axle on eBay or amazon will sell you a clean rebuilt one with lifetime warranty for about $235 shipped.

  13. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
    Detroit Axle on eBay or amazon will sell you a clean rebuilt one with lifetime warranty for about $235 shipped.

    which one did you buy? in the Q&A section it says this one is 3 turns LTL https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Axle-...+steering+rack

  14. #39
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    At the time I bought, I did the research on the part numbers and models and believed I was getting the desired Z3 non-M rack. You have me second guessing myself now. I will have to check but I just sold my lift, packed up my shop and moved and my new shop won’t be ready for a few months. If I jack up the car in the meantime I will look more closely. I will also try to test turns lock to lock. It certainly seems sharper turning in driving than my original 99M3 rack.

  15. #40
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    Not sure I'd trust what some guy wrote on Amazon regarding a BMW part. As has been discussed extensively in these forums and elsewhere, all the Z3 non-M racks should have the same 2.7 LTL. I believe the Z3 M rack is the same rack as what's in the 96-99 M3. Keep in mind that an online seller could have a listing like this saying they are selling a replacement rack for a 96-02 Z3, and that doesn't necessarily mean that this is an original rack out of one of those models. It means it works as a replacement unit. It's a subtle difference, but a major one in our case. Not saying this is the case here, just that it certainly could be and that the seller wouldn't necessarily be lying.

    One of the disadvantages of buying from someplace like that is that you don't necessarily know what you're getting. Whereas if you go to a junkyard or order from a specialist like rackdoctor you will know exactly what make/model and part number the rack is and what car it's originally from.
    Last edited by TostitoBandito; 05-18-2018 at 12:09 PM.
    1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy


  16. #41
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    Ok. I took my car out of the barn to move to the new house and repeatedly did the turns to lock test and never reached 3 turns. Always seemed about a quarter turn off. I will try again, but think if I had 3 turns lock to lock the wheel would end up in the same place and it was always noticeably short.

    I am thinking Detroit Axle advertised my rack properly.

    It also does not look like my M3 rack — it has a smooth steel yellow tinged body rather than a cast aluminum body.
    Last edited by pbonsalb; 05-20-2018 at 08:04 AM.

  17. #42
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    Z3 1.9 steering rack from Detroit Axle:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019VFJIEI

    243.50 shipped, no core required

    See highly trusted Rackdoctor's site for z3 non-m:

    http://shop.rackdoctor.net/199...ept...5995-25460.htm

    Says at bottom: "Item #: 25460"

    See Detroit Axle's number match this:

    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019VFJIEI

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/151076806130

    Says at bottom: "Manufacturer Part Number - 25460"

    Of the two Z3 racks that Detriot Axle sell, it is the more expensive one which also follows Rackdoctor's pricing scheme (desirable non-m more expensive than m).

    The interchange number (listed on ebay link) is 26-1829, which reflects that it is a desirable non-m rack (you can search a bunch of websites that reflect this is a non-m rack).

    All non-m z3 racks are the desirable quick ratio.

    I checked, and they sent me the incorrect 786 Rack instead of the correct 25460 Rack the first time. I made a call, and they made it right. Mine is just under 3 turns LTL with the new rack.

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    Last edited by m3leistung; 05-23-2018 at 04:28 PM.
    99 M3

  18. #43
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    That is the one I bought from Detroit Axle and installed last year. It looks nothing like an M3 rack. There should be no possibility of confusion unless there were steel body Z3 M racks that look like the Z3 non-M racks. I get a little less than 3 turns lock to lock. I’d say around 2.7-2.8 turns —hard to measure precisely unless you mark the wheel and dash.
    Last edited by pbonsalb; 05-23-2018 at 06:20 PM.

  19. #44
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    I had a 1.9/2.7 Z3 rack in my old 95 M3. Loved it. Got it at a junkyard before they started being worth their weight in gold.

    My track car currently has a 712 ZHP rack as I was not gonna pay the Z3 premium that now exists. Pro tip is that the 712 rack was not ONLY a ZHP rack. Choice later 330s came with it. Just gotta find a dude who doesn't know that. I got mine for like 90 bucks.
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  20. #45
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    Quote Originally Posted by NotUrAvgM View Post
    I had a 1.9/2.7 Z3 rack in my old 95 M3. Loved it. Got it at a junkyard before they started being worth their weight in gold.
    They're still cheap at the junk yard. Just takes a phone call to confirm the model that it's being removed from.

  21. #46
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    Nice I remember when i try to mod steering rack in my car, it did not go well

  22. #47
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    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!

  23. #48
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    The stock M3 steering rack should be fairly light and easy to handle with a proper alignment and staggered wheels. It gets significantly heavier if you put in a quicker/linear rack or wider front tires, as I did. If you're struggling with a stock setup, I suspect there might be something wrong either with your front alignment or with your power steering system.
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  24. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by TostitoBandito View Post
    The stock M3 steering rack should be fairly light and easy to handle with a proper alignment and staggered wheels. It gets significantly heavier if you put in a quicker/linear rack or wider front tires, as I did. If you're struggling with a stock setup, I suspect there might be something wrong either with your front alignment or with your power steering system.
    Well, I do plan on replacing all the bushings, control arms etc on the front and rear so I will be under there anyway. The car is stock and does not have any aftermarket components but I do feel it is out of alignment and the tie rods are shot. At freeway speeds, the car bounces back and forth in between the lines, probably looks like I'm drunk if you were driving behind me. I also get quite a bit of front end shimmy when I hit a bump at 20-30mph. Would you recommend buying a new rack from rackdoctor and replacing it or should I pull it and send it somewhere to be rebuilt?

  25. #50
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    Sounds like the front toe is probably all over the place. In addition to worn out tie rods, that's why it bounces all over.

    I just did a similar project on mine, replacing all the suspension bushings and ball joints along with the steering rack (and some other things). I got an E46 ZHP rack from rackdoctor and am happy with it. If you're gonna take the rack off I'd definitely encourage swapping it for a rebuilt Z3 or E46 ZHP rack rather than having the stock 96+ M3 rack rebuilt. You could also probably save some money by finding your own used Z3 rack and paying someone to rebuild it (or not rebuilding it), but I preferred the no-hassle approach and reliability of rackdoctor even if it was more expensive. Detroit axle is another online place where you can find rebuilt racks for less than rackdoctor, you just need to make sure you're getting exactly the part you expect.
    Last edited by TostitoBandito; 06-19-2018 at 05:23 PM.
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