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Any Rack And Pinion Conversions?


Whizbang

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The 2002 front geometry is designed around the track rod and the way that it moves.

If you change to rackhttp://www.totalcontrolproducts.com/rack.html you have to adapt the rest of the steering to move like a rack does.

Nick Vyse used an E21 rack.

I raced the stock box for 8 years- it was never a limitation. The rack and pinion on an E30 IS a limitation.

fwiw

t

Pretty sure I have seen a retro fit rack that effectively replaces the drag link in the middle for hot rods. It works by moving a drag link equivalent across the front of the rack (rather than extensions projecting from the end of the rack

EDIT: found a link to something similar but the one I saw was more universal and allowed adjustment by rotation of the position of the input shaft Vs the rack output

http://www.totalcontrolproducts.com/support/rck/RCKPS-FD_AT.jpg

Edited by Simeon

rtheriaque wrote:

Carbs: They're necessary and barely controlled fuel leaks that sometimes match the air passing through them.

My build blog:http://www.bmw2002faq.com/blog/163-simeons-blog/

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have seen 3 racks fitted to RHD cars in Australia.  The big problem and I expect it would also be for LHD cars, is that the steering column is at a bad angle to the rack and would require the CV or universal to operate at approx 75 degrees.  A CV might handle this but the uni joint will make the steering go in a fast/slow manner as it is turned.  On a friends racecar this was solved by making the steering column steeper and come out of the firewall about 6" below where it normally would, so to be closer in line to the rack shaft.

'73 BMW 2002Tii,'89 Renault Alpine GTA V6 Turbo,'56 Renault 4CV with 16 TS motor, 

 '76 BMW R90S, '68 BMW R60/2, '51 BMW R51/3, '38 BMW R71

Ipswich, Australia.

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I did a e21 rack conversion on my m20 2002, but I never really got to drive the car before I had to sell it, so I can not tell you what it feels like. I can tell you how I did it though.

First off you are limited to racks that mount behind the sub frame instead of in front of it. I used a e21 manual rack which I think is 3.5 turns lock to lock. Lots of measuring and fabrication. The hardest part was getting the rack and steering shaft to line up correctly with out the universal joints binding up. I used a e30 steering shaft and column. The e21 and e30 spline are the same size and count so the joints are interchangeable. I cut and welded the pitman arms as well.

 

e30 steering column mount

photo-18.jpg

Trying to figure out where the steering shaft needed to be
photo-2.jpg

My solution for mounting the rack to the sub frame

photo-2094.jpg

Some other guys work
100_1403.jpg

DSC00202.jpg

DSC00203.jpg

Is it really worth the work? I dont think it is if you go with a e21 rack. I think it would be if you were doing a m42 or m20 swap and also switched to a e30 front sub frame like the guys at Condor Speed Shop did for their GRM 2012 Challenge car. Its a whole other leve of fabrication but then you could run power steering as well as swap in a z3 or e46 quick ratio rack. If you really wanted to do a lot of fabrication I think that would be kick ass. Not for the purist, but would make for one hell of a fun car.

Edited by Deutschman

Cheers from the German!!!

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switched to a e30 front sub frame

 

Garrr.... then what, moved the upper strut mounts???  The E30 front geometry works very, very differently than a 2002's!

 

(off to google the internet I go)

 

t

 

edit- failed.  If Condor put an E30 subframe into a 2002, i didn't find pictures.  Are there some?

Edited by TobyB

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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This M2 Cab at the last Brisbane show had rack & pinon installed by Rick Haner about 15 yrs again. Not sure who the owner is now.

 

D326324F-0AB9-4B95-B3E2-170D68F2D37A-136

I'm the current owner. My dad was the one who had all the work done at Haner's shop. If you guys have any specific questions I'd be happy to ask him or dig through what documentation I've got.

'69 1600 Cabriolet

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  • 2 months later...

Garrr.... then what, moved the upper strut mounts???  The E30 front geometry works very, very differently than a 2002's!

 

(off to google the internet I go)

 

t

 

edit- failed.  If Condor put an E30 subframe into a 2002, i didn't find pictures.  Are there some?

Theres a few images with broken links, but here's our build blog from when we did the front subframe swap:

http://www.75challengebmw.blogspot.com/

 

 

Carlos Mendez

www.condorspeedshop.com

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So then, an upright 2002 strut, and... where did the front e30 (body) ball joint go?

 

The pics tease more than they explain- the eyeball bushing's the easy one!

 

t

"I learn best through painful, expensive experience, so I feel like I've gotten my money's worth." MattL

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