3series steering rack?

[JDM-San]

Is there a web page where I can look up how quick are e36 and e46 steering racks?

[Shropshiremike]

JDM-San said:

Is there a web page where I can look up how quick are e36 and e46 steering racks?

Standard E36 racks are about 3.4 turns lock to lock...a Z3 one will take about a half turn off that, an E46 Compact ( or E46 Sport ) nearly as much.
Or do you want the actual steering ratio?

What car have you got? I presume you want something with a faster ratio for inputs?

[JDM-San]

My friend has e36 m3 evo which has slack in steering rack. He was offered rack from e46 ( he was told that it´s from 325 sport ) but he doesn´t want (much) slower rack than the original. Which code/number on the rack tells to which model it belongs? Also, does e46 rack fit to e36 m3?

[PartsGuru]

There should be a little label stuck or riveted on to the main body of the rack. It should have a BMW logo on it with a number starting with 32.13.?.???.???. There will be other numbers stamped or pressed into the metalwork in a couple of places with just the last 7 digits of what looks like a part number, but generally that label has the info. If you get me that number off the replacement rack I can check what model range it would be fitted to originally. I just checked quickly on a M3 and one of the racks appeared to fit a 325td/tds as well. I can tell you what they would fit according to chassis numbers and models as per fitting at factory, but I wouldn't be able to comment on fitting to anything outside of that. I'm sure that someone else on PH would have info on past projects though

[JDM-San]

PartsGuru, I should be able to get the number in the weekend.

[JDM-San]

Friend was abroad but now I have the numbers. Rack didn´t have 32.13.xx number on it. It had the following numbers: 7852 974 643, 6753434, 265063, 0801, 7852 501 656.

[PartsGuru]

JDM-San said:

Friend was abroad but now I have the numbers. Rack didn´t have 32.13.xx number on it. It had the following numbers: 7852 974 643, 6753434, 265063, 0801, 7852 501 656.

Hi JD

The number that comes up is the 6 753 434. If I add the 32.13 onto the front of it it comes up as no longer avail. Would it be possible to get the details of the car it came off of??

[JDM-San]

It should be e46 and 2.5. Not sure though as it was bought from third party and from crashed car.

[bazking69]

From when I did the rack on mine I seem to recall that a standard E46 rack was 3.5 lock to lock and a sport rack was 3.0

[PartsGuru]

JDM-San said:

It should be e46 and 2.5. Not sure though as it was bought from third party and from crashed car.

Hi JDM

I've had a look around the various models and there doesn't appear to be any obvious crossover between E36 and E46 racks, they have fit basically the same racks to each set of models. The only difference I could see was on E46 sport pack setups where the rack was a different part number. The E46 units seem to be only ZF and TRW units. Sorry I couldn't be of anymore help than that

Edited by PartsGuru on Friday 16th October 16:24

[JDM-San]

Thank you PartsGuru, you have been very helpful. Thanks also jz, I will contact ZF.

Edited by JDM-San on Saturday 17th October 09:55