RE STEERING RACK REPLACEMENT .Originally Posted by bugs
JOB WILL TAKE A DAY BY THE TIME YOU ARE SET UP and you need a lift and to remove wheels --be careful when you jack the body you must have a square peg in the plastic jacking points as if you use the sill you might not get the door open afterwards .
a platform lift is not useful we adapted a lift to leave the area around the subframe clear I will try and send a photo .
the guards come off the bottom and you take off the sub plate and the sub frame all aluminium and the heat guard from the rack .
count the threads left on the steering arms and do not back off the locknut more than a half turn --this will help you get the steering back to approx. right until it is tracked --I was 3 mm out on the left even taking care .
you must have steering straight ahead and VERY IMPORTANT LOCK STEERING LEFT AND COUNT DISTANCE 1.5 TURNS AND 1.5 TURNS RIGHT CONFIRMS CENTER WITH A PLASTIC KNIFE EDGE WHIS IS SUPPLIED HELD BETWEEN THE LOCKING NUT ON THE HARDY SPICER WHICH LINES UP WITH A MARK ON THE RACK BODY BEFORE YOU REMOVE IT---- FIT IN REVERSE AND CHECK CENTER WITH THE SAME METHOD--WE FOUND WE GOT A SPORT RACK IN EXCHANGE FOR OUR BASIC RACK --SPORT RACK HAS 1.2 TURNS LEFT +1.2 RIGHT WHICH WILL FOOL YOU FOR A MINUTE UNTIL YOU FIGURE IT OUT --body of rack has the same nos however less teeth in both the pinion and rack of sport rack to give higher gearing .
NOTE ENGINE HAS TO BE LIFTED AND LIFT PLANNED AS THE ENGINE WILL BE 8FT OFF THE GROUND we used a teleporter as the engine mounts must detach from the subframe .
a 5 series is much lighter construction than I thought and there is a lot of clever engineering to get this result at the expense of the mechanic who is put to a lot of trouble to do what should be a simple job -- far too much CAD WORK and not enough simplicity -- it is too clever as they use the housing of the steering as an additional stress member to save weight elsewhere and what is 2 hours on another car can be 9-10 hours on a 5 series on another car the steering rack is bolted to a steel cross member of the suspension and it is simply a bolt on item like an alt or starter--this is a pain in the arse for someone like me and most others who are not set up to work on cars like this .
cost 325 euros plus vat plus 100 euros deposit from driveshaft services .
the rack works is not leaking and steers straight --I do not think I was overcharged and I did not even think what BMW would charge .
as I was told the job was lengthy .
hope this helps someone Regards Bugs
Reply With Quote