Z3M Coupe Vauge Steering

[Dave P]

Originally Posted by jonnysideways

I've ordered some Pilot sports for the front as a first step and remove the Uniroyal rain sports from the equation.

The Steering bush thing maybe a good issue to address next, as if the rubber is original it will be 21 years old and 160K miles to eh good for usage, not sure I have the mechanical skill to reove it to mod it though, so that may need to wait, as my garage will do this kind of work, but its costs.

I think the part is not an easy swap as the access is limited - never done it myself but my Indy recently replaced one and said it was tight

[jonnysideways]

Cheers, Dave, that was my concern and messing about costs time and that costs money lol.

I think ill sort tyres, then alignment, then maybe the bush, the look at refreshing the front lower arm bushes, and maybe then the diff bushes.

ARB will have to wait at £370 or there about for the H and R, and then Ill have to do all the drop links whilst Im at it.

The E46 has swallowed up the car fund for a bit, so have to go at it a bit slower, or one of them will have to go lol.

cheers

John

[jonnysideways]

https://www.i6automotive.co.uk/bmw-e...301094703.html

I wonder if there is something like this or equivalent for the for the Z3?

[jonnysideways]

I've took the plunge and ordered a new lower steering shaft, time will tell if I'm brave enough to try and fix it my self.

I can always modify the old one if the new one is not a big improvement, which I hope it will be.

Plus by the time its on there, the car will have had a new ARB, stiffer ARB bushes, new tyres, new drop links and hopefully lower arm bushes too.

[c_w]

Originally Posted by jonnysideways

The Steering bush thing maybe a good issue to address next, as if the rubber is original it will be 21 years old and 160K miles to eh good for usage, not sure I have the mechanical skill to reove it to mod it though, so that may need to wait, as my garage will do this kind of work, but its costs.

It's a bit fiddly and after years could be a little stuck on the splines. You need to slacken both the top joint at the bulkhead and the clamp on the steering rack end (hard to see but it's on top of the rack. The whole column slides up off the steering rack closer to the bulkhead and then off the bulkhead splines.

[jonnysideways]

Hi

I Had a go, got to the bolts and got them off easy enough, but it was difficult to manoeuvre up and down to get the momentum to get it off the splines, possibly stick over time, though it has been replaced in the past, as it's marked up.

The AC pipes are in the way form my fat hands at the top, and the heat shield was in the way at the bottom, and as I did want to damage anything, and leave my car with no steering on the drive, I dropped it with my Indy, so we will see.

Though as is always the way, driving her with new ARB, bushes, drop links and Tres, there is already a marked improvement. So I see some more improvement owing to the costs involved.

[c_w]

Did you fully remove the bolts? I think there's a waisted part on the splines as a safety catch.

[jonnysideways]

Hi, lol, yes removed the bolts.

From the looks of the old one the garage really opened up the clamp, so that would have made this easier, but it still took him 45 minutes to get it off, and I had removed the undertray.

Having a ram makes things easier too.

[jonnysideways]

Now the alignment is sorted, much happier with the road holding, just need to get out of lockdown to blast around north wales for a bit ;0)