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Re: <E30> Steering Rack (putting off the inevitable)

In bmw-Digest v9-#52 Thaddeus among other things wrote:

>   After rebuffing my mechanic's offer to sell me a rebuilt rack for $550
>plus a few hours labor to install it (wedding in October = no big $
>BMW-related expeditures until later), we reviewed my options.  I was
>thinking maybe disconnect PS belt, get ATF out of tie-rod boots, regrease
>the joints, replace the boots, and try that for a while.  He suggested
>adding some ATF or PS conditioner to the reservoir.

Well as you may recall from a few digests ago, I was one of the 
unfortunates that had my steering rack fail first by leaking and then 
worse.

The things you need to know:

If the rack has started to leak, there is no stopping it, it will only 
get worse.

The damage in the rack WILL cause other problems.

In my case, it caused what would normally be considered an alignment 
related problem. The inner edges of both front tires quickly ended up 
peeling tread. This in about 1000km or 600 miles of driving with the 
leaky steering. (Hey I had to get back home.)

After getting the car home, the leak was so bad I parked it for a few 
days until my mechanic got back from his vacation.

When I asked him if I should have the car trailered in, he suggested 
simply cutting the PS belt and driving it that way. Well surprise of 
surprises, it handled and drove quite nicely without the power steering. 
A bit stiff and extra work in very low speed turns, and not fun in tight 
parking spots, but otherwise quite nice.

So as far as my opinion is concerned, yes you could drive the car quite 
nicely with the power steering part disabled, but REMEMBER, the problem 
here is not just with the power steering, but the rack, and in ADDITION 
to the cost of the rack repair, I'm having to get my two front tires 
replaced. (And that will probably end up being four tires... but that's 
another story.)

I'd suggest you get the original source of the problem fixed before it 
gets worse.

Rolf

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Rolf Drommer  eMail: [email protected]

Membership Director BMW Car Club of BC
Club Website: http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/bmw/

Rolf Drommer 'SUNBMR' '92 E30 318i Cabrio
Personal Website: http://home.iSTAR.ca/~rolfd/
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