My steering rack is dead

[BoostMe]

My steering rack has started to leak fluid, and a lot of it. So I’m going to need to replace it soon, so what I’m wondering is if I should just go with and original piece or should I go with a rack from another model to get a better ratio. Also should I just go with a new piece or is my rack breaking a fluke so maybe a junkyard piece would be ok to use?

[bwanac]

Well the only reason to go to a different ratio would be if you track your car. If you do I would try to find an M3 rack to throw in there. Otherwise stick with the stock ratio.

As to buying one, when I got mine I got a rebuilt one. It is basically brand new and works so well. I would not go with a junker one because you never know when it is going to go.

Hope that helps

[BoostMe]

I shopped around and discount auto seams to have the best price $249 with trade-in so I'm going to go with that.

I do autox so I would like to have maybe a little better ratio but I think it is going to be too much hassle to get an M3 rack so I'm going to I'm just going to get the original part

[BloodLine]

I just got a New re-built ZF steering rack..Probably the one you are talking about. With shipping it was $275. Not too bad.
I just had it installed in late October.

[BoostMe]

I just got the rack in yesterday and I hit a few problems along the way but most of them were solved without to much trouble. except for one problem that kind of bothered me I couldn’t remove the rack itself from the car in my Hanes manual it says just to remove the assembly from the underneath the car. I tried to do this for about half an hour but with no luck. So I ended up bending the mounts down out of my way. Then when I got the new rack in I bent the mounts back into place and it bolted in fine. So I'm wondering what other way there is to take it out. Now there are no more leaks and it handles fine.

[bwanac]

I actually did the same thing to get mine out and in.

There was no other option, but to bend the tabs. But it is so much better driving now who cares!

[TriFlow]

I am still on my origanal 1989 rack with no leaks :D

[bmdummy]

I have just finished changing the rack in my 1986 325. I looked in Haynes and saw the same stupid remark about just pull the rack out being careful not to tear the boots. I looked at hacksawing off part of the mounts before I realised that if I undid the bottom of the engine mounting rubbers and lifted the engine until the fan touched the shroud, I could then remove the rack without swearing or violence even though I was under a jacked up car and it was trying to rain. Although living in Vancouver, rain is almost a given.

[BoostMe]

just bend down the mounts with a pair of pliers it was very easy and they went back into place with a few whacks with a hamer