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I opened my old steering box to see about rebuilding it. A lot of parts were not available anymore and it is quite complex inside. The needle roller bearings are a bitch to deal with.



I went ahead and bought a low mileage steering box instead which has very little to no play.

Thanks Jody,
One more thing I need to add to my list of things not to consider rebuilding along with transmissions, rear ends and fuel injection pumps.
Actually it doesn't look too bad, any idea where the wear in it seems to reside? Balls, races?

JodyStevens wrote:I opened my old steering box to see about rebuilding it. A lot of parts were not available anymore and it is quite complex inside. The needle roller bearings are a bitch to deal with.



I went ahead and bought a low mileage steering box instead which has very little to no play.

Hmmm... very interesting. So when you tried looking for replacement parts did you try going through bmw / canada? or did you try other sources around the world?

What parts needed replacing? was it the majority of the components or just the main "gears" (not sure what they're called)

Also, when finding the replacement, what type of vehicle did it come off of low milage e12? 50k, 80k, 120k?


Thanks for the info!

If all the other parts like steering knuckles and ball joints are all fresh & new, must be a worn steering gearbox. Fix that stuff first.

All other components are new

Have you lifted the front of the car, got underneath it and shaken the front wheels, one side at a time? I would check each and every joint and confirm they have no visible play by rocking one wheel side to side and confirming the whole assembly moves as one, the ends and center links.

Check the idler arm for up and down movement (the opposite arm to the steering arm), loose and that will mess with passenger-side alignment. If everything was replaced, that should have been replaced too.

Then have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth, and watch that each slight input can be seen at the wheels, on the links and the steering arm.

If the steering arm is sloppy, center the wheels with the car still off the ground engine off, undo the locknut and adjust the bolt on top of the steering box so that the arm is twitching when someone rocks the steering wheel back and forth. There's a sweet spot - too tight and you'll mash the gears together too hard and cause wear, too loose and the steering will be sloppy and the teeth will have space.

The above is everything I did to fix my steering, and now its sharp. Sure it's a lot heavier and more turns lock to lock than my other ~5 year old cars, but it is just as sharp. Yes you can damage it up if you tighten it when off-center (this is how it adjusts the steering ratio, bigger gaps at the edges/when turning), but adjusting it on center is why there's an adjustment bolt and if done right is fine, that's how it came out of the factory. With the suspension components off, your mechanic should have shaken the steering arm to test for play - that was also a great opportunity to adjust the box. I would ask him to adjust it now despite what he says about wear, or find someone familiar with recirculating ball steering to diagnose. Yes it could be beyond adjustment, totally worn out and need replacement - but sounds like you need someone in the know to make that assessment.

Just my 2c from taking crappy sloppy steering and making it as tight and responsive as my new cars by spending $50 on parts. I also flushed my power steer fluid, and watched youtube videos on how recirculating ball steering works, and how crusty old mechanics adjust them.

Gotcha, my mechanic has gone through the entire front suspension and steering. We've replaced pretty much everything. I make it a point to replace every little thing we see thats worn out.

I can tell him to adjust the nut like you suggest, he was just giving me the option and I wanted to see what you guys thought first.

Its easier to adjust that nut than finding a new steering box and replace it, thats for sure.

Thanks for the info!

Hopefully adjusting it works. When I thought mine was worn, I found a number of rebuilt units for sale for $300-500, which isn't too bad.

Maybe it's your flex disc re the post "Steering Column U Joint"?