E30 Steering Racks - What's Up With That?

[SMILLER@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Judging from personal experience and the number of posts on this
subject, the E30 steering rack is a real weak point on an otherwise
mostly pretty good car.  Giving this my customary 30 or 40 seconds of
thought, I wonder...

Bimmers prior to the E30 had a recirculating ball steering box.  I never
heard anyone say they had real problems with these units.  At least, the
failure rate was nowhere near as bad as the rack and pinion units in the
E30s.

So why did BMW switch to rack and pinion steering?  Is it lighter weight?
 Packaging efficiency?  The owner of a rack and pinion factory married
into the family?  What's up with that?

Inquiring minds want to know why we don't just go back to the good old
days of recirculating ball steering?

Scott Miller
Golden Gate Chapter
BMW CCA #44977
1990 325i/is hybrid that's gonna need a new rack one day, I can just feel
it...

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