Im lost, i have this steering wheel shimmy above say 35mph, i have tried everything, its like the steering wheel is going side to side, not up and down, i have had the problem with the car since i have owned it, this is what has been done
new tires
balanced
shocks
springs
cv axles
shock mounts
control arm bushings
ball joints
am i missing something? a friend of mine seems to think the steering rack may need to be replaced, but is there a sure fire way to tell? it has leaked a little bit, but it may seem my play comes in where the tie rods meet in the middle of the engine bay, is there an inner tie rod end there? or just the whole damn rack?any help out there? JP

The outer tie rod is a ball joint. The inner tie rod is a rubber bushing. The rubber bushing can harden and shrink over time, creating excessive play. I just bought both tie rod assemblies for my 86, but I can not remember how much I paid (I am thinking $40 ea).

My old ones are still good, but they are still on the car. I am getting the car ready so that if I want to drive out to Montana (from Michigan) I can with out any worries and without dropping 3k on the new car again (11 month old has 20k already).

Check the inner connection to the steering rack where the tie rod end actually bolts to the rack. I have seen these bolts come loose and cause a snapping sound when the wheel is turned .There is a bolt and also a nut underneath make sure both are tight ........If you have had a clutch or transmission out I would be very suspect of these
being loose.

<ul><li><a href="http://www.bimmerparts.com">http://www.bimmerparts.com</a</li></ul>