Steering Coupler Change

[injekciona]

Hi Everyone,

In the last few weeks I have some small knocking in the steering wheel. Yesterday I put the car on the jack stands. The knocking issue is as what I've expected - the steering coupler/guibo. In some DIYs I saw that the guys use treadlocker for the bolts of the coupler. But I didn't find information in TIS if it needed to be used. So my question is, do I need a treadlocker and what strength would you recommend?

Thanks

[FBloggs]

If you do, use blue.
There was none on my bolts, which I reused.

[bigjae46]

New bolts come with threadlocker. Important bolt...use threadlocker.


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[Rich022]

Threadlocker was there if you still had the original guibo- and it's blue threadlock specifically. btw I tried getting the steering colunm insert out of the guibo, and have been unable to do so--can only get the column out 1/2 way... I'm in the middle of clutch & tranny change.. funy times.. not...

[JamesSJ1]

Threadlocker was there if you still had the original guibo- and it's blue threadlock specifically. btw I tried getting the steering colunm insert out of the guibo, and have been unable to do so--can only get the column out 1/2 way... I'm in the middle of clutch & tranny change.. funy times.. not...

Two days later...I assume you got it out? There is a "catch" on mine that you have to rotate up after you start separating it a little. It keeps the connection from separating entirely while driving if the bolt disappears.

[injekciona]

Today I finally changed the guibo. There was a significant play in the old one. I've purchased a new bolts and they had already applied blue threadlock. Unfortunately, when I removed the metal shield and the undertray I found out that one of my steering rack boots is cracked. A friend of mine helped me to inspect the steering rack and there is clunk noise in it. So, I'm considering an upgrade to the yellow tag ones. But I found that on a full lock there is a little play in the lower steering shaft joint. Is it normal or not? Because when I tested the car after the guibo change I couldn't feel any free play and noise when I shake the wheel and the car is standstill.

Threadlocker was there if you still had the original guibo- and it's blue threadlock specifically. btw I tried getting the steering colunm insert out of the guibo, and have been unable to do so--can only get the column out 1/2 way... I'm in the middle of clutch & tranny change.. funy times.. not...

Do you pull the steering wheel on its maximum position? I've used this DIY and it describes very good how to remove the guibo.

[HighSchoolDream]

According to the diagram on page 2

http://sawashie.free.fr/M3/TorqueSpec/E46%20M3%20TORQUE%20SPECS%20LR.pdf

it says to always replace these bolts

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw-hex-bolt-31106772199

do these stretch when torqued and that’s why they need to be replaced?

[heinzboehmer]

do these stretch when torqued and that’s why they need to be replaced?

Yeah, although I've personally reused them a couple times and it's been fine. Finally purchased them from FCP though, so I can replace them every single time I take them off for free now.

[Rich022]

torque is 16 ft/lb and the two bolts are not torque to yield. In this case, BMW recommends new bolts bc they com with threadlocker pre-applied. Another case very similar are our brake caliper bolts, bmw recommends changing, again, bc they come with threadlocker pre-applied. I finally managed to remove the steering giubo off the other night; lots of wiggling and then was able to get a long screwdriver to carefully pry it up...

[Arith2]

I had to remove mine for rod bearings and reused my old bolts. The top one had red loctite and the bottom had nothing. They were as hard coming out as they were to put in. It's a 20 minute job if you don't screw anything up.

[8000RPM]

I found it was 100x easier to remove it off the rack first then off the column second. The other way around didn’t work for me.

[bigjae46]

BMW recommends replacing any fasteners subjected to environmental conditions mostly because the anti-corrosion coating is assumed to be compromised.

Not necessary to replace every time.


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[heinzboehmer]

The bolts HighSchoolDream linked are the bolts for the metal reinforcement plate underneath the car. Those are torque to yield and thus should be replaced every time, but in practice this is not strictly necessary.