E46 Control Arm Swap: Tie Rod and Steering Rack Guide For E30 and E36

Installing E46 control arms on your E30 or E36 can pose a challenge when it comes to choosing the correct tie rods to use. This can become even more confusing for E30 owners who have also upgraded to an E36 or E46 steering rack. We are here to clear all of that up for you in one simple article! First, we will discuss the types of tie rods and their pros and cons. Then we will move on to what options work with what chassis.

Garagistic E30/E36 Adjustable Outer Tie Rods

These are a great option and in most cases will make installation of your E46 front control arms a breeze. Made from 6065 aluminum, our solid 1" hex tie rods are both light and durable. These tie rods are over one inch longer than the factory tie rods. The kit also comes with bump steer correction which factory tie rods will not. The installation of this kit does require some modification to the existing spindle.

E90 Inner Tie Rods

For a while, these have been the go-to inner for those installing E46 arms on their E30 or E36. They are a direct fit into any E30/E36/E46 steering rack. However, issues may arise as they are significantly longer than the original inner tie rods in your vehicle. This means that some trimming may be required in order to properly align your vehicle and in some cases, these may be too long and will not work at all. These will not work with the Garagistic Adjustable Outer Tie Rods as they are too long.

E36/E46/Z3 Steering rack swap into E30

The E30 steering rack is slow. At four turns lock to lock upgrading to the newer and quicker E36, E46, or Z3 steering rack can make a huge difference in overall driving quality. If you are installing a later chassis steering rack in your E30 you will also need a longer set inner tie rod. Both the E36 inner tie rod paired with the Garagistic Adjustable Outer Tie Rod and the trimmed E90 inner tie rod with E36 outer tie rod can work here.

E30

If you are an E30 owner who has or is planning on installing E46 front control arms on your vehicle you will have quite a few options when it comes to choosing a steering rack and tie rod combo. Below you will find a list of all the options you can run. If you do not see your combination listed it is because it is not applicable and you will need to select another option. See the table below for a list of possible combinations that will work on your vehicle. You may be required to shorten the E90 inners if you are not able to bring the toe back into spec.  

Steering Rack	Inner Tie Rod	Outer Tie Rod
E30	Shortened E90	E36
E30	E36	Garagistic Adjustable
E36/E46/Z3	Shortened E90	E36
E36/E46/Z3	E36	Garagistic Adjustable

E36

Since the E36 Chassis and steering rack are wider than an E30 to start, tie rods do not need to be extended as far and options are fewer. As above these are all of the available combinations of inner and outer tie rods that will work with E46 front control arms.

Steering Rack	Inner Tie Rod	Outer Tie Rod
E36	E90	E36
E36	E36	Garagistic Adjustable

Part Numbers and Product Links

Below is a list of OEM part numbers and Gargistic products for the above swaps. Use these to properly identify the tie rods that you will need for your swap.

E30

• Tie rod assembly complete: 32111125186 (same for both sides)

E36

• Left tie rod assembly complete: 32111139315
• Right tie rod assembly complete: 32111139316

E90

• Left tie rod assembly complete: 32106765235
• Right tie rod assembly complete: 32106765236

 

Garagistic swap products

E30 to E36 Steering Rack Swap Kits

Steering Rack Swap kit (Airbag): https://www.garagistic.com/products/e30-air-bag-to-e36-steering-rack-conversion-kit?_pos=1&_psq=steering-rack&_ss=e&_v=1.0

Steering Rack Swap kit (Non-Airbag): https://www.garagistic.com/products/e30-steering-rack-swap-kit-non-airbag-version-z3-e36-e46?_pos=2&_psq=steering-rack&_ss=e&_v=1.0

E30/E36 Adjustable Outer Tie Rods (E46 Arm Version)

E30/E36 Adjustable Outer Tie Rods (E46 Arm Version): https://www.garagistic.com/products/e30-e36-adjustable-tie-rods-e46-control-arm-version?_pos=2&_psq=e30%2Fe36-tie&_ss=e&_v=1.0