Close Ratio Steering Box Auction (lipstick on a pig)

[Guest Anonymous]

Ok, you be the judge. No way in H*ll I would buy this unless someone cracked it open and proved it was the real deal. I saw this on Ebay a few days ago and immediately as I looked it over it didn't look right. I am thinking someone really did put some sort of makeshift ZF plate on there - looks pretty hokey to me especially when you compare to the real deal that I have in the link in the post. All I can say is buyer beware on this one (Pass). Three posts today, time is going to be scarce now, San Diego yesterday then again tomorrow the rest of the week (Hate traveling, sucks). I'll try and set up another post before I leave tomorrow. Let me know what you think on this one - maybe unfairly flaming someone's gear (but i don't think so....

http://www.alpinabmw2002.com/2011/04/bmw-2002-close-ratio-steering-box.html

[williamdholmes]

my personal oinker, replete with lip gloss, and that thing, do look suspiciously alike.

[rms_sandiego]

Someone wants it..There are 7 bids and the price is up to 1160 euros ($1650)..... whooo...

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemnext&item=300543260408.html

[c.d.iesel]

the only way you might be sure it's

an authenthic quick ratio '"Sport" steering gear is

if the seller stated the number of turns

lock to lock - and stated that it's also a 'repair'

or 'replacement' i.d. tag that's afixed to it now ?

[zak2002]

Its fake. I have one. Wrong color. Wrong body. The case is slightly different around the gear Justin

[tjones02]

OK, I'm in a fishing kinda mood so I used Google translate to ask....

"Wie viele Windungen braucht es einer Seite zur anderen?"

Translated...

How many turns it takes one side to another?

Let's see if the seller responds...

The seller has recently sold other interesting '02 items like these adjustable control arms. I have a feeling the steering box is for real.

http://cgi.ebay.de/Schnitzer-BMW-2002-TI-Uniball-Querlenker-Einstellbar-/300540714098#ht_500wt_1156

[kbmb02]

Its fake. I have one. Wrong color. Wrong body. The case is slightly different around the gear Justin

To the best I've determined in reverse engineering the QR boxes, the factory used regular steering box housings and machined them (internally) for the quick ratio gears... therefore, I don't believe there's a difference in the housings, viewed externally.

At that auction price, it's inspiration to get back to my efforts in having QR boxes made.

-KB

[Guest Anonymous]

Its fake. I have one. Wrong color. Wrong body. The case is slightly different around the gear Justin

I would love to see a couple of images of the difference in the bodies (if you have). Obviously the thing was re-painted (not particularly well and not in the correct color). The ID tag with what appears to be engraved numbers as opposed to stamped numbers (also a lot less numbers than on one of the actual real deal boxes) is what caught my eye. It would be one thing (which is bad enough) if it was a hundred/two hundred dollar item, but at $1,500 plus, I consider that to be a significant rip off.

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[williamggruff]

... It would be one thing (which is bad enough) if it was a hundred/two hundred dollar item, but at $1,500 plus, I consider that to be a significant rip off.

Has anyone successfully modified a stock steering box so that it was identical in function and quality to a rebuilt c/r? If so, what was the cost to do so? I imagine it could be done for less than $1500, but I also imagined that my car project would be completed for under $5k, so my imagination isn't very accurate.

I personally don't care too much whether a part is an original piece, hand-carved from the bronze coffin that once held the corpse of an ancient warrior king; I just want it to work well. That said, I recognize that there's a market for antiquities and limited production goodies, and that there are some suckers out there.

In related news, I have a set of lightly used half shafts that may have been forged by John the Apostle, and are rumored to have been the inspiration for today's runaway home fitness sensation, the Shake Weight. While they are precious beyond compare, I might be willing to part with them for the right price.

Grice

[ClayW]

Dude's got an E21 power steering setup for sale. Someone should jump on that.

http://cgi.ebay.de/BMW-E21-323-i-servolenkung-/300543780575?pt=Autoteile_Zubeh%C3%B6r&hash=item45f9ce26df#ht_500wt_1156

[kbmb02]

Has anyone successfully modified a stock steering box so that it was identical in function and quality to a rebuilt c/r?

I've spent not a few hours researching, visiting gear manufacturers, machine shops, reviewing bearing catalogs, getting quotes, etc. The worm gear (more like a 'cam') is a complex part that leaves most saying "Nope, we can't do that." Some have said they can make it, but it won't be easy or cheap. And there are some secondary operations, too.

Though there's always interest in the QR 'sport' box when one goes up for sale, I wonder if there are enough people (mostly racers, I think?) to justify tooling-up to make them...

-KB

[Guest Anonymous]

I personally don't care too much whether a part is an original piece, hand-carved from the bronze coffin that once held the corpse of an ancient warrior king; I just want it to work well. That said, I recognize that there's a market for antiquities and limited production goodies, and that there are some suckers out there.

Grice

Your spot on I think. I personally haven't ever seen the innards of a steering box (CR or other), sounds like a few have cracked them open and it sounds like for varying reasons the machine work is not easy or inexpensive. That said, if the function was there I would probably buy one at something of a reasonable price (whatever that is).....I imagine as long as you could demonstrate that what you did worked, you could find at least a few folks that would buy in.

www.alpinabmw2002.com

[Harv]

This is where another idea comes in.

If the goal is quick ratio steering, then what about the many steering boxes sold by racing and hot rod supply shops? Yea it won't be a bolt in deal but how hard can it be?

John

[valentine02]

Hmmm... this post started me thinking about my own CR box. Something about the ID plate on the German Ebay box looked familiar...It's the same type/layout ID plate as the one I have, and different than the look of the one Mark has as a genuine example on his site. Seems like the layout of the ID plate (logo placement, company name, etc.) probably changed at some point. Mine seems to have more number strings than the German Ebay one, and mine is confirmed at 2 and 2/3 turns lock to lock. For sure a "sport" box. Color is definitely different than the Ebay one as well.

The Ebay one seems like it could be real. The only thing that would worry me would be the apparent lack of any additional identifying numbers (below the top numbers). And like c.d. points out, the best way to know for sure is to turn it.

[Guest Anonymous]

The Ebay one seems like it could be real. The only thing that would worry me would be the apparent lack of any additional identifying numbers (below the top numbers). And like c.d. points out, the best way to know for sure is to turn it.

Great post. Good pictures. Interesting - on the change in the numbering sets and the plaque itself, makes me curious as to why they would change the layout and look of the ID plaque (and numbering). On this one I think you would definitely have to be able to turn it to be comfortable buying (trip to Germany?.....No, unfortunatley not at this time). Hopefully it is the real deal for the person that ends up with it.

www.alpinabmw2002.com