Tie rod lock plates?

electrofelix

Planning to replace the tie rods (both inner and outer) on my BMW E36. Got all the parts, except it seems the lock plates that sit between the steering rack and tie rod itself. Apparently it's just some special washer that sits between the tie rod and steering rack and is intended to be bent over after you finish tightening the tie rod to the rack so as to prevent it coming undone.

Only problem is that the parts dealership is telling me that the minimum order on this part is 25, and the only place I can seem to order a smaller number is in the US and is looking for a $32 shipping fee to be paid on 2 small parts that could be sent via a letter. Parts themselves are about €4/5 each, so buying 25 is crazy as well.

Local motor factors (including Otto) said they don't stock it. Tried www.1stchoice.co.uk as well, just hoping that someone there can provide them without needing me to buy 25 of them.


Anyone got any other suggestions? I would have thought that if they weren't supplied with the tie rods, that they should have been much easier to source than this. I really don't think it's wise to re-use a part that has been bent into position and then hammered back out to get the old tie rod off.

JoeySully

whats the part number ?

JoeySully

part number 4 is it ??




try these guys
http://www.partsreunited.co.uk/category/200/BMW/listings/684769/32111136526.html

Try BMW up North

electrofelix

Yeap, that's the one. It has a small protruding notch that sits in against the steering rack side and after tightening the tie rod, you bent the side of the lock plate opposite to the notch over the hex edge on the tie rod. So it shouldn't be able to unscrew or twist by itself.

electrofelix

Thanks for the suggestion, it prodded me in the direction of just searching google directly with the part number.

Found a BMW dealer in Cork that had them in stock (Kearys BMW), via this website: http://www.d2dgateway.ie

Can't use the website directly, but as it lists some contact information on place that has the parts in stock, it makes it easy enough to call up as see if they would post the parts up.

Since they had them in stock, I'm guessing some of the BMW dealership parts places stock them, but only if they are getting sufficient the numbers through the service side that require the same parts, otherwise the customer has to take the minimum order themselves.

Their number will be going into my list of places to contact when I need BMW only supplied parts.

Esel

Hope you're sorted then. At a push, you could probably have re-used the old parts.

E39MSport

Try schmiedmann.com if you can't source in Ieland.

electrofelix

esel wrote: »

Hope you're sorted then. At a push, you could probably have re-used the old parts.

Would be concerned about metal fatigue, certainly it would be in the back of my mind when driving in the future that there was a weak spot. Probably could have gotten away with it for a while until I including them with another order, but it's better to have it done in one go.

E39MSport wrote: »

Try schmiedmann.com if you can't source in Ieland.

Excellent, thanks for that pointer. I had been looking for a site like www.pelicanparts.com but a bit geographically closer for lower shipping costs. That looks like it'll fit the bill perfectly, even if the site layout isn't as nice.