Sloppy BMW E30 steering wheel fix

Slop or play in the E30 steering wheel is a very common issue given the current age of the vehicle. There are many causes of the sloppy steering wheel problem. For example, a sloppy steering guibo, a worn or faulty steering rack or bad steering knuckle to name a few. There is another factor oftentimes gets overlooked and can very well be the root cause of your steering slop. Most notably, this solution is the quickest and cheapest fix of them all. There is a coupler on the steering column that tends to loosen over time that likely needs attention. We will go over the procedure on how to gain access and tighten this steering coupler below.

How do I gain access to the E30 steering coupler?

Firstly, to gain access to the steering coupler, simply remove the knee panel by removing the quantity (4) philips head screws and the quantity (4) 8mm hex head screws on the kick panel. Once removed, you will see a large coupler just above the pedals on the steering column itself. To clarify, refer to the images below this post for a visual reference.

How to tighten the E30 steering coupler:

Simply place an adjustable wrench on the coupler and turn COUNTER CLOCKWISE. This will tighten the coupler, not loosen it. Turning clockwise will loosen the coupler further and make your problem worse. A few good turns will tighten it back up. Lastly, reassemble your kick panel in reverse order and go for a test drive. After than, take your vehicle out for a test drive and you should notice a significant difference in direct steering feel.

If after you try this fix and slop remains, you know you have eliminated one of the potential causes and can further trouble shoot by trying some of the other potential causes. If E30 steering slop still exists, start chasing down issues with the steering rack or steering guibo.