Quote:
Originally Posted by Efthreeoh
IIRC BMW's first foray into EPS was in the E85/86 Z4 (non-M). I know some will disagree, but I think the E85/86 EPS is very, very good. So good that I did not realize my E86 (I bought used from CarMax) did not have hydraulic steering until I went looking for the PS reservoir to check the hydraulic oil level - LOL. Not seeing a pump and reservoir nor motor on the steering rack, I went to RealOEM.com to verify the power steering system. That's when I discovered BMW's E85/86 EPS powers the steering shaft rather than the steering rack. An ingenious solution, I think. Why BMW dropped that design I've never have discovered through internet searches.
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We also had EPS in the 1-series and some 3-series models here in Europe from 2006/7 onwards. Many users had no idea it was EPS, except some mentioned the steering weight was lighter than other BMW models.
Your reference to the steering column EPS, not currently being used, a big part of the issue is the torque values required for the heavier models. Over here the early 1 & 3-series models did use the current EPS designs, using the paraxial (APA) racks. The dual pinion (DP) racks are only fitted to models where torque required for fast interactions can cope. It's why models like the M340i in the same series have the APA paraxial EPS. Not really due to packaging constraints, as some have suggested, but APA has a higher torque rating, essential for the model.