The rear-wheel drive offers true driving pleasure. It’s also great for drifting. However, factory suspension wasn't always designed with drifters in mind—especially professional ones. That's where steering adapters come in. This small part significantly improves the ability to initiate controlled oversteering in the vehicle.

Steering adapters BMW e36

Steering adapters BMW e46

Steering adapters for Lexus is200 and is300

What steering adapters do

Their main task is to increase the stock steering angle without modifying the bodywork. But these adapters offer more benefits than just that. They increase the camber, meaning the angle of the wheels. This ensures that during drifting, the front wheels stay in better contact with the road surface.

Another advantage of steering adapters is that by resetting the Ackermann angle, the car does not slow down during controlled oversteering. Additionally, they raise the roll center, which results in less body roll.

A big plus is that they can be mounted to the stock control arms and spindles, meaning you can significantly improve the car's handling for drifting at a low cost.

Which brands most commonly use steering adapters

The first requirement is that the car must have rear-wheel drive. Otherwise, mounting the adapters would not be possible.

The brand most commonly associated with drifting is BMW. For this reason, BMW steering adapters are very popular. We also offer complete steering kits for BMW. Therefore, the most frequently bought steering adapters in the CNC71 store are:

• Steering adapters for BMW E30,
• Steering adapters for BMW E36,
• Steering adapters for BMW E46,
• Steering adapters for BMW M3.

You can find them in the steering adapters category on the website.

Let’s not forget about Japanese cars. After all, Japan is the birthplace of drifting. That’s why we also offer steering adapters for Lexus, such as:

• Steering adapters for Lexus IS 300,
• Steering adapters for Lexus GS 300,
• Steering adapters for Lexus IS 200.

What steering adapters are made of

The best adapters are made of durable aluminum. We use an alloy with strength comparable to structural steel, but with the added advantage of being much lighter than steel. This is necessary due to the high loads encountered during drifting.

This material has very high mechanical strength, as well as high fatigue strength. It is also easy to machine, and even to polish or sand. Milling with professional CNC machines allows us to create adapters that fit perfectly to the spindle and ball joint ends.

What to buy as part of a kit

Installing steering adapters changes the position of the wheels relative to the body. As a result, the steering rods will need to be adjusted in length. In this case, they will need to be shortened or replaced with rods from another model. This can be a bit troublesome, so if your drift car is from Bavaria, it might be better to opt for a BMW steering kit that includes a shortened steering rod. This way, everything is plug & play.

Another part worth buying are aluminum spacers. Due to the significantly increased steering angle, the stock wheel may rub against suspension components or the wheel well. You’ll need the right wheel width and offset (ET) to avoid this. Using spacers will largely resolve this issue.

Since installing steering adapters requires removing the control arm from the spindle, you might want to replace the control arm bushings with polyurethane bushings. In this case, eccentric bushings are especially recommended. You could also opt for custom control arms, but that’s a larger investment compared to just replacing the bushings.

Can steering adapters be installed yourself

In short – yes. If you have knowledge of car repairs, you’ll be able to handle this task. You won’t need a lift or professional jack; everything can be done at ground level. All you’ll need is a jack to lift the car and a set of wrenches. A torch might also come in handy for heating stuck bolts. If you don’t have a press for ball joints, heating the bolts will also make the job easier.

Of course, nothing prevents you from having a steering adapter installation done by a mechanic. However, you must remember that due to the intervention in the steering system, alignment will need to be adjusted. Not all mechanics have the equipment for computer wheel alignment. Attempting to set it "by eye" can cause excessive tire wear. In this case, it’s necessary to go to a shop that specializes in wheel alignment.