Quote:
Originally Posted by softsign
Some more digging leads me to think it's probably the thrust piece, which seems to be a common issue for BMW.
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Lift the drivers side tire off the ground. Grab the tire at 3&9 o'clock, push/pull firmly and quickly like you're steering the vehicle left/right. If you feel play and hear clunking, the thrust piece may be worn. The play should be at the inner tie rod location at the rack.
I replaced mine with the revised part. The original part is susceptible to wear, therefore causing play in the rack. The new part has wear bars made from a more suitable material, plus has o-rings for less friction of the part
I'm not saying that will fix your rattle, but an easy way to tell is to simply turn the adjustment on the original part to remove the play and see if the rattle goes away.
There was a groove worn on one side of the old part from where the rack rubs:
