Steering Column Has Play
Short answer: Play usually comes from one of two places: the rubber/fiber steering flex joint (rag joint) or the gearbox.
- Flex joint: with the engine off, have someone rock the wheel a quarter turn — if the upper half moves before the lower, the joint is bad. It’s a cheap auto-parts item (you’ll have to pull the column).
- Gearbox: if the input shaft moves a lot while the pitman arm stays nearly still, the box is sloppy. There’s an adjustment screw with a locknut on top — loosen the locknut, tighten the screw until you feel slight resistance, retighten. If that doesn’t help, find a better/new gearbox.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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