Steering wheel play - normal or not?

[JTDay]

Bone stock sport s with the exception of 33" wild peaks. Truck is OFF in the video. Is this roughly normal?



https://photos.app.goo.gl/MEbQ2d2cPXQ5ssjJA

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[Lunentucker]

It could be better. Ask the dealer to adjust the preload and to check torques on everything.
If you're out of warranty, do it yourself or find a reputable shop.

 

[Gizmo]

to adjust preload correctly the box needs to be removed . Good luck getting the dealer to do it correctly .

 

[Badunit]

Bone stock sport s with the exception of 33" wild peaks. Truck is OFF in the video. Is this roughly normal?

Play in the steering wheel when the engine is off is perfectly normal. If the JT power steering is anything like traditional power steering, inside the steering gear the steering shaft connects to a torsion bar that operates the power assist valving. The torsion bar twists a little as you put pressure on the wheel and that twist is what opens/closes the valving. That is part of what you are seeing. But it will only twist so far. More than that and there is a direct connection from the input shaft to the gear in case the power steering goes out. The rest of what you are seeing is the general sponginess of a recirculating ball steering system.

I can't say for sure whether the play you show in your video is correct or not, just that there will be a lot of it when the engine is off. It should have some resistance to it, though, not flop from one side to the other. What I saw in your video looks okay to me.

Don't adjust the preload unless you have a lot of play when the engine is running. Even then it is likely not the problem. Too many people go straight to that as a solution and make it too tight because they are doing it on the vehicle by what they think feels right vs doing it off the vehicle following the correct procedure. Too tight makes it stick and not return to center and it will seem like it is wandering and vague when really it is just binding internally. Too tight is way worse than a little loose.

 

[JTDay]

@Badunit appreciate the detailed response. I've always felt that it's likely normal but being my first vehicle that doesn't have rack and pinion, I wondered that maybe it wasn't and I'd never know.

I did a little experiment where I moved the wheel back and forth like shown in the video while I started my truck and once it started, that super loose on-center movement with no resistance became tighter and there was a "hydraulic" resistance present. So it sounds like you're right on. Thanks again.

 

[Badunit]

Recirculating ball steering is definitely sloppier/spongier. The hydraulics masks a lot of it.

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