I was observing my steering today and I noticed somehting odd. I just replaced my box with a quick ratio box I got off another member.

When I Turn the wheel and look at the pitman arm, the pitman arm does not just move horizontally. It also has a little vertical twist, coming from the splined output shaft of the steering box.

How much play should this shaft have? It has none by hand, but it obviously has some under more extreme forces. I assume this is a bearing. If so, how hard is it to replace?

 

Let me rephrase that, after looking at a bunch of rebuild guides...

How much non-radial play is within spec for the sector shaft.

 

In lieu of a precise and accurate answer I'll give you the simple one. If it leaks fluid out the pitman shaft you need to fix it, if it isn't leaking it's o.k. It's a bushing, not a bearing, and a complete PITA to change-last thing to come out of the box, and you need a press. Often it's actually the steel shaft that wears not the bronze bushing.