Gear box or other components?
 

What can look for to determine if my gear box or other components it controls is the reason for the play in the steering wheel?

Re: Gear box or other components?
 

I've always heard them called Steering gears or steering boxes. There are more than one gear box, but transmission is what comes to my mind.

Takes two people. Have someone work the steering wheel while you look up front. If the lower column moves a lot before the pitman arm there is play in the box. Check for the relationship between all parts involved on down the line to the knuckles. Also, by yourself you can lift the front and move the tires as you look for slop. You can feel, by twisting, excessive wear in the link parts (rod ends and such). Look for slop at the sector shaft/pitman arm and on down the line. It all starts with the rag joint at upper/lower column

Re: Gear box or other components?
 

Jack up the front end, put it on jack stands. Go to each wheel, move it back and forth. Feel for play. May need someone to help watch the joints while you move it back and forth. This will allow you to see issues in the inner and outer tie rods, pitman arm, and idler arm.

For ball joints, jack up the control arm to relieve tension. Only needs to come up a little bit, not enough you are lifting the truck. Use a pry bar to see if you can move the spindle to indicate a loose joint. I would check the upper control arm bushing while you have tension relieved. Again, use a pry bar to see if there is any play.

For the steering box, I would have someone turn the wheel and have someone watch the box to see if there is any time where the input shaft is moving and the pitman arm is not.

Re: Gear box or other components?
 

I agree with the previous posts. If all that checks out good and tight then the next thing you can do is tighten the sector shaft in the steering box. If your steering box is very worn you may find that after you tighten it a little it may bind as you turn the steering wheel either direction so it is a trial and error to find a happy medium.