Excessive play in steering wheel

Well here's the thing;
With the engine off and a power steering box, 1/8 of a turn either way from centered can be perfectly normal. With those single, flimsy, factory, reaction discs, in there, I have seen lots of perfectly fine-driving cars set up like that.

I have also seen perfectly fine-driving cars with manual boxes, that exhibited some steering wheel play, when stationary. In my experience the idler arm can be doing a little dance when the rubber is glued to the floor,and the box could be just fine.I'm just saying.

I know everybody's trying to help but gee-whiz the O/P hasn't clued me-at-least in yet.

And no I'm not arguing with any of the posters and their excellent helps. Steering boxes are always better steering when set a little loose than a little too tight. Too-tight on center steers like crxx.


What are you trying to say AJ?
That we took a tiny bit of information given by the OP and turned it into a scenario hunt?:D

I HATE the feel of an overtight steering box, that sticky can't trust it feeling like it may not actually turn next time.
Uhh.