This is my first post here. I've got quite a bit of play in my steering wheel. About 2". I'm not sure what parts I should be looking to buy to resolve this. Any help?

 

The most common failure is the coupler between the steering shaft and steering gear. The rebuild kits are cheap, but a lot of people replace the steering shaft with a Borgsen. That eliminates that coupling that always goes bad.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll give it a shot. Any thoughts on steering components?

 

Is it 2wd or 4wd?
A good place to start is have a friend slowly rock the steering wheel back and forth while you watch.
typically, that much free play is the coupler. However, I did have a worn out steering column bushing cause the same thing.
The drag link.
Steering box loose on the frame.

 

It's 4wd. I'm gonna grab everything. Tie rod ends, drag link and Borgsen steering shaft. I've only had the truck for a month. I doubt any of these have been replaced. They look worn and there is play. Do you know if it's a 3500lb or 4500lb front axle? I'm guessing 4500. I still need to check the steering box. Thanks again for the help.

 

4500# Dana 60. Be careful, a lot of parts places don't understand they are different and try to hand you Dana 44 3500# axle parts.

 

Thanks a lot. I ordered everything in. Installed the D-link and ball joints yesterday. It was a breeze. Still waiting on the steering box and shaft. I gotta say, I'm really exited to work on this truck. I took the front wheels off and there was tons of room to work. It's a dream. Thanks again for your help Cougar.