Loose steering problem on a 98 Ram 1500, 4x4

There is an adjuster nut there - but first you need to determine if the slop is in the steering box or the intermediate shaft. Have someone grab hold of the coupler right at the steering box with a big pair of pliers. Then, while holding firm, you try and turn the wheel. If the slop is still there, it's due to worn U-joints in the steering shaft. If everything is tight, then the play is in the box.

If it's the shaft, there's not much you can do but replace it. If it's the box, the adjuster nut is located in the center of the sector shaft cover plate, on the top of the box (opposite the pitman arm). It's a lock nut around an allen-head adjuster screw. Loosen the locknut, tighten the adjuster screw, then re-tighten the locknut. Now, you need to be careful not to apply too much preload via the adjuster - you'll cause even more wear to the gear. I wouldn't go any more than 1/4 turn on the adjuster screw.

I've been told that it's best to adjust the steering box at the full left or right turn steering wheel stop. The gear in the steering box wears the most in the center (straight ahead) position. If you adjust the play out of the gear in the center position it could bind at the full left/right steering extremes. Can anyone back this theory up? It sounds reasonable to me.

Along with that iirc there was some discussion at some point regarding adjustments with the wheels in the air or on the ground.

Roy