I finally got around to checking the lash adjustment screw on the steering box. I went clockwise alamost a half a turn when I felt resistance and then back off about 1/8 turn and tightened the nut. However it is raining and I don't know when I will be able to go for a test drive! There is no binding or noise while tuning from lock to lock in the garage and most of the free play in the steering is gone, so I'm hoping for improvent out on the road. Thanks for the step by step approach fron "4sp".

Buckeye Fan,

FYI...I checked my steering box free play again this weekend before I went cruising. There was no free play. I had originally adjusted the box with the front wheels off the ground and this may have "unloaded" the steering box shaft to the extent that it changed the amount of apparent free play. It makes more sense to adjust it with the car on the ground. I'm just letting you know in case you had your front wheels off the ground. Due to my experience I'll check the adjustment with the wheels on the ground in case it changes again. It's so easy to do. My car is still handling and steering extremely well but I want to be that the adjustment remains the same as where I set it.

I just went though the same issue with my 74. After adjusting for preload on the worm gear and adjusting the pitman shaft back lash the car still wandered. I couldn't get the excess play out from the steering column, thus was always having to over compensate for every bump in the road. I ended up rebuilding the steering box, including a new pitman shaft and worm gear assembly with a 12 to 1 ratio ($299). The car handles significantly better and is extremely responsive. I hope the bach lash adjustment does it for you, but you may be in the same shape I was in, worm gear and pitman shaft worn around the center steering point. If you have the same issue I had and you remove the back lash at the center steering point you may experience tighness at the extreme left and right turning points.