Check the rag joint between the steering gear box and the steering column.

 

Do you mean that you can pick up that much slop from the colapsable joint to the column? or you talking bout the joint on the box?

 

the rag joint is right after the gear box. you can grab the shaft and twist it back and forth to see what you got.

 

The rag joint is behind the plastic cover on the steering shaft. Two little push tabs allow it to separate. If the rag joint is torn you can have a lot of slop in the steering. Once the joint is exposed have someone turn the wheel and see if the play is in the rag joint or in the steering box.

 

Sorry. Didn't see the video until after I posted. The vehicle is a 98 and only has 110K.

 

i just called chevy today to ask about the rag joint and they said the 2nd gen doesnt have a rag joint. they claim there is an intermediate steering shaft in place of it. wth???

 

I'm about in the same boat. RockAuto sells rebuild kits for about $36. However the kits don't address the issue of the worm and gear being worn, just leaky seals. I have yet to find those replacement parts. It's either that or have some thrust washers made up to account for the wear since there is a limited amount of adjustability. But then you run into the issue of teeth getting thin with limited engagement. If I find any leads in the near future I'll make sure to post.

 

have you read about the "flaming river mod"? theres a how-to on zr2usa