So I bought an old Dodge pickup, 1965.. Steering loose.

D100. Very sloppy steering. Box is full of fluid and adjusting lock screw turned all the way in
Looks to have play where the shaft comes out to the top end of pitman. I could replace, get it rebuilt or wondering if anyone has bolted a rear steer manual rack and pinion to the back of the straight axle? Looks like it would line up. Just need some type of slide for the steering shaft to allow axle movement. What do you think?

Pretty simple set-up.
Check the king pins in the front axle,
as well as all the other steering components...

That box is a Saginaw 525.
It's simple as simple can be. You can buy a rebuild kit for $60 or so, sounds like it needs the whole kit.

As it's a recirculating ball type the interior parts should be all good, with exception of the output bushing and the bearing cages. It'll take longer to get it degreases than it'll take to rebuild. I don't know how to get the output shaft bushing out, I rebuilt mine in the middle of a public parking lot and didn't see the need.
I used a Moly NLGI 1 grease, left the tube in the sun and it just sort of slid/poured into the case. Kingpins will always need replacing, get the kind with the bronze bushings. remember to take out the lock pins before attempting to drive out the kingpins. The kingpins are relatively soft and you can mushroom the end if you're not careful. Spindles will need to go to machine shop for press out press in and ream.
Tie rod ends are cheap, and the drag link isn't but will probably need to be replaced. That's all there is to it!

R.

People seem to like the kingpins with ball bearings instead of factory washers.

Rack and pinion doesn't seem to recommended on a straight axle but it has been done.

http://freepages.misc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jstubblefield/dodge1.htm

http://sweptline.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=21009&hilit=rack

My 65 Series I drove similar when I first got it. Then I rebuilt the steering box, bought an NOS drag link off of Ebay ($24), replaced the kingpin & bushings and had the bushings honed to size (much better fit and finish than reaming), replaced the tie rod ends, added urethane leaf spring bushings, replaced the steering "Rag" joint, replaced the tires, wheel bearings, etc. It drives great and no longer wanders down the road. It drives great now and feels like it has power steering. The steering effort is that low.

- EM

Love to see some pics. I had a '67 short bed utiline, poly 318, three on the tree. Loved that truck. My first vehicle. 17 years old.

That first link is absolutely scary. From the mounting plates to the braces to the square tubing used at the tie rod ends. Please people don't replicate this disaster.

The second link appears to be better but there isn't a lot of detail. What I do know is I don't like the idea of the rack mounted to the axle. Yeah you can put a slip joint on the steering shaft but the axle and the shaft are moving in different arcs which could cause some weird binding issues not to mention that having the steering shaft moving up and down could cause some issues as well. The best way to do this would be with a dedicated cross member for the rack similar to what is done with a tube chassis race car and many IFS hot rod front end systems.

To the OP: I think the message is that the original non-power system can work quite well if it's brought back to correct condition. Mine has run tens of thousands of miles at speeds of 70mph or more. My only issue was that as the tread blocks wore down on my 31-10.50 x 15 front tires, it became harder and harder to jockey around in paved parking lots. The 10.50 tires on 7-inch rims and the rear 32-11.50 x 15 tires on 8" rims were more for looks. My vanity gave my upper body a workout as I used the truck as daily driver.

Looking through my on-line parts library (rockauto) I came upon something new to me. The washer bearing in the kingpin set. Every kingpin set I have ever bought has had a ball thrust bearing. The original kingpins in my '64Dog had the ball bearing. Now I see that you have to pick and choose to get a real ball bearing instead of the so-called washer bearing. I guess I've been lucky all this time!

Re: Sizing the bushings...I never worried about honed or reamed. I'd take the stuff into my local machine shop and get it back the next day. I don't know what procedure they used. I do know that the old books talk about reaming to size. This process uses a reamer specially made for kingpin bushings. It's long and makes sure the bushings are coaxial (in line with each other). I can see a hone doing one at a time and having the centerlines skewed. I can also see a hone bellmouthing the bushings. It's likely that this procedure takes a special kind of hone so all my worries are for naught. But I've never had an issue with a reamed kingpin bushing.

R.

I only did this once and that was in the '90s.
I had the king pin bushings installed & reamed at a machine shop.
Everything else just bolted back together.
Manual steering and the truck handled fine, once I went to skinnier tires.