This past weekend I pulled the steering box out of the car. There is no play in the worm shaft and only a small amount in the sector shaft. This is clearly not the source of the poor steering that I was experiencing. Now I have to decide whether to open the box and inspect inside of it. I'm not sure of exactly what to look for though. Obvious flaws in the gears are easy but what about the more subtle things?

How much play is expected with the mounting pivot on the lower control arms? My pivots had a fair amount; the bushings have now been replaced but there is still some definite play. Does the strut rod locate the LCA well enough that the pivot does not need to be tight? Obviously it needs to be able to freely rotate.