I have a similar problem, with about 1/6 turn of slack in the steering...wondering if the gearbox needs work, or if I should even be driving with it the way it is...can be stressful...should I worry that at any time my gearbox could fail and I could careen off of the road?
On top of the steering gearbox, is a threaded stud that has a slot in the head of it, and a nut on that stud.
Make sure the wheels are straight. Use a large flat tip screwdriver for that stud, take an end wrench, and loosen the nut.
Screw the stud down 1/8 to 1/4 turn. Tighten the nut. Check the slack. If the steering is too tight, back it off. Too loose, tighten a little more.
Drive the vehicle a few blocks, check the steering out. Come back, and do adjustment some more if necessary.
It's a fine line between too tight, and removing slack. DO NOT drive it being too tight. Readjust until it's right.
If your vehicle is an '83 Jeep, it's 26 years old. The steering box may be worn out.
If everything in the steering linkage is tight (don't forget that small amounts of wear are added together as total play) Then the box is likely worn. There is some adjustment that can be made using top bolt adjuster and end ring. If you adjust, do it with wheels off the ground (I generally disconnect the pitman arm from the remainder of the suspension as well.
One thing you need to check though is the steering box mount bolts where they attach to the chassis. This is a weak point, and can result in the box actually tearing away. Wear inside the box can make driving annoying, box falling off the chassis is obviously more than an annoyance.
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