Non-Negotiables — Confirm First
Nothing below means anything until these four are confirmed correct. Not close — correct.
2 Pitman arm torque
Torque wrench only. Not an impact gun, not a wrench "by feel." If there's no torque wrench on hand, stop here — nothing past this point is valid.
Tool used
— select —
Torque wrench
Impact gun
Hand wrench / no torque wrench
Torque applied
— select —
35 ft-lb
40 ft-lb
45 ft-lb
51 ft-lb
58 ft-lb
65 ft-lb
Not torqued to a spec / unsure
3 Coupler bolts
Only valid with the correct hardware: factory Kmax/10.1 bolts, or Airkewld hardware. Chrome coupler components or grade 5 silver-zinc bolts won't crimp the serrated output shaft correctly, and grade 5 bolts stretch — they won't hold this torque even if the wrench clicks.
Hardware
— select —
OEM Kmax/10.1 or Airkewld hardware
Chrome components / grade 5 silver-zinc bolts
Unknown / unsure
Torque applied (per bolt)
— select —
15 ft-lb
18 ft-lb
22 ft-lb
25 ft-lb
30 ft-lb
Not torqued to a spec / unsure
4 Box-to-beam bolts
Must be OEM Kamax-style bolts or Airkewld ARP fasteners.
Hardware
— select —
OEM Kamax-style or Airkewld ARP fasteners
Other / aftermarket
Unknown / unsure
Torque applied
— select —
12 ft-lb
15 ft-lb
18 ft-lb
22 ft-lb
25 ft-lb
Not torqued to a spec / unsure
Running Tally
–
Found in linkage & suspension
–
Of wheel play accounted for
Fill in Step 1 to start the tally.
1 Total play at the rim
Rock the steering wheel left-right at the rim just until the front wheels visibly start to move. Measure the total distance the rim traveled before the wheels responded. Roughly 3/4"–1" is typical for a sound but worn stock-type box and linkage — more than that means it's accumulating somewhere in the joints below.
Rim travel before wheels move
2 Steering column
Watch where the column enters the frame head while the wheel is rocked. Looseness in the column itself (worn column bushings, a loose column clamp) shows up here before the coupler even moves.
3 Steering coupler
Bolt torque and hardware are already confirmed above — this is the disc/coupler material itself. Check it for cracking, softness, or delaminating rubber, and watch it twist as the wheel is rocked — any flex here before the input shaft turns is play, not just cosmetic wear.
Condition
Good — no visible wear
Soft / starting to perish
Cracked or delaminating
Mounting bolts/clamp loose
Notes
4 Box output (pitman/drop arm)
Palm across the nut holding the pitman arm to the box's sector shaft. Rock the wheel gently and feel which moves first: the shaft turning inside the arm before the arm moves means the retaining nut is loose — a torque issue, not a box defect. The arm moving before the box engages at all means play inside the box itself, or a box that simply needs adjusting (see the reference below before assuming it needs to come off).
Play measured at the arm Pattern observed
No play felt
Nut loose on shaft
Arm moves before box engages
5 Box mounting
Bolt torque and hardware are already confirmed above — this checks for movement anyway. A bolt can be torqued correctly and the box still shift if the frame head itself is cracked or elongated. Watch/feel the box body while the wheel is rocked — a box shifting in its mount reads exactly like internal play.
6 Drag link / center tie rod ends
Watch each ball-socket end — where it meets the pitman arm, and where it meets the arm on the beam — as the wheel is rocked. Any jump before the linkage takes up is play at that joint.
Pitman-arm-side end Outboard-side end
7 Outer tie rod ends
Grip each outer tie rod end and check for play by hand, and watch each one as the wheel is rocked.
Left side Right side
8 Link pins & bushings
With the front end loaded, grab each tire top and bottom and rock it in and out. Looseness here reads as steering-wheel play even though it's link pin/bushing wear, not the box or linkage.
Left side Right side
Bushing condition notes
9 Front wheel bearings
Wheel off the ground: grab the tire at 12 and 6 o'clock and rock it. This is bearing play, not steering play — but it transmits straight to the rim and gets blamed on the box just as often.
10 Tires
Confirm even inflation and no separated tread or sidewall bulge. Rarely the culprit, but a five-second check that rules out a wandering feel being mistaken for play.
Good Suspect
Reference — adjusting the box (if Step 4 points there)
Center the box: count full lock-to-lock turns of the wheel, then turn back to the halfway point.
Loosen the jam nut on the top adjustment screw.
Turn the adjustment screw clockwise in small increments — no more than 1/8 turn at a time.
After each increment, turn the wheel through its full range and check for a tight or binding spot.
Stop as soon as the play at the arm is gone. If you feel any binding through the range, back off slightly.
Hold the screw and tighten the jam nut.
The screw only removes backlash between the sector shaft and worm gear. If play remains after it's adjusted down to the point of binding — or the box binds before the play is gone — that's a genuine internal issue, not just an out-of-adjustment box.
Conclusion
Check every source this worksheet found play in.
Box output / adjustment Box internal (play remains after adjustment) Coupler Column Drag link ends Outer tie rod ends Link pins / bushings Ball joints Wheel bearings Mounting hardware Tires
Notes / recommendation Inspector signature Date signed
US Dollars