{"id":109616,"date":"2024-06-27T05:07:46","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T12:07:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=109616"},"modified":"2024-07-17T08:54:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T15:54:00","slug":"causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Causes of Excessive Play on the Steering Wheel, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_474ce3-7d{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_474ce3-7d > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_474ce3-7d qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-ddcfd2  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-f9fb55\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_2158b0-12\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_2158b0-12\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_2158b0-12\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading_2158b0-12 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading_2158b0-12\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Excessive play refers to when the steering wheel feels loose. It typically forces the driver to overcompensate while steering to maintain trajectory.<\/li><li>Common causes of excessive play include a bad pitman arm, a loose intermediate shaft, a steering gear or rack that has come loose from the body or frame, a damaged steering column, and worn tie rods.<\/li><li>It&rsquo;s not recommended to drive a vehicle with loose steering, nor is it recommended to address the problem without the help of a professional.<\/li><\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>One of the biggest problems a driver can experience is a loose <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/steering-wheel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"steering wheel\">steering wheel<\/a> because it makes it so much easier to lose control of the trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Driving a vehicle with excessive play is as frustrating as it is dangerous. Not only does it increase the risk of getting into an accident, it&rsquo;s also a clear sign there&rsquo;s something wrong with your vehicle. After all, excessive steering play typically indicates damaged steering components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But what exactly is excessive play, and what are its major causes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is Excessive Play?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Excessive play refers to when the steering wheel feels loose. It typically forces the driver to overcompensate while steering to maintain trajectory. If your vehicle has excessive play, you need to stay vigilant and make constant corrections to avoid spinning out of control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are many potential causes behind excessive play, each of them attributed to worn-out and malfunctioning parts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to Diagnose Excessive Play on the Steering Wheel<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When the vehicle is sitting still and you can turn the wheel back and forth two or more inches without changing the steering angle of the wheels, you have play in the steering. That much play can cause problems when the vehicle is moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to see where the steering play is happening, lie under the front of the car (engine off, park brake set) and watch the steering parts while an assistant moves the steering wheel back and forth. You&rsquo;ll usually see where the problem is. Have a good light with you so you can watch carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><em>If you want to see where the steering play is happening, lie under the front of the car (engine off, park brake set) and watch the steering parts while an assistant moves the steering wheel back and forth.<\/em><\/p><cite>&ndash;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\">Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Excessive Play When Driving?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>First, it depends on what kind of steering system the vehicle has. Parallelogram steering has a gearbox connecting the steering column to the pitman arm, which in turn is connected to the center link, the other end of which is carried by the idler arm. Each end of the center link is connected to a tie rod that transmits steering movement to the steering knuckles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The steering knuckles have a spindle. The axis around which the wheel spins as it carries the vehicle. The vertical steering axis passes through the lower ball joint and the upper ball joint or through the lower ball joint and up through the center of the strut, which has a bearing at the top to allow the steering knuckles and the front wheels to turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components-1024x544.jpg\" alt=\"steering system components diagram\" class=\"wp-image-110633\" width=\"1024\" height=\"544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components-1024x544.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components-300x159.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components-768x408.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components-150x80.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-system-components.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>Common causes of excessive free play when driving include bad pitman arms, a loose intermediate shaft, a steering gear or rack that has come loose from the body or frame, a damaged steering column, and worn, loose tie rod ends.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Common causes of excessive free play when driving include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/bad-pitman-arm-symptoms-plus-faq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"bad pitman arms\">bad pitman arms<\/a>, a loose intermediate shaft, a steering gear or rack that has come loose from the body or frame, a damaged steering column, and worn, loose tie rod ends. The &ldquo;rag joint&rdquo; on an older steering column can fail and cause steering play, but this is easy to spot if you have an assistant moving the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bad Pitman Arms<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/pitman-arm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"pitman arm\">pitman arm<\/a> transfers the driver&rsquo;s steering wheel input to the steering linkage to turn the wheels. However, don&rsquo;t be confused: pitman arms are only found on parallelogram steering systems as described above and there is only one pitman arm on a vehicle. The companion arm is the &ldquo;idler arm,&rdquo; and if it&rsquo;s worn out, it can cause steering play issues as well. Steering gears on these types of systems have an adjustment for play, so there&rsquo;s that, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Damaged Steering Column<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/steering-column\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"steering column\">steering column<\/a> transmits input from the steering wheel to the steering rack or the steering gear, depending on which type of steering your vehicle has.<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_21f73a-73{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_21f73a-73 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_21f73a-73 kb-section-dir-vertical kb-section-sm-dir-vertical pro-tip-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:start;}:where(#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:start;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-md, 2rem);padding-top:var( --global-kb-row-default-top, 25px );padding-bottom:var( --global-kb-row-default-bottom, 25px );padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-left:16px;padding-right:32px;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, calc(10% - ((var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem ) * 1 )\/2)))minmax(0, calc(90% - ((var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem ) * 1 )\/2)));}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.00;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep{height:100px;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep svg{width:100%;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep svg{fill:#ffffff!important;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-top-sep{height:100px;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-top-sep svg{width:100%;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-top-sep svg{fill:#ffffff!important;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep{height:px;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep svg{width:%;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 > .kt-row-column-wrap{padding-top:28px;padding-bottom:25px;padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep{height:px;}#kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0 .kt-row-layout-bottom-sep svg{width:%;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-rowlayout alignnone pro-tip-wrap\"><div id=\"kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0\" class=\"kt-row-layout-inner kt-layout-id_c84f19-b0\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-gutter-none kt-v-gutter-default kt-row-valign-top kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-right-golden kt-m-colapse-left-to-right kt-mobile-layout-right-golden  kt-custom-first-width-10  kt-custom-second-width-90\"><style>.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col{min-height:45px;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column_25f49c-02 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-1 kadence-column_25f49c-02 kb-section-dir-horizontal kb-section-md-dir-horizontal pro-tip-item1\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image_b31468-dc.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image_b31468-dc .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:45px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b31468-dc.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image_b31468-dc .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image_b31468-dc figure{max-width:45px;}.kb-image_b31468-dc .image-is-svg, .kb-image_b31468-dc .image-is-svg img{width:100%;}.kb-image_b31468-dc .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image_b31468-dc\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/f_auto,dpr_auto,q_auto,c_pad\/carparts\/blog\/widgets\/protip\/services-icon\" alt=\"\" class=\"kb-img\"><\/figure><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column_125dfb-c8{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column_125dfb-c8 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column inner-column-2 kadence-column_125dfb-c8 pro-tip-item2\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"protip-desc\">\n\t<div class=\"help-tip\">\n\t\t<p><strong>Pro Tips<\/strong> are nuggets of information direct from ASE-certified automobile technicians working with CarParts.com, which may include unique, personal insights based on their years of experience working in the automotive industry. These can help you make more informed decisions about your car.<\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n    <div class=\"help-caption\">\n        <p>\n            <strong>Pro Tip:<\/strong>\n            Most vehicles today have rack and pinion steering, which means that they have no pitman or idler arm; only tie rods going from the ends of the rack to the steering knuckles.\n        <\/p>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft-1024x416.jpg\" alt=\"steering shaft of a car\" class=\"wp-image-110634\" width=\"1024\" height=\"416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft-1024x416.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft-300x122.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft-768x312.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft-150x61.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/steering-shaft.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption>If the steering wheel feels loose or strange or if it seems to go through evenly spaced cyclic hard-then-easy stages during each turn, one or both of the small u-joints in the intermediate shaft may be stiff and dry. This happens sometimes. | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/five-signs-your-steering-column-needs-repair-or-replacement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"damaged steering column\">damaged steering column<\/a> not only makes it more difficult to control your vehicle, but you might also hear loud grinding noises when you drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you suspect this part to be the culprit behind your vehicle&rsquo;s excessive play, inspect the steering column for signs of damage. Odds are you&rsquo;ll need to replace it if it&rsquo;s worn or weathered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Worn Tie Rods<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A minor cause for excessive play on the steering wheel is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-happens-when-a-tie-rod-breaks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"worn tie rods\">worn tie rods<\/a>, but outer tie rods can only have a small amount of play even if they&rsquo;re worn out. Inner tie rod ends that connect to the steering rack can have a bit more play than the outer ones. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/tie-rod-assembly\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Tie rods\">Tie rods<\/a> take damage the more a vehicle is driven, absorbing the impact and vibrations on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The more a tie rod wears out, the more difficult it is for the wheels to remain in place. This makes steering the vehicle feel lighter, leading to excessive steering play and unevenly worn tires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can You Fix Excessive Free Play on the Steering Wheel By Yourself?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, that depends on where the problem is. If you&rsquo;ve done any DIY front-end work before, you can replace a pitman arm (a puller is required) or an idler arm (which must be separated from the center link). Tie rod ends are fairly easy to replace, but you have to make sure you assemble the new tie rods as near the same length as the old ones as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The intermediate shaft isn&rsquo;t usually that difficult to replace, so you should be able to handle this with no special tools, but make sure to center the steering wheel and remove the key so it&rsquo;ll remain locked and you won&rsquo;t inadvertently damage the airbag clockspring. Some of the other issues, like replacing the steering rack or steering gear might be best handled by a shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can You Drive With Excessive Play?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You should not drive a vehicle with excessive play. While a lot of people drive with play in their steering, it&rsquo;s not a good idea. If the play you feel comes about suddenly, you should get the vehicle to a safe place off the road as quickly as possible and have it checked. But don&rsquo;t be lulled into thinking you can continue to ignore loose steering.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 5<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>One of the biggest problems a driver can experience is a loose steering wheel because it makes it so much&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":109619,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52,3755],"tags":[1058,1731,3499,878,3545],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-109616","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-diy","8":"category-suspension","9":"tag-ball-joint","10":"tag-pitman-arm","11":"tag-steering-column","12":"tag-steering-wheel","13":"tag-tie-rod-assembly","14":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Causes of Excessive Play on the Steering Wheel, Explained - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the different issues that can cause excessive play on the steering wheel and how to deal with them in this article.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Causes of Excessive Play on the Steering Wheel, Explained - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the different issues that can cause excessive play on the steering wheel and how to deal with them in this article.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-27T12:07:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-17T15:54:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/car-steering-wheel-feels-loose.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1333\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/causes-of-excessive-play-on-the-steering-wheel-explained\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"4\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. 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