If steering wheel play is measured at 10 degrees, what is the appropriate action?

• A. Operate vehicle normally; steering play is within limits.
• B. Immediately repair steering linkage.
• C. Replace steering wheel.
• D. Ignore and continue pumping.

Answer: (A)

Steering play assessment checks for how much free movement there is in the steering system before the wheels start to respond. If that free motion stays within the vehicle’s specified tolerance, the steering is considered acceptable and you can operate normally. In this scenario, 10 degrees of wheel play is within the allowable limit, so there’s no immediate repair needed and you proceed with normal operation. The action of repairing the steering linkage or replacing the steering wheel would be reserved for when play exceeds the specified tolerance. Ignoring play would only be acceptable if the measurement were within limits, so the given situation supports continuing pumping with normal driving while continuing to monitor the condition.