'84 GSL-SE 113k miles...Bought it this summer, too much steering play, no more backlash adj., so I bought a new one from Mazdatrix and put it in (piece of cake...hehe) and it seems great, but I've noticed that when my car is sitting and the steering wheel is straight (hence the front wheels straight) there is 0-1mm of play in the wheel...perfect! But if the wheels are turned one way or the other a little , OR alot, I instantly have 3-4 inches! of play in the wheel with nothing moving but the steering wheel! Is this normal? Is some other component bad? any answers appreciated! Great scene!

 

Eveyone wants to fix/adjust/replace the steering sector 1st for some reason. This is the last part that should be addressed when making steering repairs. All of the other steering components must be in spec 1st. Start with the idler arm, this is the most common and 1st point of wear, then the tierods, ball joints and wheel bearings, in that order.

 

Ya, everyone seems to have this on there 7. Its not that big of a deal to me, but i'll get it fixed sooner or later. So, the idler arm and tierods and other componets can cause this?