I have a 1994 2 wheel drive standard cabin truck. Parked, the steering is tight. Barely rotate the steering wheel and the tires respond. Going down the road, there's certainly play in the steering. Jacked up though, everything is tight...ball joints, tie rod, bearings and pitman arm. BUT, when the key is removed and the steering wheel locks, then suddenly there's about a 1/4 turn of play. What is causing that?

 

so if you open the hood and look at the steering box, you can see play in the steering shaft going into the box? but don't see play in the steering arm attached to the output shaft of the box?