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The moving up of the steering shaft tells me that your upper bearings are shot. I have dealt with this problem on Deere and was the cause for the slop. Sounds like yours may be similar. If yours is like the deere there is a box on the end of the shaft that is full of ball bearings. and that is what the steering arm attaches to. Inside the box is a screw (on the end of the steering shaft) and it screws the box up and down....supposedly. That's how the Deere steers. Turn the wheel, the screw moves the box up or down which moves the steering arm back and forth. For this to happen, the steering wheel must be locked in place so that the box moves up and down, not the wheel. Don't unscrew the wheel while the steering arms are held in one place. You will have a mess on your hands..... about 25 ball bearings will be all over the place. Get access to the top of the steering coumn and remove the bearings and races there and replace. Should be a nut on top of there (around the steering shaft) to start things out. The slop came from the fact that the bearings had desintegrated and when putting pressure against them, there was nothing there to push against. I had to go to a bearing shop with the old ones to get new ones. Dealer had none. It was some kind of fancy cone roller bearing and there were 2. Cost $35 each. Remember don't turn the wheel till the nut on top is back in place keeping the shaft from moving up when you turn the wheel. Very important. Mark
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