I’ve got this play in my steering that’s been there a while:
https://youtube.com/shorts/lU9JKjMlPXk?si=0C0z97KCScqqZTYO
If I Jack the front end up and turn the steering wheel or push on the wheels, it’s silent. There’s no play in the U joint in the smuggler’s box and the noise is definitely coming from below. This would seem to leave either the coupler or lash in the rack and pinion itself. I did have the cover off once and there appear to be no issues with the rack attachment to the car.
So…what is likely? The steering was rebuilt by the PO probably 40k miles ago and the coupler was new then. I don’t think that would cause the noise I’m getting but I’m not sure where all that lash would come from.