Play in steering wheel is driving me nuts

I'll echo what many others have said. Check LCA bushings. Perhaps even your cam bolts could be worn out or stripped from previous alignment shops over torquing them.

I've owned my '03 (276k miles) for about 10 months, and have put a new rack in, new tie rod ends, new front coilovers, new uca's (with new bushings, and new LCA bushings (with all new OEM cam bolts). My steering play was downright terrifying to drive > 50 mph with, but the LCA bushings with new cam bolts made all the difference. All other listed front end repairs made minimal impacts.

 

Do you think the LCA bushings made more difference than the cam bolts? Or Vice-Versa?

 

Honestly impossible to know in my case, because I replaced them both at the same time. But my guess (purely speculative) is that it'd be about 50/50, meaning either one could be a weak link causing a sloppy front end. Bad bushings may let the cam bolts (and LCAs) have too much play, and the inverse should also be true. The two work together to keep the front end "tight"