[nkaminar]

The way the gears are set up, the center is supposed to be tight while it gets looser away from center. The theory is that you want tight steering while running straight down the road but it can be looser when turning. If it was tight all the way through the range, the center would wear more and be looser than the ends. This is what eventually happens and requires new parts to fix. The box is fairly easy to adjust, just follow the directions. If the axle geometry is set up correctly and the steering box working well, the original equipment will be good to go.

Wandering can be unrelated to the steering box being loose but a loose box does not help. The toe-in and caster have to be correct. Check the slop in the front wheel bearings too. There should be no slop but the wheels should turn freely.

When you put it back together, make sure the bolt for the pitman arm is really tight. I had to use a breaker bar to tighten mine enough to eliminate any slop there.