A steering box should have a certain amount of play for proper operation. According to the UK Gov, there should be no more than 13mm of play in the rack and pinion steering or 48mm if there are a few joints between the rack and steering wheel. On the other hand, the amount of free play will be at most 75mm for non-rack and pinion steering wheels. Too much play in the steering box can cause the steering to be sloppy, resulting in difficulty controlling the vehicle.