Don,

My 87 560 SL only has 102,000 miles on it, and I have little or no information on its previous service history. The play in the steering box was such that it tended to wander on a straight road, requiring constant correction. Once I got past the aforementioned access issues, the adjustment seemed to work quite well. I'm in absolute agreement that one can't be too careful in making the adjustment. In this case, "less is more". Beter to have a little play than to overtighten and ruin the box. Changing it out sounded like a nightmare.

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M. Sandler

1986 560SEC: 150,000 miles, runs great, but I've got to sell it (too many cars for one man)
1987 560SL: 122,000 miles, used to run poorly, now (thanks to forum), runs great!
1997 GMC Jimmy: Turned out to be a turkey.
1989 T-Bird Super Coupe: 150,000 miles, still runs great. Ford got it right.