steering gear box question

[72supermike]

Hello, I have a 2005 1500 4wd chevy crew cab short box truck. been dealing with some steering gear issues. I'm feeling a little bit of play in the steering wheel at center. About an inch of play. You can move it back and forth with a single finger that amount before you feel resistance and to where it will start to move the wheels. I recently put a new rebuilt steering gear on from Red Head Steering Gears and felt the same play. Been though all the checks of the steering components a few times. New pitman arm, idler arm, intermediate shaft, Etc. I ran some tests with a dial indicator on the steering gear with it in the truck and determined that I was moving the input shaft a small amount but the output, or sector shaft, wasn't conveying any movement. So I called Redhead and had them send me another gear. They were apprehensive because i think they get gears back all the time from people claiming play but get them back and test them and find none.

So I got the new steering gear in the mail, pulled the used one off my truck, and set them both on the bench next to each other. I took both gears and rotated the input shaft either direction and found and verified center. I then took my dial indicator and put it up against the end of the pitman arm to measure for play while using vise grips on the input shaft to created movement. I can wiggle the vise grips, moving the input shaft, yet not see any movement on the dial indicator that is against the pitman arm. I'm able to do this with both steering gears.

My question is: Am I testing this the right way? Do I need it hooked up to a power steering pump to accurately check for play? It's my understanding that the mechanical action of the worm gear, with the recirculating balls and moving of the sector shaft, should all be machined to a tolerance that there isn't any play between them. Is it true that there shouldn't be any play as you transfer the movement of the input shaft through the box and out the sector shaft? Shouldn't this be the same with or without the assist of power steering?

Thanks for helping me out with your replies.

here is a short video showing what I did and the results. This is the brand new rebuild I just pulled out of the box.

http://vid820.photobucket.com/albums...psfi9ibrjz.mp4