Today she failed annual inspection today (known here as Warrant of Fitness) due to play in the left hand steering. The inspector told me that with the car raised he could feel 3-4mm of play whilst moving the left front tyre left and right by hand. He thought this would be due to the tie rod end, rack end or rack itself.
After getting home a raised the front of the cars and also found the same amount of play on both sides but the steering wheel also moved as I moved the tyres with the engine off. With the steering wheel strapped into a fixed position the play previously observed in the tyres was no longer noticeable
With the engine running there is a minor murmour or vibration to be felt whilst jiggling the left hand tyre as the steering components move. There is no visible fluid leak with the boots are in good condition.
Can you recommend other checks that I should do to diagnose the issue or perhaps just need to unbutton everything to check individually? TIA
