In my efforts to correct the steering issues on my 52 I had Al Saffrahn build/rebuild a steering box for me.
I have it installed and am very pleased with the result! The car now steers very nicely, I feel as it should.

I took the old one apart to try to determine what had gone wrong. Once out of the car and on the bench, but still assembled, the shaft turned very roughly. It felt as though the meshing gears were ground up and chunks were missing, very rough feeling.
On taking it apart, I found...nothing...
The worm and sector look near perfect. The bearings look okay, probably worn, but not obviously bad.
That said, if the gears are good, the bearings are the only other possible culprit?

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I'm interested to know what failed, to be sure the same fate doesn't come to the new box.
I noted when I installed the new box that after getting the shaft in the steering tube and following the procedure in the book to prevent binding, that the shaft was slightly off to one side in the tube. The adjustment range covered to prevent binding appears to be in the vertical motion range, with the oversize gearbox mounting holes. I see/found no adjustment for side to side, is there one I missed? (Edit; I found a little side to side adjustment in the steering column cradle that bolts to the bottom of the dash)
It took very little effort to center it to push the cone spacer down, but still, it wasn't "floating dead center".
Is this an issue I need to correct? It seems to me that any sideways pressure would be transmitted to the top bearing in the gearbox, is that correct?

Rob