What is the first adjustment performed in order on a non-rack and pinion steering gear?

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When working with a worm-type steering gear, the first adjustment is to set the worm bearing preload. The worm shaft sits in bearings, and eliminating end play at this stage is essential before any other internal clearances are adjusted. Proper preload seats the bearings and provides a stable bearing race contact under load, which ensures the steering gear rotates smoothly and reduces the chance of binding or wandering as you steer.

If you skip this step and try to adjust other clearances or the overall steering feel first, those later settings won’t be meaningful because the internal clearance won’t be stable. After establishing the proper bearing preload, the next steps would involve checking the worm-to-gear mesh clearance (or backlash) and then other alignment-related adjustments, if needed. External adjustments like toe-in or steering column preload affect the vehicle as a whole or the column feel, not the internal box clearance, and aren’t the first internal step in this type of gear.