Steering wheel play should be no more than approximately _____ degrees in either direction.

• A. 5
• B. 10
• C. 15
• D. 20

Answer: (B)

Steering wheel play is the amount of free movement you feel in the wheel before the front wheels begin to turn. In a fire apparatus, you want enough precision so the driver can predict exactly where the vehicle will go, but not so little that normal, small adjustments become impossible. The accepted tolerance is about ten degrees of wheel rotation in either direction. This keeps the steering response timely and predictable during emergency driving and tight maneuvers. If more play than about ten degrees exists, steering can become sluggish or wander, making precise control harder and indicating wear or mis adjustment in the steering linkage. Very tight play (around five degrees) can feel overly stiff and mask developing issues, while much more than ten degrees (like fifteen or twenty) would be unsafe, producing vague, unpredictable steering.