Vibration in steering wheel at speed or over small bumps

[Payton34]

I was getting steering wheel vibration at 55-60mph and  I thought it was the tires out of balance and had them road force balanced.  After the road force balance I still get steering wheel vibration but now starts as low as 45mph but is intermittent.  Sometimes it goes away above 60mph sometimes it doesn't.  Also ever since the tires where balanced now when driving over expansion joints or small bumps my steering wheel has a slight vibration also.  I do not appear to have worn ball joints or tie rod ends and I replaced the sway bar bushing and endlink bushings. 

[Payton34]

I also noticed the steering shaft under the hood has quit a lot of play in it.  Is this normal shouldn't this be tight and not movable?

[Justin101714]

Steering gear bushings. Done a bunch of them. They are hammered out and pressed in.


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[Payton34]

I took it in to a shop because I thought it was something mechanical like tie rod or steering shaft but they checked everything and it is all perfect.  They also feel the steering wheel vibrating over some bumps but not all.  They think it is the electric power steering causing the vibration.  I have heard of these trucks with electric steering going out is this vibration the first sign of my power steering is on its way out?