Help with JK Steering Box

Hello:

I have a 2009 JKU and it appears that my steering box has issues. There is a leak at the box where the pitman arm attaches. Also, it appears that there is side by side play in the output shaft of the steering box when the steering wheel is turned. Here is a video:


Can someone help confirm that that much side by side play in the output shaft is bad?

What is my best course to fix the steering box? I am currently running 32" tires, but hope to go to 35". I have not plans for anything larger than 35s. Can I just install a JKS Sector Shaft Brace? Do I need to install a new steering box (or rebuilt) and a Sector shaft brace? Or can I go with a PSC Steering box without a sector shaft brace?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Gun

Does anyone have any ideas?

I'll start by saying I'm far from the most experienced/qualified person on here to be answering this question - as such, I won't address your question as to what a normal amount of side-to-side play is in a gearbox. But, having gone through a damaged then destroyed gearbox before, my instinct is that with some slop in the output shaft and an apparent leak, you may be in the market for a new gear box. I think rebuild is an option, although I'm not sure how cost effective that is. The thing you don't want to have happen is to have it break on a trail - it's not an easy trail fix and depending on where you are, it can be borderline impossible to get off the trail.
Adding the sector shaft brace - even a good one like the JKS seems like more of a band-aid type fix of a larger problem within your gear box. That being said, if you do get a new gearbox, the JKS brace is a good thing to get. A lot of people argue against sector shaft braces saying that they don't really do much for you and that the mechanism of damage to the sector shaft won't be prevented by a sector shaft brace. Going on my experience, I've seen two non-braced sector shafts break in the past year or so. After that, the majority of people in my jeep club (>20 members - most woth 37s or larger) started running the JKS - no one has broken a sector shaft since. Could that just be coincidence? Absolutely. But it seems to be working.
Of course if your pockets run deep and you have to get a new gearbox anyway, it might not be a bad time to convert to a PSC - although some would argue that it's overkill for 35s.
Hope this helps.

Maybe it's just me but I'm not seeing any side to side play. A slightly wet box doesn't mean your box is about to die but if it's really leaking, as in, it's dripping, I would have to wonder what caused the leak. Being that you have an 09, you most likely have a Delphi box and that's a good thing. If anything, you might want to have the seal and sector shaft replaced but that may be all you need. I would not waste your money on a brace as it won't do anything for you.

I don't see any movement at all. It appears that the camera or the whole jeep is shifting when you turn the wheels.

Any pics of the leak that you are referring to?

After looking closer, I believe the leak is from the transmission cooler lines. Jeep will fix the cooler lines this Monday under warranty. Regarding the steering, my Jeep is flighty and I found a lose joint on the draglink. I have ordered the Synergy draglink and hope to replace it this weekend. Hopefully there is nothing wrong with the steering box.

If my steering box is black could it still be the Delphi or is the less desired Chinese box?

Thanks.