Loose steering wheel with slight counter steer
 

I have a 2007 H2. None of the shops around my area can figure out what is wrong. The entire steering system was replaced including 3 different steering gear boxes. No change. The steering wheel has about 2 inches plus of play in it and this also adds to some counter steering when driving. What could this be? GM dealerships and other mom and pops all think it's related to the gear box due to the play...you can visually see the play from the steering linkage at the input to the gear box...but yet, three different steering boxes were tried and it still has the same play and same symptoms. Going crazy here...could worn out gears on the steering shaft cause this...like slightly rounded edges or something? Everyone is lost and the vehicle is not nice to drive with this issue.
Any ideas?

Are all the u joints in good shape on the steering shafts under the hood and the dash.
Hard to believe a gm dealer can't figure it out. I believe you it just doesn't make sense.

Everything has been replaced from the gearbox to the tires...like pitman, idler arm, ball joints, tie rods, etc. So, you are correct that it could be the steering shafts somewhere BEFORE the gearbox but it is all tight and doesn't make any noise...and the only visual sign of the loose steering is at the top of the gear box...so maybe it is the gears on the steering shaft that inserts into the steering gear box? I even suggested the steering wheel angle sensor but they shot that down right away due to no codes...basically, they told me to live with it...but it's obvious something isn't right...the SUV steering was tight and great in the past...

No one asked it, so I'll ask it. The 3 steering box, were they OEM or after market made in china ?

One was...but we also tried ACDelco and another trusted one...so currently the mom and pop shop sent one of them down to a local place that rebuilds them right here in Omaha...so we'll see what they say. Also, for ****s and giggles we are going to go ahead and replace the intermediate steering shaft too since it is the typical culprit even though we can't see visual signs of an issue. Who knows...I'll follow up when the puzzle is finally solved.

There was a TSB about steering linkages in the Suburban and Silverado where the mutli part steering column had a bushing in it that went bad and caused play in the column. I wish I remembered what the fix was but sorry I don't.

Did anyone try adjusting the play in any of the steering boxes?

There is an allen and a nut that locks it in place on the top of the box.

With the truck off put in the correct size allen (sorry the size eludes me right now) and loosen the nut. Then gently tighten the allen until you feel resistance. Then back the allen off 45-55%, and tighten the nut back up.

Test drive it, if it is still slightly sloppy you can try this again, but maybe try backing the allen back 35%, etc until it feels tight.

You will know if you have it too tight if your steering wheel doesn't return back to center on it's own...

Okay, problem is now solved! This issue could not be diagnosed by the dealerships (yes, plural) nor the mom and pop shops in the area, I figured it our myself with trail and error and wasted money.
It ended up being the fact that most steering gearboxes are not set in a loose manner, meaning there is a little too much play in them...I solved that by making sure vehicle was straight and then just loosening the 5/8" nut and then tightening up the allen type bolt clockwise until snug and then backing off 1/4 turn...that solved 90% of the issues described above in my initial post...the rest of the play and resistance was in the actual steering column itself...I replaced the entire steering column (the part that the actual steering wheel connects to). Steers and turns like a Cadillac now! Seems better than when it was brand new.
Also, another great trick to make your Hummer steer like a dream: Buy new upper control arms with the caster adjustable ball joints and have a shop do a front end alignment...tell them to set the caster with the highest amount of "positive caster possible"...it makes the steering snap back to center with force and thus driving with one finger possible...and the vehicle will stay online even with big fat tires.

Awesome sir.

I had had a feeling that no one ver correctly adjusted the backlash in the box itself.

I meant to put degrees and not percent in my post lol.