recently picked up a 98 4runner which is in mechanically good condition, but came with some sloppy steering.

so far, i have done
- steering rack bushings
- lower ball joints
- lower control arm bushings
- upper control arm bushings
- outer tie rods
- alignment

steering feels much tighter now, but i still have an issue with the truck veering slightly or becoming a tad unstable when going over speedbumps. another symptom is when the truck is not in motion, or driving straight, i can move the steering wheel about an inch left or right without affecting the direction its traveling. its still very much driveable, but its getting tiresome having to readjust the wheel slightly during driving.

i read a couple threads and saw some videos on people tac welding the steering rack shaft to remove the play in it. i haven't actually confirmed this is the problem yet (will check tomorrow), am curious if people have had success simply replacing the main shaft to fix this issue instead of tac welding it. would the fix last a while, or would i simply run into the same issue in a couple years? i have never liked the idea of messing with safety features, and the peace of mind would make me feel better simply replacing the part rather than doing a DIY fix.

i believe the part number is 45210-35200, outlined here 45210-35200 - Main-Shaft - 1996-2004 Toyota | Nucar Toyota of North Attleboro

does anyone have any ideas on what else could be causing this play? can someone please confirm that this part# is what i would be looking to replace if i wanted to simply replace the part?