Sloppy Steering.

Out laning on Sunday, after one particularly rough bit, got back onto a tarmac road and the steering felt sloppy. On way home steering started making grinding noise when turning. Got home and could see the grinding noise was the bottom of the drop arm rubbing on steering guard bracket (from what I remember it was fairly close when I fitted steering guard)

If the bush on the drop arm/cross rod was shot would it cause the steering to become sloppy and allow the drop arm to 'drop' a little.

Pretty sure the steering guard bracket hasn't moved but the steering damper lower section twists easily by hand as does the cross rod.

Steering box looks ok, but I'm no mechanic.

Any advice appriciated before I have to take it to a garage!

For the whole arm to have dropped either, the streeting box has come loose! or the arm has loosened on the steering box output shaft, other options could include the steering guard being pushed in? There are no bushes, only ball joints in the steering assembly, but a worn joint would not cause the stop arm to drop, it is fixed directly to a splined shaft.

I would check the bolts to the box and the drop arm first.