Just Bought a sears sst-16.The steering wheel has
about 5-6 inches of free travel before the wheels start to turn.Any ideas what's causing this?Thanks
for anyones help

A lot of these old tractors were used to mow for years on end. The high hours and dusty conditions are bad for the "ball joint" ends of the steering linkage. Look under the tractor as someone is turning the wheel. You'll see the sector gear turn and a lot of slop in the linkages before the wheels turn. The only solution is to replace the ends. Don't overlook the axle pivot bolt also. Check out this page:

http://www.geocities.com/sware56920/Quick_tips_2.html