CAPT OF A B727 NOTICED A NOSE GEAR STEERING SYS PROB HAD NOT BEEN ELIMINATED BY MAINT THE NIGHT BEFORE. THEREFORE; SINCE HE BELIEVED IT TO NOT BE SAFE IF THE TILLER STEERING WAS LOST; OR THE CAPT BECAME INCAPACITATED; HE WROTE IT UP TO BE FIXED AND IT WAS TAKEN OTS.

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WE PICKED UP THE SAME AIRPLANE THAT WE HAD BROUGHT IN THE NIGHT BEFORE. I HAD WRITTEN UP A PROB WITH THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING SYS. SAN ANTONIO MAINT HAD INSPECTED AND TAXI TESTED THE PLANE. WHEN I TOOK IT OUT IN THE MORNING; IT FELT ABOUT THE SAME AS WHEN I HAD BROUGHT IT IN. THERE WAS NO QUESTION IN MY MIND ABOUT THE ABILITY TO STEER THE PLANE ON THE GND WITH THE TILLER. IT JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ALL THE REST WHEN IT CAME TO USING THE RUDDER PEDALS BY THEMSELVES. MEL ITEM XY-YZ ALLOWS THE ACFT TO BE OPERATED IN THIS MANNER. I MADE THE TKOF AS SPECIFIED. HOWEVER AT CRUISE; I WONDERED JUST HOW MUCH ABILITY THE FO WOULD HAVE IN STEERING. SO ON LNDG HE PUT IN FULL R RUDDER AND WE CONTINUED TO TRACK STRAIGHT AHEAD. MY LIMITS OF MOTION WITH THE RUDDER SYS ALONE GAVE ABOUT AS MUCH AUTH. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF DISPATCH WITH THIS MEL ITEM AND THE SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF THE TILLER STEERING; HYD LOSS OR INCAPACITATION OF THE CAPT. I RELIED ON THE MEL AND WORK BY THE MAINT CREW TO TAKE THE ACFT ON THIS FLT. INSTEAD OF CREW PLACARDING; I WROTE IT UP TO BE FIXED AT CHICAGO. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY TAKEN OTS.