The nature of a lead screw will always introduce backlash into the system. It does not matter if it is .002" or .200", you still need to deal with it. Nothing changes except how far you need to rotate the knob to cancel it out. Accuracy is unaffected. Introducing other elements that can disguise the backlash by adding friction just makes the lathe more difficult to operate and accuracy more difficult to achieve. Machinists do quite nice and accurate work with lathes having lots of backlash. Backlash is caused by wear and/or poor fits in the threads, bearings, bores, and faces. If there are problems, repair them properly.