1989 GMC Suburban 4WD

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1989 GMC Suburban 4WD Group: alt.trucks.chevy Date: Fri, Oct 17, 2003, 11:46pm (CDT+5) From: snipped-for-privacy@newemail.com (Eightupman)

OK... I am currently looking to buy a 4WD.

As I have never owned a 4WD up to this point in my life....(and don't have ANY 4WD repair experience) what are the specific things I need to check under the front end, and in the drive train?

motor runs great (350) with no smoke, just over 200K miles

Body is solid...needs a little paint

How would I check for play in the front axle...same as the rear?

The front hubs, I did not get a good look to see if the front has yokes, or CV joints.....

Any info or abuse would be greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

8up ===== =====

8up,

you ever seen that movie.....

"Money Pit"???

If you are serious about buying the truck, and the dude is serious about selling it to you, and the price seems fair....

then.....

Borrow it fer a day and carry it in for a good solid inspection. You're gonna pay around $100 or so....but if you and he are at the point of making a deal, you should consider that part of the price of the truck. Carry the truck on about a 2 hour ride through the country side before going for the inspection. This will give you a feel for things you may want scrutinized during the inspection.

I think you would be soundly advised to have it checked out by a shop, and not jest doing it yerself.

things to consider on a high mileage buy...

brakes suspension steering axle bearings wheel bearings locking hubs drive shafts mounts radiator AC fluid conditions leaks tires RUST

you could check it all yerself..... but if you are serious about the buy... the money charged for an inspection would be a minor thing.

scrib abell ~didn't want 8-up feel'n ignored~

Thanks man...your one of my heros on this board...even if you did tell me my opinion was money ass!!! Man I still think that is damn funny....... anyway I see what you mean about having someone who knows what to look for. If they would show me, I would know for next time.

Anyway...I decided not to buy the truck. He wanted $2500 for it...which I did think was a fair price because the body was not bad at all. But I did also come to the "money pit" realization when I sat down and started pricing what I would want to do as "used car preventative maintenance". Once it got over $500 and I was only halfway through the list (very similar but not as thorough as yours below) with a set of tires to go I stopped pricing. I would have hit $1000 easy after all that. So....if I'm gonna pay almost twice for that truck...I decided to back down... So..I will continue to wait until I can afford a brand new one....probably around 2006!!

Thanks again

8-up