What To Look For ?

[samari46]

Have the wheel bearings greased. And grease all the front end fittings and drive shaft. Old tires scare the heck out of me. Check for season cracking and replace. If strapped for cash,replace the front ones, then rear ones when you get the money. And get the radiator flushed before new anti freeze. Plus what the other posters recomend. And check the tranny for burnt oil,or dark color.
Have fun. Frank.

[Nueces]

I've bought two used trucks this last 18 months. My first step, after the shop inspection for issues, was to hunt up the online forums devoted to each model. I quickly learned a lot from those discussions, some of which identified for me possible issues I should address that were particular to each truck. I still check these forums daily.

[35isit]

Check for exhaust leaks. The studs that hold the manifolds on the V8s rot off. There is no gasket and no easy fix. Best left to a professional who has done the job before.

[Ural Driver]

Just my 2 cents. Sounds great at first. But (unless the owner had the forethought to keep mouse/rat poison scattered all around it) sitting in a barn for 10 years could be a huge issue. Mice can do enormous damage in places you can't see until things begin to fail. And you know as well as anyone that it means $$$$$$ to remedy. Don't know what you paid for it but I'd likely sell it and look for another. Good luck with whatever you choose.

[megasupermagnum]

Have the wheel bearings greased. And grease all the front end fittings and drive shaft. Old tires scare the heck out of me. Check for season cracking and replace. If strapped for cash,replace the front ones, then rear ones when you get the money. And get the radiator flushed before new anti freeze. Plus what the other posters recomend. And check the tranny for burnt oil,or dark color.
Have fun. Frank.

This truck should have hub assemblies, meaning you can't change or grease the wheel bearings. There is nothing to do until they go bad, then replace the assembly. The ball joints are sealed too, unless they have been replaced with greasable ones. It is possible the tie rods need grease. The Ujoints should be sealed as well.

Take a look, but this year truck should have minimal, if any zerks.

[Johnch]

The old tires have been replaced and the spare tire got replaced also
Took a look and I ordered pads to replace the brakes
Oil and filter
Radiator hoses and antifreeze
Battery replaced and I got a larger battery with more cold cranking amps
Air Filter
Checked the AC Freon pressure and that was good
The exhaust looks to have been replaced
I need to work on the tail gate latch as it is TOUGH to open
I am sure I will find something that needs worked on
But so far the truck seems to be in good shape

John

[fixit]

A suggestion for the tail gate latch assembly.... I am enthralled with something called my-t-grease. It's a synthetic grease that goes on liquid and then turns into a gel. It goes where you want and stays there. My past two trucks had issues with the tail gate latch assemblies, and the remedy was to remove the access panel from the tail gate, spray down the assembly, reassemble, and don't worry about it again. My Last truck had no trouble with the tail gate 9 years after treatment, which was when I drove it to the junkyard.

[megasupermagnum]

The old tires have been replaced and the spare tire got replaced also
Took a look and I ordered pads to replace the brakes
Oil and filter
Radiator hoses and antifreeze
Battery replaced and I got a larger battery with more cold cranking amps
Air Filter
Checked the AC Freon pressure and that was good
The exhaust looks to have been replaced
I need to work on the tail gate latch as it is TOUGH to open
I am sure I will find something that needs worked on
But so far the truck seems to be in good shape

John

You should definitely replace the rotors too, not pads alone. I would rather just drive it, than slap pads in there. I sometimes buy from parts stores if I want them tomorrow. If I'm willing to wait, I always buy rotors and drums from brake performance, which are the only USA made brake parts that I'm aware of anymore. All parts store brands are Chinese. I usually buy pads/shoes from them too, but I believe they are outsourced.