Things to Watch For When Shopping?

[nvrenuf]

I have a friend that's shopping for a 97-00 Jeep (based on average price), are there any particular problems to watch out for? He can spot an abused or neglected vehicle, we're just curious about flaws, defects and such.

Thanks!

[LucasFury]

If he knows what to look for when kicking tires, he'll be fine. Jeeps are just like any other car, if you take care of them, they'll take care of you. The main thing is to check ALL of the fluids for shavings, milkshake, or grit. If the fluid is clean and the everything sounds and feels healthy during the test drive, you're golden.

[y2knole]

if hes gonna use stock suspension geometry check that the control arm brackets are straight.

[nvrenuf]

Thanks for the input but I'm looking for inherent flaws (ie; cracked frame rail @ steering box on Chevy trucks). He can spot abuse and / or neglect.

[joe_jeep]

buy one without a dana 35 rear end! they are junk!

get under it and look on top of the tranny skid plate. if its been wheeled much it will be full of mud, easy to spot. be nice to be the first owner to wheel your rig.

look at exhaust manifold they all crack around the lower flange.

look for wetness around the clutch master and slave cylinders, both are common leakers.

look for leaks in the radiator, most of the old ones leak where the tanks are sealed onto the core.

after those spots its like any other used vehicle.

[TJVigilante]

Originally Posted by joe_jeep

buy one without a dana 35 rear end! they are junk!

get under it and look on top of the tranny skid plate. if its been wheeled much it will be full of mud, easy to spot. be nice to be the first owner to wheel your rig.

look at exhaust manifold they all crack around the lower flange.

look for wetness around the clutch master and slave cylinders, both are common leakers.

look for leaks in the radiator, most of the old ones leak where the tanks are sealed onto the core.

after those spots its like any other used vehicle.

If he plans on 4-wheeling it heavy, he's probably going to be changing that rear end out anyway for something non-Jeep. If he's not going to 4-wheel it, the D35 is less static and rolling mass, cheaper to repair, and strong enough for daily driver duty. That and he can use the D35 as a way to pull the price down, as the factory D44 will be used by the dealership to raise the price up.