How many miles is too many?

[superbuickguy]

To clarify what I said about... all what I said relates to full size trucks/suvs with full frame.... egg SUVs are good to maybe 300,000 before metal fatigue becomes a huge issue...

 

[east_tn_81]

Expensive parts aren't always going to be the best ones.

I know many a vehicle with over 100K miles on them and so long as you take care of them, they'll last forever. I won't even buy a vehicle made after 2000. Just not tough enough for me.

With that said, you also need to take into account the actual construction and design of the vehicle. Someone mentioned IFS and they're right, but not all IFS are the same. Anything with a unibody/frame has the potential of warping the body so much that the vehicle becomes scrap, even if it looks show room ready. Some will get rebuilt or even upgraded motors and drivetrains. THese you need to be extra careful on and should demand receipts for any major work done on the vehicle. If it was done by the owner, definitely take your time and look it over and take it to a mechanic before you even lay down any sort of number. The best example I can give of this is the Twin Traction Beam suspension on my bronco. Stock, its one of the toughest front suspensions out there, even by todays standards. However, when you try to lift the TTB, you end up changing the geometry of the wheels and where forces can become concentrated and that can severely weaken the whole system. While it is possible to do a significant lift on the TTB, you pretty much have to rebuild the whole front suspension to do it. The other good example is the use of blocks on a suspension lift. If you see that on any sort of lifted vehicle, don't buy it unless you intend on doing a proper lift.

On the other side of that coin though, you can sometimes pick up an excellent vehicle at dirt cheap because the PO didn't know how to fix it or how simple a fix it was. My sister bought a Maxima for $200 for college. The PO sold it that cheap because she thought it needed a new transmission. It didn't. I took a look at it, topped off the tranny fluid, fiddled with the throttle a little because it was getting stuck and 3 years, and 50K miles later, she sold it for $400.

As I said before, you just gotta do your research. And if you're not mechanically inclined, take a friend who is.

Let me clarifiy cheap parts wasn't a reference to a price.

 

[mike the welder]

Lots of good advise guy's. Well I've looked a 5 suburbans this week. I'm going to look at one more tomorrow afternoon and if it's not what I'm looking for I'm going back to the first one I looked at if he still has it. Which he does as of this afternoon. 1996 Chevrolet Suburban 3/4 ton 4x4, it was really clean, but had 221k and not many options. Lots of maintenance records. All the suburbans looked at had between 180k and 250k, it seems to be about the average in my area for my price range.

I am leaning towards the 1996 I first looked at because it's pretty much stock (blank canvas)and I won't have to undo a bunch of stuff a previous owner has done.

Two of the trucks I looked at had major discrepancies in mileage between the odometer and what Carfax said what was reported. It was at least an 80k difference so I steered clear of those two. This is the first time I've used Carfax and I have to say it saved me from buying 2 potential problem vehicles. It gives you lots of info like how many owners, maintenance and oil changes done at major garages and dealerships every time it did or didn't pass yearly inspection, any accidents, salvage titles, liens and every time it was registered. It only cost me $29 for unlimited vehicle reports for 30 days, well worth it.

Hopefully my next thread will be an introduction/build thread.

 

[DaveNay]

I bought a 1999 Suburban 2500 in April with only 53K miles on the clock for only $4500. It is a 2WD which doesn't suit most people's ideas of what they need, but it's just fine for me and my style.

 

[skeeter06]

I have a buddy huge Ford fan and hates gm, but is on his third suburban and everyone of them has had over 250k on them when he sold them. I actually bought one of the 4x4s from him and after I sold it with 297k on it. My buddy bought it and was driving it across town when the oil cooler line blew and he had to get a new motor then

 

[east_tn_81]

Good luck. Hope it works out.

 

[mike the welder]

I bought a 1999 Suburban 2500 in April with only 53K miles on the clock for only $4500. It is a 2WD which doesn't suit most people's ideas of what they need, but it's just fine for me and my style.

I don't know why, but in Texas trucks and anything with 4x4 tend to hold some pretty good value. I just sold my 98 Dodge 1500 with 180k and a blown engine for $1900. I hated that truck and I owned it since new. I almost bought a new F350 a few months ago until I figured out the payments would be over $800 a month. I'm just tired of taking the depreciation hit for being the first owner. My daily driver is a 67 vw bug and if I buy a Suburban it will be for a little work, a little play and a little fun.

 

[mike the welder]

Well, you snooze you lose. Went and looked at a suburban a little ways north of me and found it had too many issues. Called the guy from the first one I looked at and he sold it about 7 hours before I called.
So the search goes on. I have daily drivers so I can afford to take my time and find the right one that doesn't give me doubts about buying it.

 

[AFBronco235]

Sounds like you've got the right attitude about all this. Just be patient and keep your eyes open. You'll find a shruburban you'll like eventually.

 

[DaveNay]

I have daily drivers so I can afford to take my time and find the right one that doesn't give me doubts about buying it.

I looked for six months. Have patience grasshopper.

 

[mike the welder]

Well After looking at 18- Suburbans 2500's I kind of lowered my standards when I found a super clean 1500 with 150k. This truck has every option offered in 1999. Leather, Heated seats, dual heat and air etc. Backup camera, new stereo. New American Racing wheels with Maxxis Bighorn tires (33 inch tires), with less than 2,000 miles. Rear brake disc conversion, new bilstein shocks, synthetic fluids, all fluids changed in the last year. new battery. Electronic locking differentials. Rear rhino cargo liner. Paint is excellent. He gave me receipts to back up all the maint claims. Clean carfax, second owner.
Drives strait as an arrow at 75 and the tires are not as loud as I thought they'd be.

I'll be able to drive this one as-is until I figure out what direction I want to go.
I'm a happy camper.

 

[02TahoeMD]

Two thumbs up for a great find. I would say you didn't lower your standards at all. Good looking rig, I would have bought that body style myself if I had not found my 2002, and your list of "goodies" sounds great. :smiley_drive: Drive it, use it some, then figure out any mods you may want to do.

 

[BBslider001]

Nice find! Are you or were you planning on doing any towing or heavy hauling? If not, a 2500 3/4 ton is useless for your needs and overkill really. Believe me, you will like the ride of the 1/2 ton much better anyways.

 

[Sentinelist]

All of my vehicles generally have 100k or more on them, but are maintained like a top. My rig here though had 277k when I bought it, has 279k now after almost a year but I hardly drive it and that was including a trip to CO and back! After mounting the TC on it, it's largely 'retired' now and living out its life in my driveway as intended, always ready for an adventure/emergency. I've paid due diligence to all of its needs, so high mileage in my case is a non issue. I at least start it every few weeks, and try to drive it every other month. Recreational vehicle indeed!

 

[mike the welder]

Well so far I'm pretty stoked with my Suburban. I did have one issue I knew about when I bought it, it had a micro crack in the radiator where the oil cooler line went into it. I talked the guy down $300 because of the leak. No problem, I had $150 worth of Autozone gift cards from ordering parts online. It wound up costing me $23 (after gift cards) for the radiator and another $100 for hoses, thermostat, clamps, serpentine belt and coolant. Not that they were that bad but I had easy access to them while I had the radiator out. Two hours and it was back on the road.

Now that i am an owner I better start a build thread I suppose. Thanks to everybody that posted advise.