I am thinking of buying this truck. It is a 2003 ext cab duramax with 176000 on it. It just had new injectors all the way around. Is there anything else i need to be looking out for on these year model trucks with that kind of mileage. Truck runs and drives great and also looks good. Any help please.


how many more miles do yall think its got on it?

 

i think the biggest problem with the dmax is the IFS, its hard to keep them aligned. especially if they are lifted, but it sure is a nice ride. check for uneven tire wear and bad ball joints. also check wheel bearings on front wheels. if it has been chipped before or if it still is expect to rebuild the tranny. but thats usual for any truck with a chip and stock tranny, other than that they are great trucks!!!

 

odd, mine stays aligned even after sled pulling and drag racing it still drives straight with no problems. but i do have some upgraded parts, but its still ifs

 

i dont Know if its had a chip or not it feels pretty stock to me. tranny feels solid in it as of now. I dont plan on doing much to it other than use it as a daily driver.

 

im running 35s with a 6" lift. i have all the balljoints napa lifetime warranty now so i hope that fixes it.

 

one thing to check is wheel bearings like cfarley said, bad ones can kill mpg. they arent hard to replace, but they are expensive boogers.

waterpump might be an issue soon if it hasnt been replaced, and also check the transfer case for pump rub

 

Pump rub?? do i need to check play in the wheel bearings like up and down and side to side

 

check for play up and down, just jack up a front tire and grap the top and bottom of it and try to wiggle it back and forward, any play is a worn out bearing.

The transfer case can rub a hole in itself from the inside out over a very long time, u can check on the tail end of the passenger side of the transfer case. it will be around the 2 o'clock position of the rear half of the case.

 

Check underneath for rust on the frame. I had an older truck that had a big problem with that (Ford F 350 PSD). I have heard that Fords are more prone to this problem, but if the truck has been run in the North where lots of road salt is used in winter, it would be a good idea if you checked out the frame, spring attachment points and all that.

 

Do you know anything about the vehicle's history? 1 owner? Lots of towing? highway miles? off-roading? any abuse or neglect?

Assuming the water pump and injectors have been looked after and the truck has been well maintained, (check front end, ball joints should probably have been done in the last 30,000 miles or so) there's no reason why you shouldn't be on your way to seeing an easy 300,000 miles if you are up for it.

BTW you never mentioned the price or body condition, I'm just curious about the overall appearance of the truck. Good luck.