Im looking at getting an 05 cummins and i was wondering if there was anything to check on these trucks before the purchase. I have an 01 cummins and with the common rail on the 05 i know nothing about it. I am just looking for tips and or tricks on what to do or look for. thanks for the help.

 

i would start by saying, buy a stock one. mine had a bunch of stuff on it when i bought it, and everytime something breaks on it, i can never seem to find any parts for it. my latest event, is i blew a stabilizer shock on it, and i have to buy a whole new kit for over 200 bucks, because i can't find the kit that the guy before me put on, when i could have easy spent 50 bucks for just new shocks. its a pain, you think you are gettin a nice truck, but i guess there is a reason the old guy got rid of it. other then that, just watch your basics, to many of these kids are getting there parents to buy them these trucks and they are learning how to drive in them, then eventually get sick because they can't keep up with there buddies and its a pain in the winter time, or they just can't afford them anymore, so they trade them in and the next guy has no idea the truck was beat to hell. thats just my 2 cents anyhow. also i would try to stay in the 04.5-early 07, my personal opinon, depending on where you live, the 6.7 will give you some headachs with emisions crap and not being able to mod it as easy.

 

yeah its actually my buddies 05 so i know what he has done with it. But i agree with parents and there kids. But also like you said get it stock? well for me thats no fun. It has a 6 inch lift and 3 inch blocks with 20 inch rims on it. I never thought of getting the right parts, but he only lives 6 miles away so im sure he can still remember what was done to it. But other than suspension it is stock. I also was wondering about programers, i have an edge now whats the best or most reccomended for an 05

 

well if you know the guy, that makes it eaisier to fix things later on its life, and if he never did any motor work then you should be in good shape there, i run an edge with attitude, and i don't really have any complaints about it. if you are lookin for smoke, then don't go with the edge, i do not really have any smoke, but i am ok with that. my buddy, bubba24 on here, put an attitude on his 02 and it smoked like a train with just that, but i don't hardly get any. i have seen guys stack it with a smarty, and they seem to be running good. i think i have read on here that the edge incresses the egt's quite a bit, more then others. are you planing on putting gauges in it, if you go that route then you can do smarty, but if your not, then i recomend the edge. also you are already familier with the edge, so it might be a good idea to stick with it. i really wish mine didn't have the lift on it, it is a pain if i want to hook to trailers with it, and when i do, it "sags" really bad in the rear. i was thinking on lowering the front, or adding some more spring in the rear.

 

I don't know if it is a quad cab or standard cab, and long or short box. I have the 2 piece driveshaft and the slip joint in the center went out, that was a $450 bill after it was replaced and balanced. Check for play.

that is the only problem I have had with my 05

 

Well let me pipe in here.....
I love the truck, but I've had my problems. I have a vibration at hwy speed I haven't been able to diagnose yet. Drive shaft is next.
My latest though is I noticed excessive blowby coming out the vent tube some time ago. I could smell oil but I wasn't leaking or losing any. Had a compression check done. Bad intake valve on #3. Had injectors checked while there. They are fine, but I've read where these trucks start to lose them around 100,000 miles. Just took the truck in yesterday to get the head redone. Couple grand and I should be back in business. Sorry, just my chance to vent.
Look for blow by if you can at operating temps.
Rear brake calipers went out last year. Just replaced seal on the rear wheels as they started leaking a couple months ago.
Other than that, can't complain

 

You could have got a all new 2 piece driveshaft, u-joints/hanger bearing for $450

 

I just bought an 03 2500 bone stock except for an lift. I asked all the right questions and the guy flat out lied to me. It dropped the transmission last night and left me on the the side of the road at 2 am. Im not sure if it was the torque con. or the trans. but get it was warm an put some miles on it before you buy. Also I would want to see a cold start.

 

the driver side u joint was on my 06 went out while in there we took the axel shaft out low and behold the shaft was done for im pretty sure the owner before me, beat the hell out of it , by the way this truck has 40,000miles on it.

 

Another thing to look out for is that the early 05's came with a plastic intercooler....Look for that and if it has one try and find a metal one from a later year or earlier. The stock metal ones are incredibly efficient......