Outside of saying it looks clean, without details of the truck and what exactly you mean by "ideal situation" one cannot say. I see it is a 3/4 ton and you have a half ton, are you needing more payload?
Sorry I don't know why I didn't post anything else.
They are actually selling it really cheap and it would reduce the overall amount of my loan by over half and reduce the payment to almost nothing.
It is an 04 with the 5.9 Cummins with 136,000 miles. It has a turbo back exhaust with the banks boost tube. It has a hypertech programmer that has only ever been run on performance 2.
Got to talk to the previous owner who says he used it to haul his camper around. He only have to replace the power steering pump and fuel pump. Everything else is original. He seems to be very meticulous about the truck and seemed very knowledgeable about it.
It runs better than it looks. Transmission shifts perfect. A little on the loud side from the outside until you roll the windows up... not any louder than my flowmaster exhaust.
Sounds like a super deal and you sure can't beat a Cummins which may be worth taking advantage of. Have you considered having an "expert" eye look it over to make sure there are no surprises?
agree with with getting an expert to look it over. just make sure the you have a diesel expert look at the engine. do not be surprised if the truck needs ball joints, that is the one weak spot on the truck. they will only last to about 50 to 60000 miles.
I have always heard that around 100,000 miles or so there are front end issues. I never had any, but I traded mine at 71,000. May research that a little.
IF you don't mind I'm curious what they are selling it for. My 05 Quad started with a trade in offer of 21,000 I told them to pound sand, ended up with 25,000 and they sold it for 29,000 this past December. It was on the lot 3 days.
dealers near me have a waiting list for 5.9 cummins in trucks that are in good shape and sell close to the same price as they did when new. never make it onto to the lot.
I don't consider myself an expert but I have access to a shop/lift and anything else that would be required. I checked it out pretty thoroughly and I feel confident in it.
What other things would a diesel mechanic be able to do more than me?
I checked the ball joints and they are good. Did the ******* method but each wheel held firm in place. Checked tranny fluid, oil level/fluid, underneath the truck for obvious signs of leaks between the block/transmission/differentials. Confirmed that the power steering pump is new. Also checked the drive shaft/u-joints and there was no play. Brakes/rotors are in good shape. It has new tires..Michelins.
It is a 2wd truck which is fine for me. Pulled the build sheet and it has the 3.73 rear end with anti spin and that is what I have now basically.
If you have an expert Diesel guy look at that truck, make sure he inspects the fuel delivery and filtration system, you might even want to get to it as a first mod and upgrade it to something better than OEM, there are also known issues with that truck and the injectors, usually needing replacement every 60000 miles. This is an area you can also upgrade. Yes as another one pointed out have the ball joints checked by a pro, but also the whole front end, these 04's are know for u-joint problems and tie rod ends, 18.5k to me is a bit high for a 136k miles truck, yes is the 5.9 but depending on trim there might be some room for some negotiations, if you spoke to the previous owner how much did they give him for his truck? But for sure if its in great shape, you should have a smile on your face every time you floor it. JMO, and all the best in your possible purchase.
100000 miles is the mileage that the valves need to be adjusted. in my area that truck would be snatched up as is for that price. diesel mechanic may be able to tell you if had hp tune used and if it was worked hard. but it doesn't look like it was used for heavy work. looks like a great find.
Asur nailed. For me the injectors are worth having checked out as would be the ball joints. Not that any of this should scare you away from what appears to be a super buy, but just to be aware and minimizing any surprises. Good luck to you in whatever you decide.
They are selling it for $17000. Per my request they are putting in two new batteries. Truck has new tires and needed little else. It is a SLT which is pretty basic compared to my Laramie but I don't care.
I needed to drop down as far as amount owed due to my daughter.. family comes first. I will however still be owning a truck.
I will be changing the oil/fuel filter once I actually have it and possibly dropping the transmission pan. This is all easy things for me to due since I have access to a shop.
I believe you got a great price on the 04 diesel. My comfort level will stay with the 5.9's. I have a diesel specialist on the 99 who helps me maintain it. I just rebuilt the tranny. I think you are quite correct to go for a 2 wheel drive (it's all you need). The only time I put mine in 4 wheel is to come up my steep drive with a truck on the hauler. Best of luck with your purchase. R...
This that at 17k your talking good price, congrats on the truck, now for a whole new set of mods to begin lmao, congrats, pics will be needed for sure.:smileup:
I was sitting there in the office about to start signing paperwork when my gut told me something wasn't right about all of this. So I put the brakes on everything and started to redo some of the numbers on my truck.
Anyways at the end of the day because of the age of the 04 it was actually going to be a much worse outcome for me in the long run to buy it (rather them pay me to drive it off). Basically the amount I was going to refinance at a higher rate would have killed any reason for me to sell my current one even though the payment was lower. According to the bank my credit score is super it's just the trucks age that is the only factory for the high interest rate.
So after a few hours of hashing things out with numbers on my truck, the loan, payments, and amount I have paid so far, it made more sense to keep my orange truck.
Honestly I am in limbo.. my head hurts from all of this crap but hopefully I am making the right choice. At the end of the day at least I still have a reliable truck.
bro, i would just keep the 09, definately makes more sense to me.
think of it this way, at the end of the day, all you have is some guys word the truck was taken care of. for all you know that thing could have been run into the ground honestly. 136k is nothing for a cummins with MAINTENANCE, but if dude didnt maintain it or it was in a nasty wreck and then fixed, you could be buying someone elses problem.
With the 09, you have already been in it for awhile so you know what you have. Stability and reliability of transportation for your daughter is more important than the miniscule amt (if any) you would have saved on the trade. When the 09 is paid for your truck may only be 10 years old (or so), but the 04 would likely be pushing 20 years old. no brainer to me bro.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DODGE RAM FORUM
2.2M posts
201.9K members
Since 2008
We’re the ultimate Dodge RAM forum to talk about the RAM 1500, 2500 and 3500 including the Cummins powered models.