Car (Jeep) buying help please

[Mark_C]

Car folks, help please. I'm looking to buy a used Jeep. Found one on Craigslist, local, and test drove it. Its a 2000 Wrangler, specifically, this one...
Jeep Wrangler Sport- Hard Top, 6cyl. Cleanest on CL
We got the carfax and there's no incident of accident, there is regular maintenance. So that seems OK.
I never drove a Jeep but it seems to drive well. There are a few minor spots of body rust that I can easily sand down.

Here's the big question(s):

1)While driving, I noticed a little bit of 'play' on the steering wheel, it takes a quarter inch or so of turn before the steering wheel seems to grab and turn the tires.

2) I noted that to drive straight, the wheel was skewed a few degrees to the left.

3) When I turned the wheel fully to the left as I was parking, there was a considerable rumble (never tried the right).


Here's his answers:

1) The wheel play was somewhat normal on a 15 year old jeep

2) The alignment was probably thrown out with the addition of the new tires and rims

3) The rumble was somewhat normal but was magnified by the oversized tires and rims.


Here's his solution:

He said that as a small dealer, he could have the alignment done at a discount, so he would take care of that. He would also have the 'give' in the steering wheel checked and tightened if required.


Does this seem legit? I'm not a car guy and I'm unsure if these things add up to some kind of axel or steering column damage.

 

[greybolt03]

I have a new wrangler and my wife says the steering is super loose. I drive an 18 wheeler for a living and can't tell the jeep is loose but I sure notice a difference driving her car. So I would say it sounds legit what the guy is saying. A friend of mine who is a big jeep nut said if you buy a used jeep the biggest thing to look for is leaking rear or transfer cases..

 

[saltkreep88]

The first two are true and number 1 will most likely only go away after new parts such as bushings but as stated above a jeep will never have sharp precise steering. 3 could be cause for concern. Can you describe the rumble and when it occurs better ?

 

[Mark_C]

Thanks guys. The rumble occurred when I turned into a parking spot very sharply, i was basically pushing the turning radius to the extreme left. There was a bit of a rumble with a low symetrical clicking. As said, he told me that the 33" tires were causing a rub and the mild clicking wasnt out of the ordinary for the wheel being turned so extremely.

 

[art13]

The wheel being off is an alignment issue, The wheel being loose is worn out parts, which would make it hard to do an alignment. I personally don't know how these are set up for steering, if it's a rack and pinion more than likely you will need tie rod ends, if it's more like a truck, i forget the name of the parts, but the wheel connects to a gearbox, unless theres no power assist, then at the bottom it connects to a pivot shaft. the other end of that pivot shaft connects to a long bar thats connected to the wheels. any or all joints in there including where they meet up with the wheels could be worn out. Theres also the possibility that the gear box gears are worn out. The rumble could be a half shaft going bad, or possibly a wheel bearing, but wheel bearings you usually hear most of the time. All that being said, the car is 16 years old and I would expect wear, if you want the steering wiggle gone, i would not do an alignment until after the parts are replaced, as you will need to do a second alignment.

 

[Mark_C]

Cool deal, thanks art. I'll do a bit of reading on tie rods and such so I'll be a little less clueless. Appreciate the info, makes me think I'll set up with a local mechanic to do a full exam before I write the check.

 

[art13]

If it helps at all, looks like it's a steering gear setup, worn out parts could include the gear box itself, tie rod ends, pitman arm, drag link, and center link. I'm not sure what parts cost, but to give you an idea of labor costs, tie rod ends i believe should run no more than 1.5 hours, pitman arm no more than an hour, drag link .8, and center link no more than 1.5. None of those include the alignment.

 

[art13]

And about an hour and a half if you have a bad half shaft on the front.

 

[Paul B]

I have had a similar Jeep and about 8 others since 1972. I have one now and all of those old Jeeps wander. My first one (1960 Willys) I could hardly drive on the Highway because of that. They all also rust. The problem on hard turning is the big tread of those tires hitting the frame as the vehicle isn't designed for those tires. Don't turn the wheel all the way or put in spacers to bring the wheels out a little farther. (I would leave it as is) You could also change the rims, but don't.
I don't know how many miles it has on it or if they were hard miles like a lot of off road or if it was highway driving. Alignment is easy and should be done on any used car. Tie rods, if needed are also not a big deal and they also wear out on something of that age. They also could be causing some of your wandering but if they are, they are very worn. It looks like a good buy depending on how much it cost and where the rust is because rusting never stops and that is a big problem with older Jeeps.
(I was a GM Mechanic many years ago)

 

[Mark_C]

Paul, theres a link in the original to the jeep. Its got 140k on it with light and rare offroad use. A few very small areas of superficial rust. Its the 4L 6 cylinder and the guy is looking for $7k

 

[Paul B]

Looks nice, too many miles on it IMO. That kind of mileage is soon going to necessitate some major engine work if it doesn't already need it. With cars of that era up to now if they burn any oil it is not easy to tell. It used to be easy because you could see the smoke coming out of the engine or exhaust. Now, that smoke is re-burned so you can't tell the condition of an engine just by looking at it. Rings are something on an engine that, unless you want to replace them yourself, (and you don't know how) will cost you more than a rebuilt engine would because to replace the rings, you basically have to rebuild the entire engine. I have done many of them. They don't go overnight but kind of age gracefully for as long as the engine runs. Have a decent mechanic look at it. If he knows how, there is an easy way to tell the condition of the engine and about how much more service you can expect out of it. Some of them go over 200,000 miles without major work. As was said, it probably needs front end work. That usually causes play and you can drive almost forever like that because wheels don't normally fall off any more. Good luck, and I do love Jeeps
My 1960 Willy's Jeep

 

[Mark_C]

Thanks for advice all. We worked it out through the week and I told the seller I'd be over this morning cash in hand, all seemed cool.

Got up this morning, took time off, drew some cash from the bank, and called the guy to tell him I was ready to meet up (at the agreed time this morning). A&&$^%& told me he just sold the truck to some other guy.

So, shopping again.

 

[saltkreep88]

Might be a good thing. I am with Paul. That was a lot of miles for a jeep engine.

 

[Mark_C]

I wake this morning and find a 'zero trade' at Freehold Chrysler/Jeep - someone traded in their old jeep for a $5000 discount on a new one.
The lot just want's to get rid of it. Its a 1998, very good condition, no rust, 150k miles, 6c engine. $450.
Yep, $450, usually these things are $4k plus.
I send an e-mail at 7am. I fill out a test/drive form at 7:01am. I leave a message at 7:02am.
I call at 7:30 telling the very nice receptionist (Erin) that I'll leave a phone deposit and take the morning off to get this thing.
She assures me that it will be there. Even though there are already 'dozens' of offers, I'm the first in line.
I offer a deposit over the phone to hold. I'm assured theres no worry, I have first dibs, they will not sell until I get there.
I tell my boss I'll be late and head out towards the dealer, cash in hand.
I call them again to tell them I'll be there for 9am (to re-assure them). I'm assured it's going nowhere until I see it.
I get a call back at 8:45am while on route. Seems a manager came in this morning, was 'very surprised and excited about it' and bought it himself.
........

 

[Hawkeye]

Mark - there is an AD on the last page of the Sentinel advertising a car auction for repossessed cars. they will have car fax history reports etc so you can review before bidding. I'm not sure i can post the dealership info here as it might be construed as advertising/selling so I'll just pm it to you. but they list a 2014,15, 16, Cherokee, 16, 17 Compass, 13 grand cherokee, 10, 12 Liberty, 15 wrangler and 15 wrangler unlimited. The event is from March 18 thru March 21 - which is TOMORROW.

 

[Mark_C]

Hawk,
Thanks much for the info, got the PM as well. I put a deposit on a 2000 Wrangler (looking for the older ones with the straight 6 engine) and I'm having it checked by a mechanic tomorrow (Sat) morning. If it doesn't work out I've got the day free to explore the auction option. Thanks again for the heads up, appreciated.
Mark

 

[Mark_C]

Well, I picked up a 2000 TJ last weekend that needs a bit of work but the engine and frame are solid.
Its sort of a mish-mash of other jeeps. A silver body, a black hood, a green left front fender.
Been driving it around. Its an experience.
Its loud, its bumpy, the seats are terrible, it handles like a brick on ice, it get 16mpg, it takes forever to accelerate.
I'm loving it.

 

[Paul B]

Yep, that's a Jeep alright.

 

[Chrisgarrick]

I bought a 2006 tj. Mint. Was not cheap. Had 95 k. Has three inch lift and kick ass tires. I still put a new drag bar and tie rods. Was way loose. Went to Mr Tire in brick got it aligned. Not every place can do lifted truck. If you have questions contact me. I also did cooling system over water pump. Hoses. Improved radiator

 

[Mark_C]

Well, 5 months of rebuild and done. Asked my 5yo son what color to paint it (promised him he could choose, just not pink or purple), and he said, 'I want it to look like Boba Fett. So, here it is...




Replaced radiator/ heat coil, lines, etc. Replaced hood. Replaced rear quarterpanel and rear lights. Top end engine rebuild including a mildly leaking head gasket (mechanic did this). Ripped out carpets and plugs. Replaced passenger floor. Rhino'd the insides. New brake and steering lines (mechanic). New brakes all round. New skid plates (me and mechanic). Sandblasted and undercoated. Installed new radio and speakers. Cleaned electrical, replacing where I could. Replaced tires (in photo) with Defenders. Hooked up the new LED bars last weekend. Working on reinforcing hardtop this Saturday to handle a basket directly bolted on. Still some painting to do, but mechanically its where it stays.
Runs a dream.