Learning to buy used raised vehicles primarily requires having a strong understanding of how to evaluate the quality, value and reliability of any kind of used truck. This entails being able to conduct a proper used truck inspection as well research its current market value. Additionally, however, used jacked up trucks feature some specific attributes you need to understand and evaluate before you invest your money.
Where to Buy Used Jacked Up Trucks
Buying from a dealer means you’re secure from odometer fraud. This doesn’t mean it won’t occur, but it means you have laws protecting you if it does. Additionally, lemon laws protect you for 15 days most of the time in most states. If the truck breaks down on you in that time, you don’t lose your money. With an individual seller, once you hand that money over, the truck is yours for better or for worse.
Buying from an individual gives you more of the truck’s story and its quirks and problems aren’t sanitized. The engine usually isn’t pressure cleaned and leaks are easier to identify. This is actually good, because any used truck will likely have at least a few little leaks. You want to know about them in advanced. For more on where to find jacked up trucks for sale online, visit my article: Jacked Up Trucks For Sale.
Get the CarFax and Kelly Blue Book Data On Every Used Truck You’re Considering
You need to know the Kelly Blue Book value of the vehicle, regardless of what the seller is asking. You shouldn’t care about the price; you should care about the real market value of the vehicle. This allows you to approach negotiations with a fair and practical expectation of cost.
CarFax assures you the vehicle and vehicle history is legitimate and warns you if there is any problem history (bad accidents requiring major repairs that could affect your truck’s reliability and maintenance costs, or ownership issues). CarFax will also let you know if the seller is trying to sell you a salvaged and reconditioned vehicle.
Do A Walk Around On Your Prospective Jacked Up Truck
Important: Do this without the seller bugging you. Tell them to go away or politely but firmly request they keep their lips sealed while you examine the vehicle.
How well do body lines fit? Look at the hood, the doors, the bumpers… are the lines even and straight? Are gaps even? How do all body seams appear? Is everything tight and flush or is anything loose and uneven?
Used Jacked Up Trucks
What lift kits were installed on the truck and why? Who installed it, the owner, the dealer or a specific garage? What was the purpose of installing this lift kit, does it have a warranty and how hard was the truck driven after the lift kit was installed?
How do the doors open and close? Are all weather seals still present, clean and bonded? Any sign of body work here?
Check the tires. You should be skeptical of anyone who puts new tires on a used truck for resell. This is a bad investment for someone trying to make money off a used truck sale, so if they’ve given it new tires, they may be hiding something.
If there are new tires, I urge you to see the alignment specifications. If they can’t provide you this data, you may have a sketchy situation on your hands. Proceed with caution.
Check to see if the tires are worn pretty evenly. If they are, then it’s an indication the owner rotated their tires regularly. That’s usually a sign the owner took care of their vehicle, and indicates a greater likelihood of good care in other areas.
Check the Jacked Up Truck’s Engine
Now finally, you check the oil and oil level, and check the transmission fluid. Check the transmission fluid color and smell. If it’s black and smells a little burnt, you may need transmission work soon.
If you see an oil leak, determine exactly where it’s coming from. The source of an oil leak can vary wildly and depending on the source, it may be nothing or it may be a deal breaker.
Look for any leaks (water pump and filter, power steering pump, radiator, and so forth). Keep in mind that some leaks are deal breakers, while others may require relatively simple and inexpensive repairs. Some leaks don’t indicate a serious problem but rather an opportunity for you to get a better deal on the truck.
With 4×4 vehicles, it is critical you verify the alignment and front end condition from a specialist. Fixing the front end of a 4×4 can be very costly, so you need to know what you’ve got.
So I hope this helps you better understand what steps you should take when approaching A used jacked up truck. Thank you for visiting Jacked Up Trucks and please check out my related article on used jacked up trucks for sale.
