looking to up grade

[4wdriver]

hi guys new to your forum and hopefully soon to be in a new used 2500hd.my wife has decided to get a new boat what better reason to get a newer truck.i sold my car and ive been driving my 78 k20 to work its getting a little hard on the back,reminds me of riding in the back of the school bus when i was a kid.anyway im going to look at a 2002 2500hd ext cab tomorrow with the 6.0 anythings to look for that would be a deal breaker or even minor things that would be a pain to fix.i have drove a few 2500hds and really like these trucks.any info that will help is much appreciated thanks.

[becker87]

Welcome to the forum! I don't have one, from reading other topics though it would seem you will have no issues. The biggest thing on an older truck is how well it has been taken care off. Good luck!

[4wdriver]

thanks becker87.just cant wait to find the truck i want hopefully tomorrow will be the day!

[KMGZ400]

i would just check for rust on the rockers, doors, etc. and when you test drive, take it to highway speeds and feel the trans, feel how the front end is

[wurgs]

I agree with Becker. We are pretty hard on ours at work and they hold up really well. I just turned over to 192000 miles on my 2005 and haven't put a penny into it besides maintenance items ( just had alternator replaced but I am surprised it lasted that long).

[4wdriver]

well it seemed reasonable to me good shape for 10 years old so i pulled the trigger.i will pick it up first week of april when i get time to go back it was 2hrs.away.i will look at posting a picture later gotta take my kid for ice cream maybe her last one before i start feeding that new truck!oh its the 02 i spoke about in my first post.glad to hear you guys are getting alot of use outta your hd's.

[Sierra6.0]

Things to look for: On quite a few 2500HDs in the GMT-800 chassis, the transfer case can rub a hole and cause transfer case failure. You should be able to tell if you have the hole or not. If you do, looks like you are out a couple of grand out the gate.

 

Next, the AC unit. My GMT-800 Tahoe's AC unit failed prematurely due to liquid slugging. The level was fine. It seems to be an issue with the location of the AC compressor. I am not sure the trucks have the slugging issue as they dont' have the rear AC, but the Tahoes and Suburbans are a time bomb.

 

Next, the tow package. Check for corrosion at all. There have been people who report the design of the HD tow hitch to be so bad, you can bend it with a 2" square bar and weight distribution hitches will NOT transfer any weight to the front of the truck.

 

I couldn't believe it (my 1/2 ton Sierra and Tahoe don't really qualify for towing heavy loads), but I drove by my neighbors 2500HD and looked underneath: Sure enough, the tow hitch design looks pathetic. Even if you can put weight to the front tires, you don't have a lot of weld area, and it just looks chintzy. If you had corroded welds you could risk hitch failure (rare, but it has happened to GMT-800 owners). A new aftermarket hitch wouldn't be a bad idea if you have a stocker.

 

All I know, is that it looks much more fragile compared to the beefy 2.5" Class V unit on my 2011.

 

Other than that, enjoy the truck. In a lot of ways, the ergonomics of the interior are the best Chevy has produced in a truck. And the 6.0 is a reliable workhorse (just don't expect much more than 16mpg!).

[4wdriver]

i hear ya sierra6.0 where on the tranfer case does the rub hole occur and what rubs it.i will check out the hitch hope its sturdy but it can be replaced if not.thanks for the info.

[[email protected]]

Hi 4wdriver:

I am just curious - I'm wondering why you would buy a 10 year old truck, that is 2 hours away. Wondering how many miles are on the truck your considering. Wondering where you are located in the world.

 

Is this a super clean, super low mileage example - that's worth driving 2 hours to get? Or are you 2 hours out in the middle of no-where and the closest town is 2 hours away?

 

Anyway - hope it turnso out well for you.

Carl B.

[Prokopchuk_9]

2002 are bad for gauge clusters. You will see that right away tho..as fr the pump rub issue, before you even get in truck look underneath for any leaks. Ask the owner if that's where he usually parks it. I'm a stickler with leaks LOL. 2002 is a bad year for fuel pumps too. If its over 150k Kms ask him if the pump has been changed...and just as kmz says take it to highway speeds...see how tight everything is. Also take note shifting from D to R or R to D...any clunking may be a bad sign. Or just u-joints. Make sure you check 4 hi and 4 low. I'm a real thorough guy when I buy things, the last dirt bike I picked up I brought stethoscope and compression tester AHHAHAH

 

Oh and listen for cold start knock :-l