>>>((looked at a 95 reg cab with 32,000 on the clock and cords showin on the
>>>rear tires))
>>Jim - In my book 32K isn't a lot of miles. It seems like Dakota drivers put
>>a good deal more miles than average (they must love to drive 'em, hee, hee).
>>And bald tires aren't a reason to pass on a used vehicle. Clearly, they
>>were the OEM tires, with 32K on them. Talk the seller down a couple hundred,
>>and buy new tires! Would you rather have nice shiny cheapy tires, and a $400
>>markup for the 'new radials'?
> However, you could take the angle that, if this person didn't care
>enough to buy new tires, then how much abuse have other parts of the
...
> Tires with cords showing would flash a sort of warning sign in my brain,
>causing me to look at other aspects of the truck a little more carefully
>than I may have originally... IMHO, I don't think bad tires by themselves
>would be enough to write off the entire truck.
What is the group consensus on how much damage can be done to the rest of
the truck in 32K miles? I've heard of people (likely urban legend though)
never changing oil until the engine seizes at 60K miles because all the oil
has evaporated or been burned. Presuming that's not the case, and that the
truck's never been in a major wreck (bent frame, or bondo-body) would it
be fatal to have never serviced ANYTHING else?
In a modern vehicle, I think you'd be okay.
Of course there's the possibility the odometer's been messed with....
Back to the topic of tires. You have to wonder about the raw intellect of
someone willing to run the tires down to the cords. In any part of the
country where rain prevails (count SoCal out) theis would clearly be
quite dangerous. In the desert states you'd be running the risk of a
blowout from overheating and carcass failure [note those stock tires are
only 2 ply sidewalls, suitable for 2WD, but pretty flimsy].
Maybe the owner just bit off more car payment than he could afford.
The other way to look at at, at least he wasn't running the bald tires
up front, where 60-70% of braking, and 60+% of the weight of the Dakota
is supported.
The available torque of the 318 through 225/70-15 (or whatever the stock 2WD
tires are) probably wore the tread off faster than the owner suspected.
Chances are, the tires were never rotated.
>Anyway, good luck with your quest! I hope you find what you're looking for!!
ditto
Jim
"Any government that is big enough to give to us everything we want, is big
enough to take from us everything we have!" -- President Gerald R. Ford,
speaking to the Republican National Convention
in San Diego, CA on Aug. 12, 1996.
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