New transfer case and front differential - should I be worried?

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NCTroutHunter

NCTroutHunter

Joined
Jan 19, 2019
Threads
41
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Location
Boone, NC
I'm looking at buying a 2011 LC with 146K miles. The owner has had it for less than a year, but added lots of mods: suspension, control arms, ARB bumpers etc (all professionally installed). In the fall he pushed it while wheeling and damaged the A-trac, so he had to get an all new transfer case and all new front differential installed ($7K - ouch).

Should this scare me off from purchasing it?

How hard to do you have to be running the track to damage it this badly?
 
YES.
 
NCTroutHunter said:
I'm looking at buying a 2011 LC with 146K miles. The owner has had it for less than a year, but added lots of mods: suspension, control arms, ARB bumpers etc (all professionally installed). In the fall he pushed it while wheeling and damaged the A-trac, so he had to get an all new transfer case and all new front differential installed ($7K - ouch).

Should this scare me off from purchasing it?

How hard to do you have to be running the track to damage it this badly?
Click to expand...

Run away from that one.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys. My gut was saying don't mess around with it - thanks for the confirmation.
 
Good decision. There have been 200s on here pushed hard and damage like that is almost unheard of.
 
For discussion purposes, what do you all imagine the other damage that would be associated with this?

Another way to look at it is that these are brand new parts with a full lifetime ahead of them.

I bought a sports car once that had a documented factory replacement engine and transmission. The chassis had 100k miles, but the driveline was brand new. I was overjoyed to scoop it up, and it has been a great vehicle.
 
These things break. So somebody went out and used it off-road and sent it a bit? Wouldn’t bother me a bit. It’s metal and plastic.
 
Not sure what you're looking for, Rice Toyota here in Greensboro just put a 2010 on their lot. I can't be positive but I'd wager it's my neighbor's as I noticed it left their driveway a couple weeks ago and a 13+ showed up instead. The guy is an enthusiast, owns a couple older BMWs. The truck was his wife's daily and lived outside if I'm correct. Price certainly isn't great.
 
@JohnJB Thanks for the heads up. Given the market, the price is OK but not completely crazy. Do you know anything about it? Serviced well, any accidents, etc?
 
NCTroutHunter said:
@JohnJB Thanks for the heads up. Given the market, the price is OK but not completely crazy. Do you know anything about it? Serviced well, any accidents, etc?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I know nothing. If it's even my neighbor's, they live a couple streets over and I only know of it from walking my dogs past their house as I don't know them.

I'm about to head out for a 50 mile bike ride. I could swing by there this afternoon but honestly given you're not too far away, I'd say come check it out ASAP if you're serious and have availability. (gross, I sound like the sales person, ha!)
 
CharlieS said:
For discussion purposes, what do you all imagine the other damage that would be associated with this?

Another way to look at it is that these are brand new parts with a full lifetime ahead of them.

I bought a sports car once that had a documented factory replacement engine and transmission. The chassis had 100k miles, but the driveline was brand new. I was overjoyed to scoop it up, and it has been a great vehicle.
Click to expand...
Sure…that could be true…under the best of circumstances.

But someone who does that…may also have submerged the truck a little deeper than recommended…enough to soiled the diff and whatnot but not bad enough to call insurance company?

The opposite question can be ask…why did this off-roader sell his truck so fast just after getting brand new parts with a full lifetime ahead of them? I assume he is financially secure enough to buy a LC (used)…take it wheeling knowing the damage possibilities…and then suddenly selling it? Hmmmm….
 
Madtiger said:
Sure…that could be true…under the best of circumstances.

But someone who does that…may also have submerged the truck a little deeper than recommended…enough to soiled the diff and whatnot but not bad enough to call insurance company?

The opposite question can be ask…why did this off-roader sell his truck so fast just after getting brand new parts with a full lifetime ahead of them? I assume he is financially secure enough to buy a LC (used)…take it wheeling knowing the damage possibilities…and then suddenly selling it? Hmmmm….
Click to expand...

we’re getting far afield here. Should the new diff and transfer case scare you off - I say no because they were replaced and are new.

Should you do a PPI and still check the truck out? Yes, but that’s not unique to this truck. You’ll be looking for that stuff no matter what, or should be.

edit - I should acknowledge I agree with @Madtiger if he’s suggesting look a little harder, but still wouldn’t hard pass
 
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The replaced parts would not bother me. What would bother me is trying to understand who would buy a 200 and mod it, pump in another $7k, and then sell it in less than a year. He’s over $20k on top of what he paid for the truck into it. What’s his story? If he’s going to buy another 200, run. Now if he’s selling it for $25k well...
 
CharlieS said:
For discussion purposes, what do you all imagine the other damage that would be associated with this?

Another way to look at it is that these are brand new parts with a full lifetime ahead of them.

I bought a sports car once that had a documented factory replacement engine and transmission. The chassis had 100k miles, but the driveline was brand new. I was overjoyed to scoop it up, and it has been a great vehicle.
Click to expand...
Along the same line of thinking, what in the world could have happened that necessitated a new diff and t-case?
 
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