considering a tahoe

[cmc76]

ive been a dodge diesel driver for years, but always liked tahoes.
Im going to look at an 02 z71 today with i think 170,000 on it.
From what ive seen, looks very clean, maybe too clean in fact?
ive got a few questions im hoping for some help on.
- what are some tell tale things i should be looking for?
-with care, is 170k really that bad?
- what kind of mpg are people seeing on these?

Ive had many a chevy before, so im not scared of things like ball joints, bearings, etc.
Any tips as to what i should spot would be really appreciated

 

[NathanJax]

Thinking of Buying a NBS Tahoe/Suburban? Look Here

to the forum

 

[cmc76]

ok, So i went and checked it out and drove it over lunch.
for the miles i was suprised to find that under the hood and underbody were incredibly clean. engine had plenty of pep and trans shifted smoothly.
4 wheel drive engaged and disengaged quietly and quickly.
has some rock chips, but only only one door even had signs of early rust at the bottom.
even the leather seats were in far better shape than i had expected.

only 2 things i have questions on.
1. the steering was very responsive, but not very tight. this just could be chevy vs. my old dodge, but are they all this effortless?
2. there was some rattle up in the sunroof. electric opened and closed just fine. but when i closed the cover by hand, there was somthing banging around in there? ideas?
short of that it needs a good detail, and a couple small odds and ends. but i think im going to pick it up. unless someone has some huge item that i didnt think to look at?

 

[clandr1]

only 2 things i have questions on.
1. the steering was very responsive, but not very tight. this just could be chevy vs. my old dodge, but are they all this effortless?
2. there was some rattle up in the sunroof. electric opened and closed just fine. but when i closed the cover by hand, there was somthing banging around in there? ideas?

1. It could be that the steering components have play in them (pitman, idler, inner/outer tie rods). Try jacking up one front tire, then wiggling it up and down and side to side and checking for play. If there is no play in the components, then it might just be a different feel/design than your dodge. If the components need replacing, you can do it for approx $265 in parts online. I just did all my steering components two weeks ago and it took me and a buddy about 5 hours.

2. This happened to mine. It is probably the drain trough that normally slides back and forth with the sunroof. In my truck, the drain trough got off track and banged around for a few months. I wish I'd addressed it instead of shrugging it off, because eventually it got turned sideways and broke the guide rods and now my sunroof is inoperable (unless I want to spend $2,000 on a new one at the dealership).

Sounds like a good ride otherwise!