honest opinions please

[jkill351]

so i have an 03 eb expedition and love it. ive owned it for 2 years and have put so much money into it that its mine. all the plugs have been fixed (1,2,3,4,and 7) and the remaining c.o.p.'s have been replaced. however i dont trust it. it seems like everytime i go any real distance i drive home with a noticable miss.
today i decided that it was time for something else, and went to all the local car lots to trade it in. so i have this 03 eddie bauer with 72000mi with no dents or other damage and 5000 cash (in oregon on low kbb trade with cash= 15000 give or take 1000). oddly enough the only choices i have are a few older 98-02 trucks with high miles and a nice 02 avalanch with 64000mi. the real problem is the dealership claims my front diff is bad (my mechanic who has much more experience says its nothing and if it was id know it). and only wants to give me 7500.
heres where you come in. what should i do? seriously what else could be wrong with my expy that 5k wont make go away? or should i cut my losses and move on? oh and i really do like the avalanch(but the expy is in better shape)

 

[jkill351]

i forgot to add that ANY day of the week the expedition would out perform(dirt or asphalt) the avalanch with a better ride and id put the title on it

 

[nvycrmn]

my honest opinion is dont trade in for something older. seems like a step back. and i sure as heck wouldnt take 7500! i can get that for my 01!!!!!!! i would say talk to your mechanic and find out what is "wrong" with the front diff and go from there. and if you already replaced 1,2,3,4,7...maybe you should do 5,6,8. then they would all be done. i would definitely hold off on trading it in if that is all they are going to give you. its hard to get back into a truck payment when you arent making one now.

 

[jkill351]

my mechanic is 70 yrs old and has had his own shop for 30 yrs. ive heard very little negative(all mechanics have someone mad at them) about his shop but lots of good. he fixxed all the above and has done all the scheduled matinence. i told him i wanted it fixxed and id pay whatever it cost. his quote was "jesse i could get it on a lift and tear the whole thing apart but i cant guarantee that im going to find anything yet". now ive never meet a mechanic other than ken who would awnser a question that honestly and when it gets worse he will be the one to fix it(as long as its still mine). im in engineering school and auto/motorcycle is what im interested in. im almost ase certified and i think its a wheel bearing but its only occasional and not enough for me to justify tearing it apart or losing any sleep. i know ppl who have had issues with the vacuum on the hubs but its not that.

the sound now only appears after the suspension has bound or after hard braking or acceleration. once i hear it if i juice it a little it goes away. there is no diffrence weather its in 2 hi all the way to 4 lo. cornering has no effect at all. the sound itself sounds like 2 metal surfaces grinding and feels like the wear indicaters on the pads are rubbing against the rotors, but the pads have 70% life and are all wearing evenly. the rotors could be turned but they are within the normal range. when it is making the sound it slightly pulls to the left, but when theres no sound it drives straight. Has anyone else had this problem? i do take it offroad and tow with it and sometimes i tow offroad, but i dont thrash it.

 

[riccoh]

like other have said, get the little bugs taken care and it will last you a long time. I have own a 98 for only 4-5 months with 140k on the clock, and trust me when I say my wife don't even want to drive her 08 gmc denali with all the bells and whistle. this EXPI's are amasing once you take care of the little stuff and you will be much hapier that way in the end, at least you have an IDEA of what is posible wrong with yours. WHO nows what has happened to those used cars out at a stealership.

Best of luck on your decision

 

[tmajikman]

I would also get the bugs worked out as well, my X has 189,000 on it and it has been a great truck since I have had it, a dealer will always try to low ball you, you should see if it is a bearing and get it replaced before it becomes an expensive fix. jmho.

 

[joezek]

No way in hell I'd trade my Expedition on any GM truck. The dealer also sounds like the exact typical fast talking scum bag trying to belittle your trade and offer half of what it's worth. You gotta find a Ford dealer to get a fair trade. I've seen that a lot, if you go to an opposing brand (Ford vs GM) dealership, they will always act like your trade is junk.

I'd sell it privately or list in autotrader as wanting to sell or trade. I take that back, I'd keep it and do a complete tune up, and drive it another 100,000 miles.

Mine was starting to misfire, and I checked the plugs and found it had most of them replaced...except the one on the rear passenger side. That one was almost completely destroyed. It had almost .100 gap, and was corroded horribly. I replaced it and now the truck runs great again.

 

[98Sexpedition]

i know ppl who have had issues with the vacuum on the hubs but its not that.

the sound now only appears after the suspension has bound or after hard braking or acceleration. once i hear it if i juice it a little it goes away. there is no diffrence weather its in 2 hi all the way to 4 lo. cornering has no effect at all. the sound itself sounds like 2 metal surfaces grinding and feels like the wear indicaters on the pads are rubbing against the rotors, but the pads have 70% life and are all wearing evenly. the rotors could be turned but they are within the normal range. when it is making the sound it slightly pulls to the left, but when theres no sound it drives straight. Has anyone else had this problem? i do take it offroad and tow with it and sometimes i tow offroad, but i dont thrash it.

What are you saying/thinking this is?? Im having a squeeking noise just like you described, and it feels like a slight left hand pull while driving, but not very much. I noticed this shortly after I bought it. I haven't checked the pads on it yet, but Im pretty sure if it passed inspection at the end of July its probably got enough pad not to be squeeking. Unless the dealer just wanted it sold and slapped an inspection sticker on it.

And as far as the Avalanche goes, you couldn't buy that thing for me! FORD is what I drive. But whatever floats your boat..me personally, i wouldn't waste my money on it.

 

[jkill351]

i think its a wheel bearing. once i get it figured out ill post and let you know