Off Road Depreciation
 

Hi All,

New to the forum here. I am in the midst of shopping for a TJ. I have found an 04 that I like 90K on the clock, all stock except for aftermarket tires. It has seen what I would say is a fair amount of mud time based on the tires, underbody, and engine compartment. I am curious as to how much wear and tear this will add to the parts in comparison to a mostly road driven Jeep? I want to make sure I get a fair price and know what I am getting in to in terms of early parts replacement. Any input would be appreciated.

Thx

Re: Off Road Depreciation
 

well this is a tricky one...

Depreciation from neglected services... basicallys offroading, or running your jeep in 4 low puts an increased load on the engine, if the previous owner beat it around the woods and didn't keep up with his oil changes depreciation could be significant if he waited too longs...

same thing if he got it stuck in the mud and water or debris got leaked into his axles...(my case with a 93ZJ, rust free but he swamped it... and rear axle was toast (rebuilt without shim's for crying out loud!) but still was CHEAP and rust free!

suspension components can take a hit too, shock absorbers could be toast...

If your not comfortable getting down and dirty the best thing to do is spend a little and bring it to a shop, ask them to check the conditions of the fluids gear wear and stuff like that, id call around and find a shop that often deals with 4x4 rigs

but if he's selling it asks him why he's selling it, usually you can sift thru and get a feel for what may really be wrong with it.

Re: Off Road Depreciation
 

Welcome to the forum.
And CrazyW is right,it all depends on the previous owner and how he treated and maintained it.
You can do some serious off-roading and yet still have a great Jeep,IF MAINTAINED PROPERLY.Note the caps.
I do a fair amount of off roading and when it's cleaned up,you wouldn't even know it.But I DO keep a tight ship,so to speak.
If you are mecanically inclined,I say go for it,if not,don't despair,get someone reputable to check it out for you.Save yourself some grief.
You didn't mention how much the asking price was-that one could tip the scales either way.
Let us know,it might help.
Remember Jeep stands for-Just Empty Every Pocket....:lol_hitting: