Lbz questions

[TD96RAM]

First off this is my first post and current Dodge owner (1996 2500 12 valve) I am in need of a new truck and was intrested in the 2003-2007 Ram 5.9's but every one i come across up here aleady has rust problems developing or someone has beat the heck out of it already.I came across a 2007 GMC 2500 crew cab short box 4x4 with 39,000 miles at a dealer when looking for a Dodge. This is a very clean truck from Missouri with the SLE1 trim package. Dealer has it up for $33,000 but every LBZ truck or 5.9 Cummins goes for big bucks. My question is are there any common problems i can look for on this truck?Everything i read on the LBZ'S is they are the best or the pre emission trucks.
Any help would be great.
Thanks
Tim

[CoyleJR]

TD96RAM,
In my opinion the LBZ is the best D-max to own. It is the third generation D-max and has all of the improvements without all of the emissions BS. My 06 LBZ has been run hard (serviced often) and never lets me down. The only common problem is with the 4x4 transfer case. The case wears a hole from the inside due to a thrust plate rubbing. Kennedy Diesel sells a kit to stop the thrust plate rub issue. Do a DP search for information on the merits of the LBZ and the T-case problem. These things have been discussed many times before.
I don't know much about what an 07 D-max is worth but 33k sounds high to me for an 07.
Good Luck
John

[TD96RAM]

I will check those out, and 33 is asking price i'm sure i will get them to move down some.
Thanks!

[gimpyhauler]

I own an '07 GMC Sierra Classic LB/CC with (now) about 170,000 miles.

3 years ago I walked into a used truck lot with $25000 in cash. At the time, they were asking $26,950+T/L. It had 153,000 miles if I remember correctly. Keep in mind this was in CA, I walked out with the truck at $25,000 including Tax and DMV fees. I know that cash had a lot to do with it.

Other than normal maintenance and an owner caused short that cost him 2 batteries, this truck has been a dream. I bought it because of my buddy's '05 Duramax Chevy. His truck has had a few issues over the years. Mine, perhaps marrying my wife wasn't the only lucky thing I did. I added a reversible gooseneck and have a 30/38' flatbed trailer. I'm expecting this to be my last truck I ever buy.

Hope this helps you negotiate a better price. You'll be happy with the truck if you get it.

[GMC D-Max]

Little late to the thread here, but let me ad my $.02:

I specifically held-out for a LBZ because of the (relative) lack of emissions (cat and egr, but that's it), and it also seems to be the easiest to tweak. I traveled to Minnesota (1600 miles one-way) to pick up a 32k-mile, really babied '07 Classic CC dually SLT. I gave round $36k for it, which was about $5k less than you could find it for on the west coast, if you could find one.

Other than the aforementioned pump-rub issue, I can't think of any other problems I've heard about with the LBZ. It's superior (but really splitting hairs) to my previous LB7, which I traded off before it was old enough to have any issues.

[More Power]

Injectors remain the biggest concern for any high-pressure common rail diesel these days, including the LBZ. If I were looking at a used LBZ, I'd ask about whether the injectors are original or have been replaced. If the truck has more than 100K on it since the last injector replacement, I'd use that info to work a deal that could account for the $4-5+K injector replacement cost sometime in the future.

Do what you can to avoid getting into an out of warranty LBZ (or Ford or Dodge) on payments, then discover in a few months that the engine needs new injectors. Now, you've still got the payments and a big service bill.

On the bright side, you could buy an aftermarket extended warranty that covers the injection system. Might be a good idea for those trucks with enough mileage that may suggest a service bill at some point.

I've talked to enough out-of-warranty Duramax owners in the past few years to know what angst the cost of an injector replacement can cause. Be aware - be prepared. Jim