I'm supposed to meet a guy to look at a car I might buy. It's 6 hours away from my house and I'm wondering if I can drive it back. He said he was a mechanic for years and that it'd trust it to drive to California (we're on the east coast).
I found the guy/car on ebay.
2007-03-20 17:34:44 · 12 answers · asked by PlasticTrees 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
I think he said the bearing is rusted shut or something. Like he can't get it off or something.
2007-03-20 17:40:01 · update #1
You're getting ridiculous. Stop screwing around on Ebay and go to a reputable automobile dealership in your town to buy your car. You will get a reliable car that you won't have to sink lots of money into for repairs. My bet is you aren't going to take my advice, are you?
2007-03-20 22:20:16 · answer #1 · answered by Peedlepup 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is taking a huge risk. There is no way one can guess how long it will be until the bearing seizes & stops turning. Ball joints, are pretty much the same, in my humble opinion. Unless you are able to look closely at the ball joint in question, & perhaps make a judgement call. Here's an idea if you have the time. Contact a reputable mechanic in the area where the car is currently & arrange an appointment to have it repaired. I certainly hope the seller is offering a reduced asking price due to the condition of the car.
2007-03-21 00:46:16 · answer #2 · answered by LuckyJack 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How badly are they needing to be replaced? If there is next to no play, you should be fine, but if they are almost jsut about falling apart, I wouldn't trust backing it out of the driveway. My advice, have it towed (or have him drive it) to a shop in his area and then have the work preformed there, and then go and pick the car up. Probably the safest bet, as you did not tell us how badly in need they are needing to be replaced.
I've recomdned replacemend on the first signs of a bad wheel bearing and ball joint, but I have also seen them go for much longer. Only you can decide on this. If you are not sure, have it towed to a garage and have a technician there put his opinion in on it. Honestly, I wouldn't if it was my car. I don't even drive it if I have low windshield washer fluid, I'm that particular.
2007-03-21 00:41:00 · answer #3 · answered by gregthomasparke 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do not drive it. If the bearing is that bad, it could seize, causing that wheel to lock up permanently, or become red hot and weld itself to the axle stub (if he can't get it off, then he's probably already done this - but if you drive it, then he'll say that you did the damage.) This is way too dangerous - and no mechanic who knows his stuff would suggest it. He's lying and hoping that you'll do the 6-hour drive - that way, you can't prove that it was already screwed up when you bought it.
2007-03-21 01:13:51 · answer #4 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
don't do it. if the ball-joint is worn, all it takes is a good pot hole , or stress due to metal fatigue, for it to crack.if it cracks, you could lose the front tire altogether, and end up risking your life.
any decent mechanic does not sell a car with a loose ball-joint.
lose this seller aswell as his car.
look for another one. have it inspected by the CAA inspection center. it will cost about 75.00$ for the inspection,
however, it can save you many headaches, aswell as alot
of time and money.as for the wheel bearing?
well, you will notice a humming sound, and or vibration
from the rear wheels. it's a 50/50 chance.
get a honda. or toyota.
good luck
steve
2007-03-21 00:50:56 · answer #5 · answered by tamadrumsrbest 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would not trust it.
nothing worse than being miles away from home and broke down on the side of the road.
and plus wheel bearings and ball joints are something that is very important, it is not something that you can limp home once it is broken.
also they can be rather expensive to fix....depending on the car, the expenses for repairs might be more than the car is worth.
2007-03-21 00:39:10 · answer #6 · answered by Liz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it needs a new wheel bearing, I wouldn't want to drive it. If the wheel bearing goes out, you could have a wreck. Keep looking.
2007-03-21 00:38:35 · answer #7 · answered by Annie D 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No WAY!! If he really wants to sell the car, he can either deliver it to you at his expense or fix the problem before the sale.... not only is it unsafe, its not cool to sell your problems to someone else.... kind of makes you wonder what else might go wrong with the car after you get it back.... keep looking. Hope this helps.
2007-03-21 00:43:57 · answer #8 · answered by Porterhouse 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
if the bearing is rusted id be worried id sooner trailer it to be safe is better than being sorry or worse dead on arrival because of the unsafe mechanicals
2007-03-25 00:39:41 · answer #9 · answered by denis s 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
of course it'll just be a little noisy. worst case scenario it breaks you tow it or possibly junk it or just buy that new car. really though if it starts making really bad noises ask a friend to help you out and give you a ride
2007-03-21 00:40:14 · answer #10 · answered by lui lew 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋