OP
I have no reason to believe this gentleman is trying to hide something from me, his reason for not wanting to keep it was he didn’t want to have to hassle with driving stick anymore. He’s had the Jeep for 2-3 years, never used the 4x4, and hasn’t had any problems with it until the squeaking he said started 2-3 weeks ago. I made my approach about the inspection as respectfully and caustious as I could. The gentleman’s initial response was no because he said his wife wouldn’t feel right about having to go through it. But he wasn’t opposed to taking it to a shop the HE wanted to, which I’m perfectly fine with. I just want to be aware of what I’m totally getting myself into.Sometimes it takes all the effort we can muster to deal with someone who is being unreasonable. Still, in the end, if the little rig is likely a decent buy, it would be in your best interest to earn the seller's trust. Showing him that you have the resources to purchase, and you're not just a dreamer or a tire-kicker, will usually go a long way toward making the sale happen. However, if you have any reason to believe that the seller has something to hide regarding the Jeep's condition, I'd walk.
So what kind of cost are we looking at for repairs for either U-Joints or the Centering ball on the front drive shaft? Ball parks will work, $500/$1000/1500?