STALKING THE USED PICKUP

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If the transmission is an automatic, notice whether it takes a while for the truck to start moving after you begin to accelerate. If so, the transmission may be slipping, so check it out thoroughly before buying the pickup. Another way to test an automatic is to listen to it carefully while you're driving. Does it wait until the engine is highly revved before it shifts? Does it shift roughly? These can be signs of trouble.

Listen, too, for a howling rear end, and avoid the truck that has one.

Try the brakes. If they seem good, pull a front brake drum (it's simple if you leave the tire on, and it's well worth your time). Are the drums scored? Badly? Have they been turned down as much as they can be? How are the shoes? Are they worn evenly, or have they been eaten away by the drums?

If the truck has four wheel drive, can the front wheels be disengaged? Do they make suspicious sounds when they are engaged?

Crawl under the vehicle and look at the springs. Are they leaf or coil? Are they beginning to sag? Spring-loaded shock absorbers are usually a sign that the springs were breaking down and the owner was trying to compensate.

It's a good idea to check coil springs closely on a used truck. When they begin to sag, it's possible—and useless—to brace them up by inserting a support between the coils. The problem is that under rough treatment, springs with these things in them often snap. Spring supporters are good for selling a truck to someone who doesn't know about them . . . and little else.

To determine if the truck you're considering has front end troubles, first look at the tires. If they're worn on the sides, or on one side or the other, you might have an alignment problem.

Squat down facing a tire and grip the top with both hands. Push, then pull. Do you feel any play? If you do, the truck may have a bad king-pin. Now, grip one side of the tire with each hand. Pull with your right, and push with your left . . . then push with your right, and pull with your left. Play? Remember it when you are making up your mind about the truck. A front-end job might run you a fair sum, even if you did it yourself.

If you've been a careful shopper, the pickup that you finally drive home ought to be a pretty sound one. To keep it that way, you'll want to be as particular about maintaining it as you were about buying.

Change the oil faithfully every 4,000 miles. Proper engine lubrication is an absolute must, and clean oil will help keep down sludge deposits. If you've bought an older truck, your engine already has a certain amount of wear on it and one way to minimize any additional wear and tear is to keep the engine well lubricated. Use a heavier weight oil during hot weather and a high-grade, highdetergent oil at all times.

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