Buying a '98 with tranny leak - potential pitfalls?

Going to take a look at a '98 4.0 4dr (think it's a Limited) with auto/4wd tomorrow, and thought I would do some due diligence beforehand.

Owner claims it has a tranny leak and (therefore) stopped driving it three weeks ago. I can only speculate as far as extent (of) and location of leaks before seeing the vehicle, but I thought I would confer with you guys in order to get some 'meat on the bone' before checking it out.

My instant (obvious) assumption would be sump pan and/or cooler lines/fittings, but what other potential culprits are there? Output seal? Also, (hypothetically speaking) what is the symptoms (and lifetime) of an AW4 that has been run (too) long on low/no oil?

Also, will I be correct to assume an NP242 + 8.25 rear with 3.55 gearing for this model/year?

Assume the 3.55, but do not assume the NP242 or 8.25.

If it has ABS it will have a D35.

A Limited will be more likely to have a NP242, but again, not necessarily the case.

If it's leaking out the front of the bell housing, it's likely a front seal...and will require pulling the tranny to fix. If it's leaking out the rear...between the tranny / transfer case, it's an output seal and you'd need to drop the transfer case to fix.

Hopefully you can have a chance to slide under it with a flash light and look for it. If everything is covered with fluid, wipe it off and keep looking.

Lines, o-rings and fittings are easy to fix.

Thanks, guys.

So, I guess a presumptive worst-case scenario would be a front seal?

I have done a rear output seal on a 2wd AW4 which was a stroll in the park. I guess the front is x-amount of times more difficult?