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CHANGING THE TIRES
If you get a flat tire while driving, do not apply the brake heavily.
Instead, gradually decrease your speed. Hold the steering wheel firmly
and slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
Spare tire information
Your vehicle may be equipped with a spare tire that can be used as
either a spare or a regular tire. The spare tire is not equipped with wheel
trim. The wheel trim from the original wheel/tire may be used on the
spare.
If your vehicle is equipped with 4WD, a spare tire of a different
size than the road tires should not be used. Such a tire could
result in damage to driveline components and make the vehicle
difficult to control.
Location of the spare tire and tools
The spare tire and tools for your vehicle are stowed in the following
locations:
Tool Location
Spare tire (pick-up
trucks only)Under the vehicle, just forward of the rear
bumper
Jack Regular cab, crew cab and SuperCab without
rear bench seat: Fastened to floor pan behind
rearmost seat on passenger side
SuperCab with rear bench seat: Under rear
bench on passenger side
Jack handle and lug
wrenchOn top of the radiator support at the front of
the engine compartment
Key, spare tire lock (if
equipped)In the glove box
Removing the spare tire (with spare tire carrier only)
1. The following tools are required to remove the spare tire:
•one handle extension and one
typical extension. To assemble,
align button with hole and slide
parts together. To disconnect,
depress button and pull apart.
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•one wheel nut wrench. Slide over
square end of jack handle.
2. The following steps are required to move the support bracket (if
equipped) away from the spare tire:
•With tapered end of lug wrench,
loosen the eyebolt on the support
bracket.
•Line up the eyebolt with the slot
in the support bracket.
•Slide the support bracket off the
eyebolt and move the support
bracket away from the spare tire.
3. If equipped, unlock and remove the spare tire lock from the rear
bumper drive tube using the the spare tire lock key and the jack handle.
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4. Insert the hooked end of the jack
handle into the rear bumper drive
tube.
The handle will stop moving and
you will feel forward resistance to
turning when properly engaged.
5. Turn the handle counterclockwise
and lower the spare until you can
slide the tire rearward and the cable
is slack.
6. Remove the retainer through the center of the wheel.
Stowing the spare tire
1. Lay the tire on the ground with the valve stem facing up.
2. Slide the wheel under the vehicle
and install the retainer through the
wheel center.
3. Turn the jack handle clockwise
until the tire is raised to its original
position underneath the vehicle. The
effort to turn the jack handle
increases significantly and the spare
tire carrier ratchets when the tire is
raised to the stowed position. The spare tire carrier has a built-in ratchet
feature that will not allow you to overtighten.
4. Check that the tire lies flat to the frame assembly. Push against the
tire to make sure it is tightly seated under the vehicle. Loosen or
retighten if necessary.
5. If removed, install the spare tire lock into the bumper drive tube with
the spare tire lock key and jack handle.
6. The following steps are required to secure the support bracket (if
equipped) under the spare tire:
•Move the support bracket over the spare tire.
•Slide the support bracket over the eyebolt into the slot on the support
bracket.
•Tighten the eyebolt with tapered end of lug wrench leaving it
positioned at a right angle of the slot on the support bracket.
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Tire change procedure
1. Park on a level surface, activate
hazard flashers and set the parking
brake.
•Automatic transmission: Place
gearshift lever in P (Park).
•Manual transmission: Place
gearshift lever in R (Reverse).
•Electronic Shift On the Fly four
wheel drive: Place transfer case
in 2WD, 4x4 HIGH or 4x4 LOW.
•Manual shift transfer case four
wheel drive: Place transfer case
in 2H, 4H or 4L.
To prevent the vehicle from
moving when you change a
tire, be sure the parking brake is
set, then block (in both
directions) the wheel that is
diagonally opposite (other side
and end of the vehicle) to the tire
being changed.
2. Turn engine OFF and block the diagonally opposite wheel (block not
provided).
3. Remove the jack, jack handle, lug wrench and spare tire from the
stowage locations.
4. Use the tip of the lug wrench to remove any wheel trim.
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8. Turn the jack handle clockwise
until the wheel is completely off the
ground and high enough to install
the spare tire.
9. Remove the lug nuts with the lug
wrench.
10. On single rear wheel vehicles,
replace the flat tire with the spare
tire, making sure the valve stem is
facing outward for all front tires and
vehicles equipped with single rear
wheels. If replacing an inboard rear
tire on a dual rear wheel vehicle,
the valve stem must be facing outward. If replacing the outboard wheel,
the valve stem must be facing inward. Reinstall the lug nuts until the
wheel is snug against the hub. Do not fully tighten the lug nuts until the
wheel has been lowered.
11. Lower the wheel by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.
Go to step 19.
The following steps apply to F450/F550 only:
12. Slide the notched end of the
jack handle over the release valve
and use the handle to slide the jack
under the vehicle. Make sure the
valve is closed by turning it
clockwise.
13. Position the jack according to
the following guides:
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•Rear
14. Insert the jack handle into the
pump linkage.
15. Use an up-and-down motion
with the jack handle to raise the
wheel completely off the ground.
Hydraulic jacks are equipped
with a pressure release valve
that prevents lifting loads which
exceed the jack’s rated capacity.
16. Remove the lug nuts with the lug wrench.
17. Replace the flat tire with the spare tire, making sure the valve stem
is facing outward on all front an inboard rear wheels. If replacing the
outboard wheel, the valve stem must be facing inward. Reinstall the lug
nuts until the wheel is snug against the hub. Do not fully tighten the lug
nuts until the wheel has been lowered.
18. Lower the wheel by slowly turning the release valve
counterclockwise.
Opening the release valve slowly will provide a more controlled
rate of descent.
2000 F250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide(owners)
USA English(fus)
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The following steps apply to all vehicles:
19. Remove the jack and fully tighten
the lug nuts in the order shown.
20. Stow the flat tire. Refer to
Stowing the spare tireif the vehicle
is equipped with a spare tire carrier.
21. Stow the jack, jack handle and
lug wrench. Make sure the jack is
securely fastened so it does not
rattle when driving.
22. Unblock the wheels.
On vehicles equipped with single rear wheels, retighten the lug nuts to
the specified torque at 800 km (500 miles) after any wheel disturbance
(tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel removal, etc.).
On vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels, retighten the wheel lug nuts
to the specified torque at 160 km (100 miles), and again at 800 km (500
miles) of new vehicle operation and after any wheel disturbance (tire
rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel removal, etc.).
Bolt size Wheel lug nut torque*
Nm Lb-ft
M14 x 1.5 200-225 150-165
* Torque specifications are for nut and bolt threads free of dirt and
rust. Use only Ford recommended replacement fasteners.
On all two-piece flat wheel nuts,
apply one drop of motor oil between
the flat washer and the nut. Do not
apply motor oil to the wheel nut
threads or the wheel stud threads.
When a wheel is installed, always remove any corrosion, dirt or
foreign materials present on the mounting surfaces of the wheel or
the surface of the front disc brake hub and rotor that contacts the wheel.
Installing wheels without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel
mounting surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to
come off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of control.
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2000 F250/350/450/550(f23)
Owners Guide(owners)
USA English(fus)
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