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Towing a trailer places an additional load on your vehicle’s engine,
transmission, axle, brakes, tires and suspension. Inspect these
components carefully prior to and after any towing operation. The
following trailer towing charts apply to vehicles equipped with gasoline
engines; for Diesel engines, refer to the Diesel supplement.
Note:Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the
certification label.
Towing trailers beyond the maximum recommended gross trailer
weight exceeds the limit of the vehicle and could result in
engine damage, transmission damage, structural damage, loss of vehicle
control, vehicle rollover and personal injury.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a temporary or conventional spare
tire. If the spare tire is different in size (diameter and/or width), tread
type (All-Season or All-Terrain) or is from a different manufacturer other
than the road tires on your vehicle, your spare tire is considered
“temporary”. Consult information on the spare tire label for limitations
when using.
Refer toTransmission temperature gaugein theInstrument cluster
chapter for transmission fluid temperature information.
F-250 Regular Cab Pickup
Engine Rear axle
ratioMaximum GCWR -
kg (lbs.)Maximum
trailer weight -
kg (lbs.)
4x2 with manual transmission
5.4L 3.73 6123 (13500) 3537 (7800)
5.4L 4.10 6804 (15000) 4217 (9300)
6.8L 3.73 7484 (16500) 4807 (10600)
6.8L
(without
fifth wheel)4.30 9072 (20000) 5670 (12500)
6.8L (with
fifth wheel)4.30 9072 (20000) 6394 (14100)
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•Your vehicle may be equipped with a temporary or conventional spare
tire. If the spare tire is different in size (diameter and/or width), tread
type (All-Season or All-Terrain) or is from a different manufacturer
other than the road tires on your vehicle, your spare tire is considered
“temporary”. Consult information on the spare tire label for limitations
when using.
Servicing after towing
If you tow a trailer for long distances, your vehicle will require more
frequent service intervals. Refer to your scheduled maintenance guide for
more information.
Trailer towing tips
•Practice turning, stopping and backing up before starting on a trip to
get the feel of the vehicle trailer combination. When turning, make
wider turns so the trailer wheels will clear curbs and other obstacles.
•Allow more distance for stopping with a trailer attached.
•The trailer tongue weight should be 10–15% of the loaded trailer
weight.
•After you have traveled 80 km (50 miles), thoroughly check your
hitch, electrical connections and trailer wheel lug nuts.
•To aid in engine/transmission cooling and A/C efficiency during hot
weather while stopped in traffic, place the gearshift lever in P (Park)
(automatic transmission) or N (Neutral) (manual transmissions).
•Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a grade. If you must
park on a grade, place wheel chocks under the trailer’s wheels.
Launching or retrieving a boat
When backing down a ramp during boat launching or retrieval,
•Do not allow the static water level to rise above the bottom edge of
the rear bumper.
•Do not allow waves to break higher than 15 cm (6 inches) above the
bottom edge of the rear bumper.
•Disconnect the trailer tow electrical connector to prevent blown fuses
caused by water entering into your trailer’s electrical wiring.
Exceeding these limits may allow water to enter critical vehicle
components, adversely affecting driveability, emissions and reliability.
Replace front and rear axle lubricants any time the axles have been
submerged in water. Axle lubricant quantities are not to be checked
unless a leak is suspected.
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•slowly move to a safe place on the side of the road.
The use of tire sealants may damage your tires.
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.
Your vehicle may be equipped with a temporary or conventional spare
tire. If the spare tire is different in size (diameter and/or width), tread
type (All-Season or All-Terrain) or is from a different manufacturer other
than the road tires on your vehicle, your spare tire is considered
“temporary”. Consult information on the spare tire label for limitations
when using.
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, Super Cab without
rear bench seat and Crew Cab:
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 wrench Regular cab: Fastened to floor
behind front seat
Super Cab: Fastened to floor
under rear seat
Crew Cab: Fastened to floor
behind rear seat
Key, spare tire lock In the glove box
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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.
•one wheel nut wrench. Slide over
square end of jack handle.
•Vehicles equipped with dual
rear wheels,insert the lug
wrench extension into the lug
wrench to reach the lug nuts.
2. Attach the spare tire lock key (A)
to the jack handle (B).
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3. Fully insert the jack handle
through the bumper hole and into
the guide tube. The key and lock
will engage with a slight push and
counterclockwise turn. Some
resistance will be felt when turning
the jack handle assembly.
4. Turn the handle counterclockwise
and lower the spare tire until you
can slide the tire rearward and the
cable is slack.
5. Remove the retainer through the center of the wheel.
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 4WD:
Place transfer case in any
position.
•Manual shift transfer case 4WD:
Place transfer case in 2H, 4H or
4L.
To help 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).
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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.
5. Loosen each wheel lug nut
one-half turn counterclockwise but
do not remove them until the wheel
is raised off the ground.
When one of the rear wheels is off the ground, the transmission
alone will not prevent the vehicle from moving or slipping off the
jack, even if the transmission is in P (Park) (automatic transmission)
or R (Reverse) (manual transmission). To prevent the vehicle from
moving when you change the tire, be sure that the parking brake is set
and the diagonally opposite wheel is blocked.
If the vehicle slips off the jack, you or someone else could be
seriously injured.
The following steps apply to F250/F350 only:
6. Insert the hooked end of the jack
handle into the jack and use the
handle to slide the jack under the
vehicle.
7. Position the jack according to the
following guides:
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•Rear
Never use the front or rear
differential as a jacking point.
To lessen the risk of
personal injury, do not put
any part of your body under the
vehicle while changing a tire. Do
not start the engine when your
vehicle is on the jack. The jack is
only meant for changing the tire.
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. Replace the flat tire with the
spare tire, making sure the valve
stem is facing outward for all front wheels and single rear wheel vehicles.
If replacing an inboard rear tire on dual rear wheel vehicles, 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.
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•Front passenger side (4x4)
•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.
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