2004 JEEP LIBERTY suspension

Remember, never drive diagonally across a hill-always
drive straight up or down.
If the wheels start to slip as you approach the crest of a
hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain headway by
turning the front wheels sharply left and right. This will
provide fresh ªbiteº into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.
Traction Downhill
Shift the transmission into a low gear and the transfer
case to 4L or 4 LO range. Let the vehicle go slowly down
the hill with all four wheels turning against engine
compression drag. This will permit you to control the
vehicle speed and direction.
When descending mountains or hills, repeated braking
can cause brake fade with loss of braking control. Avoid
repeated heavy braking by downshifting the transmis-
sion whenever possible.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-highway driving. After going off-road it is
always a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken care of right away and have
your vehicle ready when you need it.
²Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
²Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. Retighten them, if required, and torque to the
values specified in the Service Manual.
²Check for accumulations of plants or brush. These
things could be a fire hazard. They might hide damage
to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion seals, and
propeller shafts.
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WARNING!
²Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than that
specified for your vehicle. Some combinations of unap-
proved tires and wheels may change suspension dimen-
sions and performance characteristics, resulting in
changes to steering, handling, and braking of your
vehicle. This can cause unpredictable handling and
stress to steering and suspension components. You
could lose control and have an accident resulting in
serious injury or death. Use only the tire and wheel
sizes with load ratings approved for your vehicle.
²Never use a tire smaller than the minimum tire size
listed on your vehicle's tire label. Using a smaller tire
could result in tire overloading and failure. You could
lose control and have an accident.
²Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having adequate
speed capability can result in sudden tire failure and
loss of vehicle control.
²Overloading your tires is dangerous. Overloading can
cause tire failure. Use tires of the recommended load
capacity for your vehicle - never overload them.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer read-
ings. Check with your dealer before replacing tires
with a different size.
Alignment and Balance
The suspension components of your vehicle should be
inspected and aligned when needed, to obtain maximum
tire tread life.
Poor suspension alignment may result in:
²reduced tread life;
²uneven tire wear, such as feathering and one-sided
wear;
²vehicle pull to the right or to the left.
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²This device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired op-
eration.
The tire pressure sensors are covered under one of the
following licenses:
United States.....................KR5S120123
Canada........................2671-S120123TIRE CHAINS
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires, observe the following
precautions:
²Because of restricted chain clearance between tires and other
suspension components, it is important that only chains in
good condition are used. Broken chains can cause serious
damage. Stop the vehicle immediately if noise occurs that could
indicate chain breakage. Remove the damaged parts of the
chain before further use.
²Install chains on the rear wheels as tightly as possible and then
retighten after driving about1¤2mile (0.8 km).
²Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
²Drive cautiously and avoid severe turns and large bumps,
especially with a loaded vehicle.
²Do not drive for prolonged period on dry pavement.
²Observe the tire chain manufacturer's instructions on the
method of installation, operating speed, and conditions for use.
Always use the lower suggested operating speed of the chain
manufacturer if different than the speed recommended by the
manufacture.
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Seat Belt Maintenance
Do not bleach, dye or clean the belts with chemical
solvents or abrasive cleaners. This will weaken the fabric.
Sun damage will also weaken the fabric.
If the belts need cleaning, use a mild soap solution or
lukewarm water. Do not remove the belts from the
vehicle to wash them.
Replace the belts if they appear frayed or worn or if the
buckles do not work properly.
Maintenance After Off-Pavement Driving
After extended operation in mud, sand or water, or
similar dirty conditions, have your brake drums, brake
linings, and axle joints inspected and cleaned as soon as
possible. This will prevent any abrasive material from
causing excessive wear or unpredictable braking action.
Following off-pavement usage, completely inspect the
underbody of your vehicle. Check tires, body structure,steering, suspension and exhaust system for damage.
Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering and suspen-
sion. Retighten, if required, to torque values specified in
the Service Manual. Also check for accumulations of
vegetation or brush that could become a fire hazard, or
conceal damage to fuel lines, brake hoses, axle pinion
seals, and propeller shafts.
CAUTION!
Under frequent heavy-duty driving conditions,
change all lubricants and lubricate body compo-
nents, all driveline joints and steering linkage more
often than in normal service to prevent excessive
wear.
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