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VEHICLE LOADING
Certification Label
As required by National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-
istration regulations, your vehicle has a certification label
affixed to the driver’s side door or pillar.
This label contains the month and year of manufacture,
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), Gross Axle Weight
Rating (GAWR) front and rear, and Vehicle Identification
Number (VIN). A Month-Day-Hour (MDH) number is
included on this label and indicates the Month, Day and
Hour of manufacture. The bar code that appears on the
bottom of the label is your VIN.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)
The GVWR is the total permissible weight of your vehicle
including driver, passengers, vehicle, options and cargo.
The label also specifies maximum capacities of front andrear axle systems (GAWR). Total load must be limited so
GVWR and front and rear GAWR are not exceeded.
Payload
The payload of a vehicle is defined as the allowable load
weight a truck can carry, including the weight of the
driver, all passengers, options and cargo.
Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR)
The GAWR is the maximum permissible load on the front
and rear axles. The load must be distributed in the cargo
area so that the GAWR of each axle is not exceeded.
Each axle GAWR is determined by the components in the
system with the lowest load carrying capacity (axle,
springs, tires or wheels). Heavier axles or suspension
components sometimes specified by purchasers for in-
creased durability does not necessarily increase the vehi-
cle’s GVWR.
528 STARTING AND OPERATING
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NOTE:The trailer tongue weight must be considered as
part of the combined weight of occupants and cargo (ie.
the GVWR), and the GVWR should never exceed the
weight referenced on the Tire and Loading Information
placard. Refer to “Tire Safety Information” in “Starting
and Operating” for further information.
Trailer And Tongue Weight
Always load a trailer with 60% to 65% of the weight in
the front of the trailer. This places 10% to 15% of the
Gross Trailer Weight (GTW) on the tow hitch of your
vehicle. Loads balanced over the wheels or heavier in the
rear can cause the trailer to sway severelyside to side
which will cause loss of control of the vehicle and trailer.
Failure to load trailers heavier in front is the cause of
many trailer collisions.
Never exceed the maximum tongue weight stamped on
your bumper or trailer hitch. Consider the following items when computing the
weight on the rear axle of the vehicle:
•
The tongue weight of the trailer.
• The weight of any other type of cargo or equipment
put in or on your vehicle.
• The weight of the driver and all passengers.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 541
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WARNING!
Improper towing can lead to a collision. Follow these
guidelines to make your trailer towing as safe as
possible:
•Make certain that the load is secured in the trailer
and will not shift during travel. When trailering
cargo that is not fully secured, dynamic load shifts
can occur that may be difficult for the driver to
control. You could lose control of your vehicle and
have a collision.
• When hauling cargo or towing a trailer, do not
overload your vehicle or trailer. Overloading can
cause a loss of control, poor performance or dam-
age to the brakes, axle, engine, transmission, steer-
ing, suspension, chassis structure or tires.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Safety chains must always be used between your
vehicle and trailer. Always connect the chains to
the frame or hook retainers of the vehicle hitch.
Cross the chains under the trailer tongue and allow
enough slack for turning corners.
• Vehicles with trailers should not be parked on a
grade. When parking, apply the parking brake on
the tow vehicle. Put the tow vehicle automatic
transmission in PARK. With a manual transmis-
sion, shift the transmission into first gear. And
with four-wheel-drive vehicles, make sure the
transfer case is not in NEUTRAL (N). Always,
block or chockthe trailer wheels.
• GCWR must not be exceeded.
(Continued)
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 543
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RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle
Towing ConditionWheels OFF the Ground Four-Wheel Drive Models
Flat Tow NONESee Instructions
•Automatic transmission in PARK
•Manual transmission in gear
(NOT in NEUTRAL [N])
•Transfer case in NEUTRAL (N)
•Tow in forward direction
Dolly Tow FrontNOT ALLOWED
Rear NOT ALLOWED
On Trailer ALLOK5
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Recreational Towing — Four-Wheel Drive Models
NOTE:The transfer case must be shifted into NEUTRAL
(N), automatic transmission must be shifted into PARK,
and manual transmission must be placed in gear (NOT in
NEUTRAL) for recreational towing.
CAUTION!
• DO NOT dolly tow any 4WD vehicle, internal
damage to the transmission or transfer case will
occur if a dolly is used when recreational towing.
• Tow only in the forward direction. Towing this
vehicle backwards can cause severe damage to the
transfer case.
• Automatic transmissions must be placed in PARK
for recreational towing.
• Manual transmissions must be placed in gear (not
in Neutral) for recreational towing.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Before recreational towing, perform the procedure
outlined under “Shifting Into NEUTRAL (N)” to be
certain that the transfer case is fully in NEUTRAL
(N). Otherwise, internal damage will result.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission and/or
transfer case damage. Damage from improper tow-
ing is not covered under the New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
• Do not use a bumper-mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
550 STARTING AND OPERATING
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ...........556
IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ............556
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ..................... .557
▫ Torque Specifications ...................557
JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ..........559
▫ Jack Location ....................... .560
▫ Spare Tire Removal ....................560
▫ Preparations For Jacking ................561
▫ Jacking Instructions ...................561 ▫
Road Tire Installation ...................565
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ...........566
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ..............567
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ................568
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE .............570
EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .571
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE ................572
TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE ...........574
▫ Without The Ignition Key ................575
▫ Four–Wheel Drive Models ...............576
6
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NOTE:There are steps that you can take to slow down
an impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control
to high. This allows the heater core to act as a
supplement to the radiator and aids in removing heat
from the engine cooling system.
WARNING!
You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never try to open a cooling system pressure
cap when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
Proper lug nut/bolt torque is very important to ensure
that the wheel is properly mounted to the vehicle. Any
time a wheel has been removed and reinstalled on the
vehicle the lug nuts/bolts should be torqued using a
properly calibrated torque wrench.
Torque Specifications
Lug Nut/Bolt Torque **Lug Nut/
Bolt SizeLug Nut/
Bolt Socket Size
100 Ft-Lbs (135 N·m) 1/2” x 20 19 mm
**Use only Chrysler recommended lug nuts/bolts and
clean or remove any dirt or oil before tightening.
Inspect the wheel mounting surface prior to mounting
the tire and remove any corrosion or loose particles.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 557
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Tighten the lug nuts/bolts in a star pattern until each
nut/bolt has been tightened twice.After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut/bolt torque to be
sure that all the lug nuts/bolts are properly seated
against the wheel.
Wheel Mounting SurfaceTorque Patterns
558 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES