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JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
Jack Location
The jack and jack tools are stored under the front passenger seat.
Removal Of Jack And Tools
• To access the jack and jack tools you must remove the plastic access cover,located on the side of the seat. To remove the cover, pull the front part of the cover
(closest to the front of the seat) toward you to release a locking tab. Once the front
of the cover is loose, slide the cover toward the front of the seat until it is free from
the seat frame.
1500 Series Trucks
• Remove the jack and tool bag by removing the wing bolt and sliding the jack and tool bag from under the seat.
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2500/3500 Series Trucks
• Remove the jack and tool bracket assembly by removing the wing bolt and slidingthe jack and tool bracket assembly from under the seat.
Removing The Spare Tire
• Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack up the truck. Attach the wheelwrench to the jack extension tube. Insert the tube through the access hole between
the lower tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the winch mechanism tube.
Rotate the wheel wrench handle counterclockwise until the spare tire is on the
ground with enough cable slack to allow you to pull it out from under the vehicle.
When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the center of the wheel.
NOTE:
Always stow the spare tire with the valve stem facing the ground.
• It is recommended that you stow the flat or spare to avoid tangling the loose
cable.
NOTE:
The winch mechanism is designed for
use with the jack extension tube only.
Use of an air wrench or other power tools
is not recommended and can damage the
winch.
1 — Wheel Wrench 2 — Spare Tire
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•For 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, when changing a rear wheel, assemble the jack drive tube
to the jack and connect the drive tube to the extension tube. Place the jack under
the axle between the spring and the shock absorber with the drive tubes extending
to the rear.
• Connect the jack tube extension and wheel wrench.
NOTE:
If the bottle jack will not lower by turning the dial (thumbwheel) by hand, it may be
necessary to use the jack drive tube in order to lower the jack.
• By rotating the wheel wrench clockwise, raise the vehicle until the wheel just clears the surface.
• Remove the wheel nuts and pull the wheel off. On single rear-wheel (SRW) trucks, install the spare wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of the wheel nuts
toward the wheel. On 3500 dual rear-wheel models (DRW) the wheel nuts are a
two-piece assembly with a flat face. Lightly tighten the wheel nuts. To avoid the
risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the wheel nuts until the
vehicle has been lowered.
• Using the lug wrench, finish tightening the wheel nuts using a crisscross pattern. The correct wheel nut tightness is 130 ft lbs (176 N·m) torque (1500 Series),
135 ft lbs (183 N·m) torque for 2500/3500 single-rear wheel (SRW) models, and
140 ft lbs (190 N·m) for 3500 dual rear-wheel models. If in doubt about the
correct tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized
dealer or at a service station.
• Install the wheel center cap and remove the wheel blocks. Do not install chrome or aluminum wheel center caps on the spare wheel. This may result in cap damage.
• Lower the jack to its fully closed position. If the bottle jack will not lower by turning the dial (thumbwheel) by hand, it may be necessary to use the jack drive
tube in order to lower the jack. Stow the replaced tire, jack, and tools as previously
described.
• Adjust the tire pressure when possible.
NOTE:
Do not oil wheel studs. For chrome wheels, do not substitute with chrome plated
wheel nuts.
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To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE:
RAM 1500 vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels cannot be stored under the vehicle
because the wheel retainer will not fit through the wheel pilot hole. Secure the flat tire
in the bed of the truck. Have the flat tire repaired or replaced immediately.
• Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is down. Slide the wheel retainer through thecenter of the wheel and position it properly across the wheel opening.
• For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow with the valve stem toward the rear of the vehicle.
•
Attach the wheel wrench to the extension tube. Rotate the winch mechanism until
the wheel is drawn into place against the underside of the vehicle. Continue to rotate
until you feel the winch mechanism slip, or click three or four times. It cannot be
overtightened. Push against the tire several times to be sure it is firmly in place.
CAUTION!
• Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on locations other than those indicated in the Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.
• Before raising the wheel off the ground, make sure that the jack will not
damage surrounding truck parts and adjust the jack position as required.
• Use a back and forth motion to remove the hub cap. Do not use a twisting
motion when removing the hub cap, damage to the hub cap; finish may occur.
• The rear hub caps on the dual rear wheel has two pry off notches. Make sure that the hook of the jack handle driver is located squarely in the cap notch
before attempting to pull off.
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WARNING!
•Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic.
Pull far enough off the road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating the
jack or changing the wheel.
•Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. The vehicle could slip off the jack
and fall on you. You could be crushed. Never put any part of your body under a
vehicle that is on a jack.
•Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is on a jack. If you need to get under
a raised vehicle, take it to an authorized dealer where it can be raised on a lift.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool for changing tires only. The jackshould not be used to lift the vehicle for service purposes. The vehicle should
be jacked on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or slippery areas.
•
Do not attempt to change a tire on the side of the vehicle close to moving traffic,
pull far enough off the road to avoid the danger of being hit when operating the
jack or changing the wheel.
• Carefully follow these tire changing warnings to help prevent personal injury or
damage to your vehicle:
• Always park on a firm, level surface as far from the edge of the roadwayas possible before raising the vehicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flashers.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set an automatic transmission in PARK;
a manual transmission in REVERSE.
• Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a jack.
• Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack.
• Only use the jack in the positions indicated and for lifting this vehicle
during a tire change.
• If working on or near a roadway, be extremely careful of motor traffic.
• To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are securely stowed, spares
must be stowed with the valve stem facing the ground.
•
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable.
It could slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only
enough to remove the tire.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten
the wheel bolts until the vehicle has been lowered. Failure to follow this
warning may result in personal injury.
• To avoid possible personal injury, handle the wheel covers with care to
avoid contact with any sharp edges.
•
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could endan-
ger the occupants of the vehicle. Always stow the jack parts and the spare
tire in the places provided.
•A loose tire thrown forward in a collision or hard stop could injure the
occupants in the vehicle. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired or replaced
immediately.
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EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS
• If your vehicle is equipped with tow hooks, they are mounted in the front.
• For off-road recovery, it is recommended to use both of the front tow hooks tominimize the risk of damage to the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Tow hooks are for emergency use only, to rescue a vehicle stranded off-road. Do not
use tow hooks for tow truck hookup or highway towing. You could damage your
vehicle. Tow straps are recommended when towing the vehicle; chains may cause
vehicle damage.
WARNING!
• Chains are not recommended for freeing a stuck vehicle. Chains may break,
causing serious injury or death.
• Stand clear of vehicles when pulling with tow hooks. Tow straps and chains may
break, causing serious injury.
SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be moved out of the PARK position,
you can use the following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever.
Have your vehicle inspected by your local authorized dealer immediately if the shift
lever override has been used.
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MANUAL PARK RELEASE — EIGHT SPEED TRANSMISSION
• In order to push or tow the vehicle in cases where the transmission will not shiftout of PARK (such as a dead battery), a Manual Park Release is available.
• Follow these steps to use the Manual Park Release: • Firmly apply the parking brake.
• Using a small screwdriver or similar tool, remove the Manual Park Release
access cover, which is just above the parking brake release handle, below and
to the left of the steering column.
• Using the screwdriver or similar tool, push the Manual Park Release lever locking tab (just below the middle of the lever) to the right.
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• While holding the locking tab in the disengaged position, pull the tether strapto rotate the lever rearward, until it locks in place pointing towards the driver's
seat. Release the locking tab and verify that the Manual Park Release lever is
locked in the released position.
• The vehicle is now out of PARK and can be towed. Release the parking
brake only when the vehicle is se-
curely connected to a tow vehicle.
To Reset The Manual Park Release:
• Push the locking tab to the right, to unlock the lever.
• Rotate the Manual Park Release lever forward to its original position, until the locking tab snaps into place to secure the lever.
• Pull gently on the tether strap to confirm that the lever is locked in its stowed position.
• Re-install the access cover.
WARNING!
Always secure your vehicle by fully applying the parking brake, before activating
the Manual Park Release. Activating the Manual Park Release will allow your
vehicle to roll away if it is not secured by the parking brake or by proper connection
to a tow vehicle. Activating the Manual Park Release on an unsecured vehicle
could lead to serious injury or death for those in or around the vehicle.
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