2015 Ram 3500 wheel

CAUTION!
On icy or slippery roads, do not downshift at high
engine RPMs or vehicle speeds because engine brak-
ing may cause skidding and loss of control.
• Mud – Deep mud creates a great deal of suction
around the tires and is very difficult to get through.
You should use 4L (Low Range) with a gear low
enough to maintain your momentum without shifting.
If you start to slow to a stop, try turning your steering
wheel no more than a ¼ turn quickly back and forth
for additional traction. Mud holes pose an increased
threat of vehicle damage and getting stuck. They are
normally full of debris from previous vehicles getting
stuck. As a good practice before entering any mud
hole, get out and determine how deep it is, if there are
any hidden obstacles and if the vehicle can be safely
recovered if stuck. •
Sand – Soft sand is very difficult to travel through with
full tire pressure. When crossing soft sandy spots in a
trail maintain your vehicle’s momentum and do not
stop. The key to driving in soft sand using the appro-
priate tire pressure, accelerating slowly, avoiding
abrupt maneuvers and maintaining the vehicle’s mo-
mentum. If you are going to be driving on large soft
sandy areas or dunes, reduce your tire pressure to a
minimum of 15 psi (103 kPa) to allow for a greater tire
surface area. Reduced tire pressure will drastically
improve your traction and handling, while driving on
the soft sand, but you must return the tires to normal
air pressure before driving on pavement or other hard
surfaces. Be sure you have a way to air the tires back
up prior to reducing the pressure.
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CAUTION!
Reduced tire pressures may cause tire unseating and
total loss of air pressure. To reduce the risk of tire
unseating, while at a reduced tire pressure, reduce your
speed and avoid sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers.
Crossing Obstacles (Rocks And Other High
Points)
While driving off road, you will encounter many types of
terrain. These varying types of terrain bring different
types of obstacles. Before proceeding review the path
ahead to determine the correct approach and your ability
to safely recover the vehicle if something goes wrong.
Keeping a firm grip on the steering wheel, bring the
vehicle to a complete stop and then inch the vehicle
forward until it makes contact with the object. Apply thethrottle lightly while holding a light brake pressure and
ease the vehicle up and over the object.
WARNING!
Crossing obstacles can cause abrupt steering system
loading which could cause you to loose control of
your vehicle.
Using A Spotter
There are many times where it is hard to see the obstacle
or determine the correct path. Determining the correct
path can be extremely difficult when you are confronting
many obstacles. In these cases have someone guide you
over, through, or around the obstacle. Have the person
stand a safe distance in front of you where they can see
the obstacle, watch your tires and undercarriage, and
guide you through.
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Hill Climbing
Hill climbing requires good judgment and a good under-
standing of your abilities and your vehicle’s limitations.
Hills can cause serious problems. Some are just too steep
to climb and should not be attempted. You should always
feel confident with the vehicle and your abilities. You
should always climb hills straight up and down. Never
attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
•Before Climbing A Steep Hill – As you approach a
hill consider its grade or steepness. Determine if it is
too steep. Look to see what the traction is on the hill
side trail. Is the trail straight up and down? What is on
top and the other side? Are there ruts, rocks, branches
or other obstacles on the path? Can you safely recover
the vehicle if something goes wrong? If everything
looks good and you feel confident, then change trans-
mission into a lower gear, shift the transfer case into 4L
(Low) and proceed with caution. You should use first
gear and 4L (Low Range) for very steep hills. •
Driving Up Hill – Once you have determined your
ability to proceed and have shifted into the appropri-
ate gear, line your vehicle up for the straightest pos-
sible run. Accelerate with an easy constant throttle and
apply more power as you start up the hill. Do not race
forward into a steep grade, the abrupt change of grade
could cause you to lose control. If the front end begins
to bounce, ease off the throttle slightly to bring all four
tires back on the ground. As you approach the crest of
the hill ease off the throttle and slowly proceed over
the top. If the wheels start to slip as you approach the
crest of a hill, ease off the accelerator and maintain
headway by turning the steering wheel no more than
a ¼ turn quickly back and forth. This will provide a
fresh bite into the surface and will usually provide
enough traction to complete the climb. If you do not
make it to the top, place the vehicle in REVERSE and
back straight down the grade using engine resistance
along with the vehicle brakes.
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WARNING!
Never attempt to climb a hill at an angle or turn
around on a steep grade. Driving across an incline
increases the risk of a roll over, which may result in
severe injury or death.
• Driving Down Hill – Before driving down a steep hill
you need to determine if it is too steep for a safe
descent. What is the surface traction? Is the grade too
steep to maintain a slow controlled descent? Are there
obstacles? Is it a straight descent? Is there plenty of
distance at the base of the hill to regain control if the
vehicle descends too fast? If you feel confident in your
ability to proceed then make sure you are in 4L (Low
Range) with the transmission in first gear (manually
select first gear on automatic transmissions) and pro-
ceed with caution. Allow engine braking to control the
descent and apply your brakes if necessary, but do not
allow the tires to lock.
WARNING!
Do not descend a steep grade in NEUTRAL. Use
vehicle brakes in conjunction with engine braking.
Descending a grade too fast could cause you to lose
control and be seriously injured or killed.
• Driving Across An Incline – If at all possible avoid
driving across an incline. If it is necessary, know your
vehicle’s abilities. Driving across an incline places
more weight on the down hill wheels, which increases
the possibilities of a down hill slide or rollover. Make
sure the surface has good traction with firm and stable
soils. If possible transverse the incline at an angle
heading slightly up or down.
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Vehicle Recovery
If you drive off-road, you may encounter a situation
where you will need to recover your vehicle. Vehicle
recovery should always be given consideration before
attempting a questionable obstacle. You should never go
off-road driving without the ability to recover your
vehicle from a situation. Having another vehicle with
you usually works best for most situations. The first
thing to do is assess the situation. Why are you stuck?
Are you hung up on something? Would it be easier to go
forward or to go backward? Can you still move the
vehicle? Is there an anchor point to winch to? Are you
alone or do you have another vehicle to help? Is there
high risk of vehicle damage during the recovery process?
Answering these questions will help you determine the
best method of recovery. If you can still move the vehicle
slightly and the only issue is slick ground, then rock
cycling your vehicle would be the first choice. If you have
ample room, an additional vehicle and there is low risk ofvehicle impingement on the surroundings, then using a
tow strap to the vehicle tow hooks would be fast and
easy. If the vehicle is severely hung up or in a situation
where great care needs to be taken during the recovery,
then nothing can do the job better than a winch. If you are
severely hung up on something you should jack the
vehicle up and stack something under the wheels to
allow the vehicle to roll off the object without causing
further damage. This should be tried before attempting
any recovery method.
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first
clearing the object, may result in additional under-
body damage.
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•Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your ve-
hicle is one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly
used methods. This simply involves shifting your
vehicle from DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying
throttle after each shift. During this process, for addi-
tional traction, try turning your steering wheel quickly
left and right no more than a ¼ turn. If you are stuck
in mud, sand, or snow try spinning your tires during
this process to clean the debris from the tread and
improve the traction. You want to create a rocking
motion with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle
momentum, which hopefully gets you out. Remember
to ease off and on the accelerator before and after the
shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not free,
stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to
your vehicle and the environment.CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster
than an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).
• Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap – Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which
is not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are
designed to take the abusive force generated during
vehicle recovery. Do not use the bumper or any other
vehicle component as an attachment point. Using tow
straps requires coordination between the two drivers.
Good communication and line of sight are required for
a safe recovery. First connect the tow strap to the
correct attachment points on both vehicles. There
should be a least 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 meters) between
the vehicles to allow for a safe recovery. If necessary
join two tow straps together usinga1½inch hard
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After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road 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.
•Completely inspect the underbody of your vehicle.
Check tires, body structure, steering, suspension, and
exhaust system for damage.
• Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
• Check 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. •
Check 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.
• After extended operation in mud, sand, water, or
similar dirty conditions, have the radiator, fan, brake
rotors, wheels, brake linings, and axle yokes inspected
and cleaned as soon as possible.
WARNING!
Abrasive material in any part of the brakes may cause
excessive wear or unpredictable braking. You might
not have full braking power when you need it to
prevent a collision. If you have been operating your
vehicle in dirty conditions, get your brakes checked
and cleaned as necessary.
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•If you experience unusual vibration after driving in
mud, slush or similar conditions, check the wheels for
impacted material. Impacted material can cause a
wheel imbalance and freeing the wheels of it will
correct the situation.
LIMITED-SLIP DIFFERENTIAL
The limited-slip differential provides additional traction
on snow, ice, mud, sand and gravel, particularly when
there is a difference between the traction characteristics
of the surface under the right and left rear wheels. During
normal driving and cornering, the limited-slip unit per-
forms similarly to a conventional differential. On slip-
pery surfaces, however, the differential delivers more of
the driving effort to the rear wheel having the better
traction.
The limited-slip differential is especially helpful during
slippery driving conditions. With both rear wheels on a
slippery surface, a slight application of the accelerator will supply maximum traction. When starting with only
one rear wheel on an excessively slippery surface, slight
momentary application of the parking brake may be
necessary to gain maximum traction.
WARNING!
On vehicles equipped with a limited-slip differential
never run the engine with one rear wheel off the
ground since the vehicle may drive through the rear
wheel remaining on the ground. You could lose
control of the vehicle.
Care should be taken to avoid sudden accelerations when
both rear wheels are on a slippery surface. This could
cause both rear wheels to spin, and allow the vehicle to
slide sideways on the crowned surface of a road or in a
turn.5
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