2018 Ram 2500 spare wheel

WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.
1. Remove the spare wheel, jack, and tools from storage.
2. Using the lug wrench, loosen, but do not remove, the wheel nuts by turning them counterclockwise one turn
while the wheel is still on the ground. Changing a
dually tire requires the lug wrench adapter.
Jack Warning Label
Lug Wrench Adaptor Shown In Jack And Tools Assembly
492 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

5. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off. On singlerear-wheel (SRW) trucks, install the spare wheel and lug
nuts with the cone shaped end of the wheel nuts toward
the wheel. On 3500 dual rear-wheel models (DRW)
trucks, if the outer tire is being replaced then leave the
inner wheel on the vehicle. If the inner wheel is being
replaced remove the outer wheel and replace the inner
wheel. The wheel nuts are a two-piece assembly with a
flat face. Lightly tighten the lug nuts. To avoid the risk of
forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the
lug nuts until the vehicle has been lowered.
6. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the lugwrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until each
nut has been tightened twice. For the correct lug nut
torque refer to “Torque Specifications” in “Technical
Specifications”. If in doubt about the correct tightness,
have them checked with a torque wrench by an autho-
rized dealer or service station.
Rear Inner Wheel Proper Placement
(Dual Rear Wheel Equipped)
Dual Rear Wheel Jack Placement
496 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop, could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided.
7. 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.
8. Lower the jack to its fully closed position. Stow the replaced tire, jack, and tools as previously described.
NOTE: The bottle jack will not lower by turning the dial
(thumbwheel) by hand, it may be necessary to use the jack
driver in order to lower the jack.
9. Adjust the tire pressure when possible.
NOTE: Do not oil wheel studs. For chrome wheels, do not
substitute with chrome plated lug nuts.
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE: Have the flat tire repaired or replaced immedi-
ately.
WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.
Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the
places provided. Have the deflated (flat) tire repaired
or replaced immediately.
1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing the ground and toward the rear of the vehicle for conve-
nience in checking the spare tire inflation. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel.
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 497

2. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give clearance to tiltthe retainer at the end of the cable and position it
properly across the wheel opening. 3. Attach the lug wrench to the extension tubes with the
curved angle facing away from the vehicle. Insert the
extensions through the access hole between the lower
tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the winch
mechanism tube.
Reinstalling The RetainerPushing The Retainer Through The Center Of The Wheel
And Positioning It
498 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

▫Tire Safety Information ..................558
▫ Tires — General Information ..............568
▫ Tire Types ............................574
▫ Spare Tires — If Equipped ................575
▫ Wheel And Wheel Trim Care ..............578
▫ Tire Chains (Traction Devices) .............579
▫ Tire Rotation Recommendations ............580
 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION UNIFORM
TIRE QUALITY GRADES ..................583
▫ Treadwear ............................583
▫ Traction Grades ........................583
▫ Temperature Grades .....................583 
STORING THE VEHICLE ..................584
 BODYWORK .......................... .584
▫ Protection From Atmospheric Agents ........584
▫ Body And Underbody Maintenance ..........585
▫ Preserving The Bodywork .................585
 INTERIORS ............................587
▫ Seats And Fabric Parts ...................587
▫ Plastic And Coated Parts ..................588
▫ Leather Parts ..........................589
▫ Glass Surfaces ........................ .590
516 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

Snow Tires
Some areas of the country require the use of snow tires
during the Winter. Snow tires can be identified by a
“mountain/snowflake” symbol on the tire sidewall.If you need snow tires, select tires
equivalent in size and type to the origi-
nal equipment tires. Use snow tires only
in sets of four; failure to do so may
adversely affect the safety and handling
of your vehicle.
Snow tires generally have lower speed ratings than what
was originally equipped with your vehicle and should not
be operated at sustained speeds over 75 mph (120 km/h).
For speeds above 75 mph (120 km/h) refer to original
equipment or an authorized tire dealer for recommended
safe operating speeds, loading and cold tire inflation
pressures.
While studded tires improve performance on ice, skid and
traction capability on wet or dry surfaces may be poorer
than that of non-studded tires. Some states prohibit stud-
ded tires; therefore, local laws should be checked before
using these tire types.
Spare Tires — If Equipped
NOTE: For vehicles equipped with Tire Service Kit instead
of a spare tire, please refer to “Tire Service Kit” in “In Case
Of Emergency” for further information.
CAUTION!
Because of the reduced ground clearance, do not take
your vehicle through an automatic car wash with a
compact or limited use temporary spare installed.
Damage to the vehicle may result.
Spare Tire Matching Original Equipped Tire And
Wheel — If Equipped
Your vehicle may be equipped with a spare tire and wheel
equivalent in look and function to the original equipment
tire and wheel found on the front or rear axle of your
vehicle. This spare tire may be used in the tire rotation for
your vehicle. If your vehicle has this option, refer to an
authorized tire dealer for the recommended tire rotation
pattern.
Compact Spare Tire — If Equipped
The compact spare is for temporary emergency use only.
You can identify if your vehicle is equipped with a compact
8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 575

spare by looking at the spare tire description on the Tire
and Loading Information Placard located on the driver ’s
side door opening or on the sidewall of the tire. Compact
spare tire descriptions begin with the letter “T” or “S”
preceding the size designation. Example: T145/80D18
103M.
T, S = Temporary Spare Tire
Since this tire has limited tread life, the original equipment
tire should be repaired (or replaced) and reinstalled on
your vehicle at the first opportunity.
Do not install a wheel cover or attempt to mount a
conventional tire on the compact spare wheel, since the
wheel is designed specifically for the compact spare tire.
Do not install more than one compact spare tire and wheel
on the vehicle at any given time.
WARNING!
Compact and collapsible spares are for temporary
emergency use only. With these spares, do not drive
more than 50 mph (80 km/h). Temporary use spares
have limited tread life. When the tread is worn to the
tread wear indicators, the temporary use spare tire
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
needs to be replaced. Be sure to follow the warnings,
which apply to your spare. Failure to do so could result
in spare tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
Collapsible Spare Tire — If Equipped
The collapsible spare is for temporary emergency use only.
You can identify if your vehicle is equipped with a collaps-
ible spare by looking at the spare tire description on the
Tire and Loading Information Placard located on the
driver ’s side door opening or on the sidewall of the tire.
Collapsible spare tire description example: 165/80-17 101P.
Since this tire has limited tread life, the original equipment
tire should be repaired (or replaced) and reinstalled on
your vehicle at the first opportunity.
Inflate collapsible tire only after the wheel is properly
installed to the vehicle. Inflate the collapsible tire using the
electric air pump before lowering the vehicle.
Do not install a wheel cover or attempt to mount a
conventional tire on the collapsible spare wheel, since the
wheel is designed specifically for the collapsible spare tire.
576 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

WARNING!
Compact and Collapsible spares are for temporary
emergency use only. With these spares, do not drive
more than 50 mph (80 km/h). Temporary use spares
have limited tread life. When the tread is worn to the
tread wear indicators, the temporary use spare tire
needs to be replaced. Be sure to follow the warnings,
which apply to your spare. Failure to do so could result
in spare tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
Full Size Spare — If Equipped
The full size spare is for temporary emergency use only.
This tire may look like the originally equipped tire on the
front or rear axle of your vehicle, but it is not. This spare
tire may have limited tread life. When the tread is worn to
the tread wear indicators, the temporary use full size spare
tire needs to be replaced. Since it is not the same as your
original equipment tire, replace (or repair) the original
equipment tire and reinstall on the vehicle at the first
opportunity.
Limited Use Spare — If Equipped
The limited use spare tire is for temporary emergency use
only. This tire is identified by a label located on the limited
use spare wheel. This label contains the driving limitations
for this spare. This tire may look like the original equipped
tire on the front or rear axle of your vehicle, but it is not.
Installation of this limited use spare tire affects vehicle
handling. Since it is not the same as your original equip-
ment tire, replace (or repair) the original equipment tire
and reinstall on the vehicle at the first opportunity.
WARNING!
Limited use spares are for emergency use only. Instal-
lation of this limited use spare tire affects vehicle
handling. With this tire, do not drive more than the
speed listed on the limited use spare wheel. Keep
inflated to the cold tire inflation pressures listed on
your Tire and Loading Information Placard located on
the driver ’s side B-Pillar or the rear edge of the driver ’s
side door. Replace (or repair) the original equipment
tire at the first opportunity and reinstall it on your
vehicle. Failure to do so could result in loss of vehicle
control.8
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 577