2018 Ram 2500 Owner's Manual

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
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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.
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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
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Wheel And Wheel Trim Care
All wheels and wheel trim, especially aluminum and
chrome plated wheels, should be cleaned regularly using
mild (neutral Ph) soap and water to maintain their luster
and to prevent corrosion. Wash wheels with the same soap
solution recommended for the body of the vehicle.
Your wheels are susceptible to deterioration caused by salt,
sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride,
etc., and other road chemicals used to melt ice or control
dust on dirt roads. Use a soft cloth or sponge and mild soap
to wipe away promptly. Do not use harsh chemicals or a
stiff brush. They can damage the wheel’s protective coating
that helps keep them from corroding and tarnishing.
CAUTION!
Avoid products or automatic car washes that use acidic
solutions or strong alkaline additives or harsh brushes.
Many aftermarket wheel cleaners and automatic car
washes may damage the wheel’s protective finish.
Such damage is not covered by the New Vehicle
Limited Warranty. Only car wash soap, Mopar Wheel
Cleaner or equivalent is recommended.When cleaning extremely dirty wheels including excessive
brake dust, care must be taken in the selection of tire and
wheel cleaning chemicals and equipment to prevent dam-
age to the wheels. Mopar Wheel Treatment or Mopar
Chrome Cleaner or their equivalent is recommended or
select a non-abrasive, non-acidic cleaner for aluminum or
chrome wheels.
CAUTION!
Do not use scouring pads, steel wool, a bristle brush,
metal polishes or oven cleaner. These products may
damage the wheel’s protective finish. Such damage is
not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Only car wash soap, Mopar Wheel Cleaner or equiva-
lent is recommended.
NOTE: If you intend parking or storing your vehicle for an
extended period after cleaning the wheels with wheel
cleaner, drive your vehicle and apply the brakes to remove
the water droplets from the brake components. This activ-
ity will remove the red rust on the brake rotors and prevent
vehicle vibration when braking.
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Dark Vapor Chrome, Black Satin Chrome, or Low Gloss
Clear Coat Wheels
CAUTION!
If your vehicle is equipped with these specialty
wheels, DO NOT USE wheel cleaners, abrasives, or
polishing compounds. They will permanently damage
this finish and such damage is not covered by the New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. HAND WASH ONLY US-
ING MILD SOAP AND WATER WITH A SOFT
CLOTH. Used on a regular basis; this is all that is
required to maintain this finish.
Tire Chains (Traction Devices)
Use of traction devices require sufficient tire-to-body clear-
ance. Follow these recommendations to guard against
damage.
•Traction device must be of proper size for the tire, as
recommended by the traction device manufacturer.
Please follow the table below for proper tire size, chain
type, and axle recommendations:
Vehicle Axle Recommendations Tire SizesChain Class
1500 Models Rear OnlyP265/70R17 S Class
2500 Models Rear OnlyLT245/70R17E
LT275/70R18E U Class
2500 Power Wagon Models Rear OnlyLT285/70R17D U Class
3500 (Single Rear Wheel) Models Rear Only
LT275/70R18E U Class
3500 (Dual Rear Wheel) Models Front/Rear
LT235/80R17E U Class
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WARNING!
Using tires of different size and type (M+S, Snow)
between front and rear axles can cause unpredictable
handling. You could lose control and have a collision.
CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires, observe the
following precautions:
•Because of restricted traction device clearance be-
tween tires and other suspension components, it is
important that only traction devices in good condi-
tion are used. Broken devices can cause serious
damage. Stop the vehicle immediately if noise occurs
that could indicate device breakage. Remove the
damaged parts of the device before further use.
• Install device as tightly as possible and then re-
tighten after driving about ½ mile (0.8 km).
• Do not exceed 30 mph (48 km/h).
• Drive cautiously and avoid severe turns and large
bumps, especially with a loaded vehicle.
• Do not drive for a prolonged period on dry pave-
ment.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Observe the traction device manufacturer ’s instruc-
tions on the method of installation, operating speed,
and conditions for use. Always use the suggested
operating speed of the device manufacturer ’s if it is
less than 30 mph (48 km/h).
• Do not use traction devices on a compact spare tire.
Tire Rotation Recommendations
Tires on the front and rear axles of vehicles operate at
different loads and perform different steering, driving, and
braking functions. For these reasons, they wear at unequal
rates.
These effects can be reduced by timely rotation of tires. The
benefits of rotation are especially worthwhile with aggres-
sive tread designs such as those on all season type tires.
Rotation will increase tread life, help to maintain mud,
snow and wet traction levels and contribute to a smooth,
quiet ride.
Refer to the “Maintenance Plan” for the proper mainte-
nance intervals. More frequent rotation is permissible if
desired. The reasons for any rapid or unusual wear should
be corrected prior to rotation being performed.
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The suggested rotation method is the “rearward cross”
shown in the following diagram. This rotation pattern does
not apply to some directional tires that must not be
reversed.Directional Tires — If Equipped
For the R/T package with 22” tires and wheels, the
rotational direction of the tire must be taken into consid-
eration when rotating the tires. The recommended rotation
pattern for directional tires is shown below.
Tire Rotation
Tire Rotation
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Dual Rear Wheels — If Equipped
The tires used on dual wheel assemblies should be
matched for wear to prevent overloading one tire in a set.
To check if tires are even, lay a straight edge across all four
tires. The straight edge should touch all the tires.
NOTE:If your vehicle is equipped with a Tire Pressure
Information System (TPIS):
• The Tire Pressure Information System (TPIS) uses
unique sensors in the inner rear wheels to help identify
them from the outer rear wheels, because of this, the
inner and outer wheel locations can’t be switched. •
After a tire rotation is completed, as shown below, the
system can auto learn the locations of each sensor ID.
Auto learning/localization occurs when the vehicle ig-
nition status is changed from Off to On and speeds of
greater than 5 mph (8km/h) are obtained and remain
over 5 mph (8km/h) for at about a 15 minute period.
You may need to drive for 20 minutes to account slower
speeds and stops.
• If the tires are rotated incorrectly, The auto localization
of the TPIS sensors will fail to locate correctly resulting
in incorrect locations for the pressure values displayed
in the instrument cluster.
CAUTION!
•3500 Dual Rear Tires may only have one approved
direction of rotation. This is to accommodate the
asymmetrical design (tread pattern) of the On/Off-
Road tire and the use of Outline White Letter (OWL)
tires.
• When replacing a flat, the spare tire may have to be
remounted on the rim, or installed at a different
location, to maintain the correct placement of the tire
on the wheel relative to the tire/wheel position on
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Tire Rotation
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