2020 Ram 2500 spare tire

IN CASE OF EMERGENCY345
Removing The Spare Tire

1. Remove the spare tire before attempting to
jack up the truck. Attach the lug wrench to
the extension tubes with the curved angle
facing away from the vehicle. Insert the
extension tube through the access hole
between the lower tailgate and the top of
the bumper and into the winch mechanism
tube.
Winch Mechanism Tube
Inserting The Extension Tubes Into The Access Hole

2. Rotate the lug wrench handle counterclock -
wise until the spare tire is on the ground
with enough cable slack to allow you to pull
it out from under the vehicle.
Rotating The Lug Wrench Handle

3. Pull the spare tire out from under the vehicle to gain access to the spare tire
retainer.

Pulling The Spare Tire Out

WARNING!
After using the jack and tools, always reinstall
them in the original carrier and location.
While driving you may experience abrupt
stopping, rapid acceleration or sharp turns. A
loose jack, tools, bracket or other objects in
the vehicle may move around with force,
resulting in serious injury.
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346IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
4. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give
clearance to tilt the retainer at the end of
the cable.

Gaining Access To The Retainer

5. Pull the retainer through the center of the wheel.

Pulling The Retainer Through The Center Of The Wheel
NOTE:
The winch mechanism is designed for use with
the extension tubes only. Use of an air wrench
or other power tools is not recommended and
can damage the winch.
Preparations For Jacking

1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface.
Avoid ice or slippery areas.

2. Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers.
3. Apply the parking brake.
4. Shift the transmission into Park (P).
5. Turn the ignition OFF. 6. Block both the front and rear of the wheel
diagonally opposite the jacking position. For
example, if the driver’s front wheel is being
changed, block the passenger’s rear wheel.

Wheel Blocked

NOTE:
Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being raised or lifted.
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 being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY347
(Continued)
Jacking Instructions

Jack Warning Label Lug Wrench Adapter Shown In Jack And Tools Assembly

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.
WARNING!
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 roadway as possible
before raising the vehicle.
Turn on the Hazard Warning Flashers.
Apply the parking brake firmly and set the
transmission in PARK.
Block the wheel diagonally opposite the
wheel to be raised.
Never start or run the engine with the
vehicle on a jack.
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. If you need to get under a raised
vehicle, take it to a service center where it
can be raised on a lift.
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.
WARNING! (Continued)
CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking
on locations other than those indicated in the
Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.
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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY349
under the axle between the spring and the
shock absorber with the extension tubes ex -
tending to the rear.

Rear Lifting Point
Rear Jacking Location

Connect the extension tubes and lug
wrench. NOTE:
If 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.
4. By rotating the lug wrench clockwise, raise
the vehicle until the wheel just clears the
surface.
5. Remove the lug nuts and pull the wheel off. On Single Rear 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.

Rear Inner Wheel Proper Placement (Dual Rear Wheel Equipped)
CAUTION!
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.
WARNING!
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.
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350IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

Dual Rear Wheel Jack Placement

6. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the lug wrench while at the end of the handle
for increased leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in
a star pattern until each nut has been tight -
ened twice. For the correct lug nut torque refer
to “Wheel And Tire Torque Specifications” in
“Technical Specifications”. If in doubt about
the correct tightness, have them checked with
a torque wrench by an authorized dealer or
service station. 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.

1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing the ground and toward the rear of
the vehicle for convenience in checking the
spare tire inflation. Slide the wheel retainer
through the center of the wheel.

Reinstalling The Retainer

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.
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.

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IN CASE OF EMERGENCY351
2. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give
clearance to tilt the retainer at the end of
the cable and position it properly across the
wheel opening.

Pushing The Retainer Through The Center Of The Wheel And Positioning It
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.

Lug Wrench And Extension Tubes Assembled And In Position
4. Rotate the lug wrench handle clockwise
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 ensure it is firmly in place.

Rotating The Lug Wrench Handle

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 recom-
mended and can damage the winch.
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SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE423
LT (Light Truck) — Metric tire sizing is based
on US design standards. The size designation
for LT-Metric tires is the same as for P-Metric
tires except for the letters “LT” that are
molded into the sidewall preceding the size
designation. Example: LT235/85R16.Temporary spare tires are designed for
temporary emergency use only. Temporary
high pressure compact spare tires have the
letter “T” or “S” molded into the sidewall
preceding the size designation. Example:
T145/80D18 103M.High flotation tire sizing is based on US
design standards and it begins with the tire
diameter molded into the sidewall. Example:
31x10.5 R15 LT.
Tire Sizing Chart
EXAMPLE:
Example Size Designation: P215/65R15XL 95H, 215/65R15 96H, LT235/85R16C, T145/80D18 103M, 31x10.5 R15 LT
P = Passenger car tire size based on US design standards, or
"....blank...." = Passenger car tire based on European design standards, or
LT = Light truck tire based on US design standards, or
T or S = Temporary spare tire or
31 = Overall diameter in inches (in)
215, 235, 145 = Section width in millimeters (mm)
65, 85, 80 = Aspect ratio in percent (%)
Ratio of section height to section width of tire, or
10.5 = Section width in inches (in)
R = Construction code
"R" means radial construction, or
"D" means diagonal or bias construction
15, 16, 18 = Rim diameter in inches (in)
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426SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Tire Loading And Tire Pressure
NOTE:
The proper cold tire inflation pressure is listed
on the driver’s side B-Pillar or the rear edge of
the driver's side door.
Check the inflation pressure of each tire,
including the spare tire (if equipped), at least
monthly and inflate to the recommended pres -
sure for your vehicle.

Example Tire Placard Location (Door) Example Tire Placard Location (B-Pillar)

Tire And Loading Information Placard

Tire And Loading Information Placard

This placard tells you important information
about the:

1. Number of people that can be carried in the vehicle.

2. Total weight your vehicle can carry.
Recommended Cold Tire Inflation Pressure
Vehicle manufacturer's recommended cold tire inflation pressure as shown on the tire
placard.
Tire Placard A label permanently attached to the vehicle describing the vehicle’s loading capacity,
the original equipment tire sizes and the recommended cold tire inflation pressures.
Term
Definition

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