2021 JEEP PATRIOT suspension

CAUTION!(Continued)
water. Water can cause permanent damage
to engine, driveline or other vehicle compo-
nents and your brakes will be less effective
once wet and/or muddy.
Before You Cross Any Type Of Water
As you approach any type of water, you need to
determine if you can cross it safely and respon-
sibly. If necessary, get out and walk through the
water or probe it with a stick. You need to be
sure of its depth, approach angle, current and
bottom condition. Be careful of murky or muddy
waters; check for hidden obstacles. Make sure
you will not be intruding on any wildlife, and you
can recover the vehicle if necessary. The key to
a safe crossing is the water depth, current and
bottom conditions. On soft bottoms, the vehicle
will sink in, effectively increasing the water level
on the vehicle. Be sure to consider this when
determining the depth and the ability to safely
cross.Crossing Puddles, Pools, Flooded Areas
Or Other Standing Water
Puddles, pools, flooded or other standing water
areas normally contain murky or muddy waters.
These water types normally contain hidden
obstacles and make it difficult to determine an
accurate water depth, approach angle, and
bottom condition. Murky or muddy water holes
are where you want to hook up tow straps prior
to entering. This makes for a faster, cleaner and
easier vehicle recovery. If you are able to deter-
mine you can safely cross, than proceed using
the low and slow method.
CAUTION!
Muddy waters can reduce the cooling sys-
tem effectiveness by depositing debris onto
the radiator.
After Driving Off-RoadOff-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 problemstaken 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 dam-
age.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and
clean as required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, par-
ticularly on the chassis, drivetrain compo-
nents, steering, and suspension. 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, wa-
ter, or similar dirty conditions, have the radia-
tor, fan, brake rotors, wheels, brake linings,
and axle yokes inspected and cleaned as
soon as possible.
183

WARNING!(Continued)
•The capabilities of an ESC-equipped ve-
hicle must never be exploited in a reckless
or dangerous manner, which could jeopar-
dize the user’s safety or the safety of
others
•Vehicle modifications, or failure to properly
maintain your vehicle, may change the
handling characteristics of your vehicle,
and may negatively affect the performance
of the ESC system. Changes to the steer-
ing system, suspension, braking system,
tire type and size or wheel size may ad-
versely affect ESC performance. Improp-
erly inflated and unevenly worn tires may
also degrade ESC performance. Any ve-
hicle modification or poor vehicle mainte-
nance that reduces the effectiveness of the
ESC system can increase the risk of loss
of vehicle control, vehicle rollover, per-
sonal injury and death.ESC Operating Modes
The ESC system has three available operating
modes for four–wheel drive equipped vehicles
and two available operating modes for two–
wheel drive equipped vehicles.
Full On (Four-Wheel Drive Models) Or On
(Two-Wheel Drive Models)
This is the normal operating mode for ESC.
Whenever the vehicle is started, the ESC sys-
tem will be in this “On” mode. This mode should
be used for most driving situations. ESC should
only be turned to “Partial Off” or “ESC Off” for
specific reasons as noted below.
Partial Off (Four-Wheel Drive Models) Or On
(Two-Wheel Drive Models)
This mode is entered by momentarily pushing
the “ESC Off” switch. When in “Partial Off”
mode, the TCS portion of ESC, except for the
“limited slip” feature described in the TCS sec-
tion, has been disabled, and the"ESC OFF
Indicator Light"will be illuminated. All other
stability features of ESC function normally. This
mode is intended to be used if the vehicle is in
deep snow, sand or gravel conditions, and morewheel spin than ESC would normally allow is
required to gain traction.
To turn ESC on again, momentarily push the
“ESC Off” switch. This will restore the normal
“ESC On” mode of operation.
NOTE:
To improve the vehicle’s traction when driv-
ing with snow chains, or starting off in deep
snow, sand or gravel, it may be desirable to
switch to the “Partial Off” mode by pushing
the “ESC Off” switch. Once the situation
requiring ESC to be switched to the “Partial
Off” mode is overcome, turn ESC back on by
momentarily pushing the “ESC Off” switch.
This may be done while the vehicle is in
motion.
WARNING!
When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS func-
tionality of ESC (except for the limited slip
feature described in the TCS section) has
been disabled and the “ESC Off Indicator
(Continued)
192

you ever replace a wheel, make sure that the
wheel’s specifications match those of the origi-
nal wheels.
It is recommended you contact your authorized
tire dealer or original equipment dealer with any
questions you may have on tire specifications or
capability. Failure to use equivalent replace-
ment tires may adversely affect the safety,
handling, and ride of your vehicle.
WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other
than that specified for your vehicle. Some
combinations of unapproved tires and
wheels may change suspension dimen-
sions and performance characteristics, re-
sulting in changes to steering, handling,
and braking of your vehicle. This can
cause unpredictable handling and stress
to steering and suspension components.
You could lose control and have a collision
resulting in serious injury or death. Use
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
only the tire and wheel sizes with load
ratings approved for your vehicle.
•Never use a tire with a smaller load index
or capacity, other than what was originally
equipped on your vehicle. Using a tire with
a smaller load index could result in tire
overloading and failure. You could lose
control and have a collision.
•Failure to equip your vehicle with tires
having adequate speed capability can re-
sult in sudden tire failure and loss of ve-
hicle control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a differ-
ent size may result in false speedometer and
odometer readings.
TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION
DEVICES)
Use of traction devices require sufficient tire-to-
body clearance. Follow these recommenda-
tions to guard against damage.
•Traction device must be of proper size for the
tire, as recommended by the traction device
manufacturer.
•Install on Front Tires.
•A 215/60R17 96H tire with the use of a
traction device that meets the SAE type
"Class S"specification is recommended.
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.
202

CAUTION!
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires,
observe the following precautions:
•Because of restricted traction device clear-
ance between tires and other suspension
components, it is important that only trac-
tion devices in good condition are used.
Broken devices can cause serious dam-
age. Stop the vehicle immediately if noise
occurs that could indicate device break-
age. Remove the damaged parts of the
device before further use.
•Install device as tightly as possible and
then retighten 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
pavement.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Observe the traction device manufactur-
er’s instructions on the method of installa-
tion, 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
The tires on the front and rear of your vehicle
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 aggressive 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 Schedule” for the
proper maintenance intervals. The reasons for
any rapid or unusual wear should be corrected
prior to rotation being performed.
The suggested rotation method is the “forward
cross” shown in the following diagram. This
rotation pattern does not apply to some direc-
tional tires that must not be reversed.
Tire Rotation
203

Mileage or time passed
(whichever comes first)
7,500
15,000
22,500
30,000
37,500
45,000
52,500
60,000
67,500
75,000
82,500
90,000
97,500
105,000
112,500
120,000
127,500
135,000
142,500
150,000
Or Months: 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96 108 120 132 144 156 168 180 192 204 216 228 240
Or Kilometers:
12,000
24,000
36,000
48,000
60,000
72,000
84,000
96,000
108,000
120,000
132,000
144,000
156,000
168,000
180,000
192,000
204,000
216,000
228,000
240,000
If using your vehicle for any
of the following: Dusty or
off-road conditions. Inspect
the engine air cleaner filter,
replace if necessary.XXX X X X X X X X
Inspect the brake linings,
replace if necessary.XXX X X X X X X X
Inspect exhaust system. X X X X X X
Inspect the front suspension,
tie rod ends and boot seals,
replace if necessary.XX X X X X
Inspect the CV joints. X X X X X X
Change brake fluid every 24
months if using DOT 4 brake
fluid.XXX X X X X X X X
286