Ram 1500 2018 User Guide

1500 Series Trucks
• Remove the jack and tool bag by removingthe wing bolt and sliding the jack and tool
bag from under the seat. 2500/3500 Series Trucks
• Remove the jack and tool bracket assembly
by removing the wing bolt and sliding the
jack and tool bracket assembly from under
the seat.Removing The Spare Tire
1. Remove the spare tire before attempting
to jack up the truck.
2. Attach the lug wrench to the extension tubes with the curved angle facing away
from the vehicle.
3. Insert the extension tube through the ac- cess hole between the lower tailgate and
the top of the bumper and into the winch
mechanism tube.
4. Rotate the lug wrench handle counter- clockwise until the spare tire is on the
ground with enough cable slack to allow
you to pull it out from under the vehicle.
5. When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the cable and pull it through
the center of the wheel.
Wing Bolt Location
Jack And Tool Bracket Assembly
209

NOTE:
Always stow the spare tire with the valve stem
facing the ground. It is recommended that
you stow the flat or spare to avoid tangling the
loose cable.NOTE:
The winch mechanism is designed for use
with the extension tube only. Use of an air
wrench or other power tools is not recom-
mended and can damage the winch.
Preparations For Jacking
1. Park the vehicle on a firm, level surface.
Avoid ice or slippery areas.
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.
2. Place the gear selector into PARK. On four-wheel drive vehicles, shift the trans-
fer case to the 4L position.
3. Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
4. Apply the parking brake.
5. Turn the ignition OFF. 6. Block both the front and rear of the wheel
diagonally opposite the jacking position.
For example, if the right front wheel is
being changed, block the left rear wheel.
NOTE:
Passengers should not remain in the vehicle
when the vehicle is being jacked.
Lug Wrench/Spare Tire
1 — Lug Wrench 2 — Spare Tire
Wheel Blocked
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
210

Jacking Instructions
1. Remove the spare wheel, jack, and toolsfrom storage.
2. Using the lug wrench, loosen, but do not remove, the lug nuts by turning them
counterclockwise one turn while the
wheel is still on the ground. 3. Placement of the jack is critical:
NOTE:
Keep the jack and tools aligned while raising
the vehicle
1500 Series Trucks (4x2 And 4x4)
• When changing a front wheel, place the
scissors jack under the rear portion of the
lower control arm as shown below.
NOTE:
Access the front jacking location from behind
the front tire, and rear jacking location from
behind the rear tire. • Operate the jack using the extension with
the jack hook and the lug wrench. The
extension tubes may be used but is not
required.
Warning Label
Front 4x2 Jacking Location
Front 4x4 Jacking Location
211

• When changing a rear wheel, assemble theextension with the jack hook to the jack and
connect the extension tubes. Place the jack
under the axle between the wheel and the
shock bracket with the extension with the
jack hook extending to the rear.
• Connect the extension tubes and lug wrench.
2500/3500 Series Trucks (4x2 And 4x4)
• Operate the jack using the extension with the jack hook and the lug wrench. The
extension tubes may be used but is not
required. • When changing the front wheel, assemble
the jack driver to the jack and connect the
jack driver to the extension tubes. Place the
jack under the axle as close to the tire as
possible with the drive tubes extending to
the front. Connect the extension tubes and
lug wrench.
NOTE:
Access the front jacking location from in front
of the front tire, and rear jacking location
from behind the rear tire.
Rear Jacking Location
Front Jacking Location
Front 4x2 Jacking Location
Front 4x4 Jacking Location
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
212

When changing a rear wheel, assemble the
jack driver to the jack and connect the jack
driver to the extension tubes. Place the jack
under the axle between the spring and the
shock absorber with the extension tubes ex-
tending to the rear.• Connect the extension tubes and lugwrench.
NOTE:
If the bottle jack will not lower by turning the
dial (thumbwheel) by hand, it may be neces-
sary to use the jack driver in order to lower the
jack.
• By rotating the lug wrench clockwise, raise the vehicle until the wheel just clears the
surface.
• 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 lug nuts toward the
wheel. On 3500 dual rear-wheel models (DRW) the lug nuts are a two-piece assem-
bly 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.
• Using the lug wrench, finish tightening the lug nuts using a crisscross pattern. Refer to
“Torque Specifications” in “Technical
Specifications” for the correct tightness. If
in doubt about the correct tightness, have
them checked with a torque wrench by your
authorized dealer or at a service station.
• Install the wheel center cap and remove the wheel blocks. Do not install chrome or alu-
minum wheel center caps on the spare
wheel. This may result in cap damage.
• Lower the jack to its fully closed position. If the bottle jack will not lower by turning the
dial (thumb wheel) by hand, it may be
necessary to use the jack driver in order to
lower the jack. Stow the replaced tire, jack,
and tools as previously described.
• Adjust the tire pressure when possible.
NOTE:
Do not oil wheel studs. For chrome wheels, do
not substitute with chrome plated lug nuts.
Rear Jacking Location
Rear Jacking Location
213

To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE:
RAM 1500 vehicles equipped with alumi-
num wheels cannot be stored under the ve-
hicle because the wheel retainer will not fit
through the wheel pilot hole. Secure the flat
tire in the bed of the truck. Have the flat tire
repaired or replaced immediately.
1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem isdown. Slide the wheel retainer through
the center of the wheel and position it
properly across the wheel opening.
2. For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow with the valve stem toward
the rear of the vehicle.
3. Attach the lug wrench to the extension tubes with the curved angle facing away
from the vehicle. 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 be
sure it is firmly in place.
WARNING!
• Do not attempt to change a tire on theside of the vehicle close to moving traf-
fic. Pull far enough off the road to avoid
the danger of being hit when operating
the jack or changing the wheel.
• Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dan-
gerous. The vehicle could slip off the
jack and fall on you. You could be
crushed. Never put any part of your body
under a vehicle that is on a jack.
• Never start or run the engine while the
vehicle is on a jack. If you need to get
under a raised vehicle, take it to your
authorized dealer where it can be raised
on a lift.
• The jack is designed to be used as a tool
for changing tires only. The jack should
not be used to lift the vehicle for service
purposes. The vehicle should be jacked
on a firm level surface only. Avoid ice or
slippery areas.
• Do not attempt to change a tire on the
side of the vehicle close to moving traf-
fic, pull far enough off the road to avoid
WARNING!
the danger of being hit when operating
the jack or changing the wheel.
• 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 ve-
hicle.
• Turn on the Hazard Warning flash-
ers.
• Block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel to be raised.
• Set the parking brake firmly and set
an automatic transmission in
PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
• 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.
• Only use the jack in the positions
indicated and for lifting this vehicle
during a tire change.
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
214

WARNING!
• If working on or near a roadway, beextremely 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.
• Raising the vehicle higher than nec-
essary can make the vehicle less
stable. It could slip off the jack and
hurt someone near it. Raise the ve-
hicle only enough to remove the
tire.
• To avoid the risk of forcing the ve-
hicle off the jack, do not fully
tighten the wheel bolts until the
vehicle has been lowered. Failure to
follow this warning may result in
personal injury.
• To avoid possible personal injury,
handle the wheel covers with care to
avoid contact with any sharp edges.
WARNING!
• A loose tire or jack thrown forward ina collision or hard stop could en-
danger the occupants of the ve-
hicle. Always stow the jack parts
and the spare tire in the places
provided.
• A loose tire thrown forward in a
collision or hard stop could injure
the occupants in the vehicle. Have
the deflated (flat) tire repaired or
replaced immediately.
CAUTION!
• Do not attempt to raise the vehicle byjacking on locations other than those
indicated in the Jacking Instructions for
this vehicle.
• 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.
• Use a back and forth motion to remove
the hub cap. Do not use a twisting mo-
CAUTION!
tion when removing the hub cap, dam-
age to the hub cap; finish may occur.
• The rear hubcaps on the dual rear wheel
has two pry off notches. Make sure that
the hook of the jack handle driver is
located squarely in the cap notch before
attempting to pull off.
Reinstalling The Jack And Tools
1500 Series Trucks
1. Tighten the jack all the way down by turning the jack turn-screw clockwise un-
til the jack is snug.
215

2. Position the jack and tool bag. Make surethe lug wrench is under the jack near the
jack turn-screw. 3. Secure the tool bag straps to the jack.
4. Place the jack and tools in the storage
position holding the jack by the jack turn-
screw, slip the jack and tools under the
seat so that the bottom slot engages into
the fastener on the floor.
NOTE:
Ensure that the jack slides into the front
hold down location. 5. Turn the wing bolt clockwise to secure to
the floor pan. Reinstall the plastic cover.
Jack And Tool Bag
Floor Fastener Location
Wing Bolt Location
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
216

2500/3500 Series Trucks
1. Tighten the jack all the way down byturning the jack turn-screw clockwise un-
til the jack is snug.
2. Position the jack and tools into bracket assembly. Make sure the lug wrench is
under the jack near the jack turn-screw.
Snap tools into bracket assembly clips.
Install the jack into bracket assembly and
turn screw until jack is snug into bracket
assembly.
3. Place the jack and tool bracket assembly in the storage position holding the jack by
the jack turn-screw, slip the jack and tools
under the seat so that the bottom slot
engages into the fastener on the floor. NOTE:
Ensure that the jack and tool bracket
assembly slides into the front hold down
location.
4. Turn the wing bolt clockwise to secure to the floor pan. Reinstall the plastic cover.Hub Caps/Wheel Covers — If
Equipped
The hub caps must be removed before raising
the vehicle off the ground.
CAUTION!
Use extreme caution when removing the
front and rear center caps. Damage can
occur to the center cap and/or the wheel if
screwdriver type tools are used. A pulling
motion, not a pry off motion, is recom-
mended to remove the caps.
For single rear wheel (SRW) models, use the
flat blade on the end of the lug wrench to pull
the hub cap off. Insert the blade end into the
pull off notch and carefully pull the hub cap
off with a back and forth motion.
On 3500 models with dual rear wheels
(DRW), you must first remove the hub caps.
The jack handle driver has a hook at one end
that will fit in the pull off notch of the rear
hub caps. Position the hook and pull straight
out on the ratchet firmly. The hub cap should
pop off. The wheel skins can now be removed.
For the front hub cap, use the flat blade on
Floor Fastener Location
217

the end of the lug wrench to pull the caps off.
The wheel skin can now be removed.
CAUTION!
• Use a pulling motion to remove the hubcap. Do not use a twisting motion when
removing the hub cap, damage to the
hub cap; finish may occur.
• The rear hub caps on the dual rear wheel
has two pull off notches. Make sure that
the hook of the jack handle driver is
located squarely in the cap notch before
attempting to pull off.
You must use the flat end of the lug wrench to
pull off the wheel skins. Locate the hub cap
pull notches (2 notches on each cap). Insert
the flat tip completely and using a back and
forth motion, loosen the wheel skin. Repeat
this procedure around the tire until the skin
pops off.
Replace the wheel skins first using a rubber
mallet. When replacing the hub caps, tilt the
cap retainer over the lug nut bolt circle and strike the high side down with a rubber mal-
let. Be sure that the hub caps and wheel
skins are firmly seated around the wheel.JUMP STARTING
If your vehicle has a discharged battery, it can
be jump started using a set of jumper cables
and a battery in another vehicle, or by using a
portable battery booster pack. Jump starting
can be dangerous if done improperly, so
please follow the procedures in this section
carefully.
WARNING!
Do not attempt jump starting if the battery
is frozen. It could rupture or explode and
cause personal injury.
CAUTION!
Do not use a portable battery booster pack
or any other booster source with a system
voltage greater than 12 Volts or damage to
the battery, starter motor, alternator or
electrical system may occur.NOTE:
When using a portable battery booster pack,
follow the manufacturer's operating instruc-
tions and precautions.
Preparations For Jump Start
The battery in your vehicle is located in the
front of the engine compartment, behind the
left headlight assembly.
Positive Jumping Location
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY
218