torque Ram 1500 2011 User Guide

OFF-ROAD DRIVING TIPS
Care should be taken when attempting to climb steep
hills or driving diagonally across a hill or slope. If natural
obstacles force you to travel diagonally up or down a hill,
choose a mild angle and keep as little side tilt as possible.
Keep the vehicle moving and make turns slowly and
cautiously.
If you must back down a hill, back straight down using
REVERSE gear. Never back down in NEUTRAL or diago-
nally across the hill.
When driving over sand, mud, and other soft terrain,
shift to low gear and drive steadily. Apply the accelerator
slowly to avoid spinning the wheels.
Do not reduce the tire pressures for this type of driving.
After Driving Off-Road
Off-road operation puts more stress on your vehicle than
does most on-road driving. After going off-road, it isalways a good idea to check for damage. That way you
can get any problems taken 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 damage.
•Inspect the radiator for mud and debris and clean as
required.
•Check threaded fasteners for looseness, particularly on
the chassis, drivetrain components, steering, and sus-
pension. 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.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 369

Traction Control System (TCS) – If Equipped
The TCS monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s), and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS functions similarly to a
limited-slip differential and controls the wheel spin
across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine
torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning.
This feature remains active even if TCS and ESC are in
the “Partial Off” mode. Refer to “Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)” in this section of this manual. This brake
pressure modulation transfers drive torque from slipping
to non-slipping wheels to provide optimal forward
traction.
Brake Assist System (BAS) – If Equipped
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
BAS detects an emergency braking situation by sensing
the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. The system
applies optimum pressure to the brakes in emergency
braking conditions. This can help reduce braking dis-
tances. The BAS complements the ABS. Applying the
brakes very quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To
receive the benefit of BAS, you must apply continuous
braking pressure during the stopping sequence. Do not
reduce brake pedal pressure unless braking is no longer
desired.
Once the brake pedal is released, the BAS is deactivated.
396 STARTING AND OPERATING

mode by pressing the “ESC Off” switch. Once the situa-
tion requiring ESC to be switched to the “Partial Off”
mode is overcome, turn ESC back on by momentarily
pressing the “ESC Off” switch. This may be done while
the vehicle is in motion.
WARNING!
In the “Partial Off” mode, the engine torque reduc-
tion and stability features are desensitized. There-
fore, the enhanced vehicle stability offered by ESC is
unavailable.
All Four-Wheel Drive Vehicles In 4WD AUTO And
4WD LOCK Modes Can Also Choose The
Following ESC Operating Mode. This Is The Only
ESC Operating Mode in 4WD LOW:
Full Off
This mode is intended for off-road use when ESC stabil-
ity features could inhibit vehicle maneuverability due to
trail conditions. This mode is entered by pressing and
holding the “ESC Off” switch for five seconds when the
vehicle is stopped and the engine is running. After five
seconds, the “ESP Off Indicator Light” will illuminate
and the “ESC Off” message will appear in the odometer.
Press and release the trip odometer button located on the
instrument cluster to clear this message.
NOTE:The “ESC OFF” message will display and the
audible chime will sound when the shift lever is placed
402 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.
NOTE: If the bottle jack will not lower by turning the
dial (thumbwheel) by hand, it may be necessary to use
the jack drive tube in order to lower the jack.
4. By rotating the wheel wrench clockwise, raise the
vehicle until the wheel just clears the surface.
WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle unstable and cause a collision. It could
slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the
vehicle only enough to remove the tire. 5. Remove the wheel nuts and pull the wheel off. On
single rear-wheel (SRW) trucks, install the spare wheel
and wheel nuts with the cone shaped end of the wheel
nuts toward the wheel. On 3500 dual rear-wheel models
(DRW) the wheel nuts are a two-piece assembly with a
flat face. Lightly tighten the wheel nuts. To avoid the risk
of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the
wheel nuts until the vehicle has been lowered.
6. Using the wheel wrench, finish tightening the wheel
nuts using a crisscross pattern. The correct wheel nut
tightness is 130 ft lbs (177 N·m) torque (1500 Series), 135 ft
lbs (183 N·m) torque for 2500/3500 single-rear wheel
(SRW) models, and 145 ft lbs (197 N·m) for 3500 dual
rear-wheel models. If in doubt about the correct tight-
ness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your
authorized dealer or at a service station.
504 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
•Use a back-and-forth motion to remove the hub
cap. 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
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.
You must use the flat end of the lug wrench to pry off the
wheel skins. 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 mallet. Be sure that the hub caps and wheel skins
are firmly seated around the wheel.
Wheel Nuts
All wheel nuts should be tightened occasionally to elimi-
nate the possibility of wheel studs being sheared or the
bolt holes in the wheels becoming elongated. This is
especially important during the first few hundred miles/
kilometers of operation to allow the wheel nuts to
become properly set. All wheel nuts should first be firmly
seated against the wheel. The wheel nuts should then be
tightened to recommended torque. Tighten the wheel
nuts to final torque in increments. Progress around the
bolt circle, tightening the wheel nut opposite to the wheel
nut just previously tightened until final torque is
achieved. Recommended torques are shown in the fol-
lowing chart.
506 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Disc
WheelsType Nut Stud Size Torque
Ft. Lbs.Torque
Newton
Meters
Cone 9/16-18 120-150 160-200
Flanged 9/16-18 130-160 190-220
8-Stud — Dual Rear Wheels
Dual wheels are flat-mounted and center-piloted. The lug
nuts are a two-piece assembly. When the tires are being
rotated or replaced, clean these lug nuts and add two
drops of oil at the interface between the hex and the
washer.
Slots in the wheels will assist in properly orienting the
inner and outer wheels. Align these slots when assem-
bling the wheels for best access to the tire valve on the
inner wheel. The tires of both dual wheels must be
completely off the ground when tightening, to ensure
wheel centering and maximum wheel clamping.
Oiling Location6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 507

Dual wheel models require a special heavy-duty lug nut
tightening adapter (included with the vehicle) to cor-
rectly tighten the lug nuts. Also, when it is necessary to
remove and install dual rear wheels, use a proper vehicle
lifting device.
NOTE:When installing a spare tire as part of a dual rear
wheel end combination, the tire diameter of the two
individual tires must be compared. If there is a significant
difference, the larger tire should be installed in a front
location. The correct direction of rotation for dual tire
installations must also be observed. These dual rear wheels should be tightened as follows:
1. Tighten the wheel nuts in the numbered sequence to a
snug fit.
2. Retighten the wheel nuts in the same sequence to the
torques listed in the table. Go through the sequence a
Tightening Pattern
508 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

second time to verify that specific torque has been
achieved. Retighten to specifications at 100 miles
(160 km) and after 500 miles (800 km).
It is recommended that wheel stud nuts be kept torqued
to specifications at all times. Torque wheel stud nuts to
specifications at each lubrication interval.
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE:Vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels can-
not be stored under the vehicle 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.
WARNING!
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 immedi-
ately.
Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is down. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel and
position it properly across the wheel opening.
For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow
with the valve stem toward the rear of the vehicle.
Attach the wheel wrench to the extension tube. Rotate the
winch mechanism 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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 509

CAUTION!
•Do not use chemical flushes in your transmission
as the chemicals can damage your transmission
components. Such damage is not covered by the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
•Using a transmission fluid other than the manu-
facturer’s recommended fluid may cause deterio-
ration in transmission shift quality and/or torque
converter shudder. Using a transmission fluid
other than the manufacturer’s recommended fluid
will result in more frequent fluid and filter
changes. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genu-
ine Parts” in “Maintaining Your Vehicle” for fur-
ther information.
Special Additives
Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) is an engineered
product and its performance may be impaired by supple-
mental additives. Therefore, do not add any fluid addi-
tives to the transmission. The only exception to this
policy is the use of special dyes to aid in detecting fluid
leaks. In addition, avoid using transmission sealers as
they may adversely affect seals.
Fluid Level Check
If equipped with a dipstick, use the following procedure.
If your vehicle has a capped dipstick tube, it is sealed and
should not be tampered with. Your authorized dealer has
the proper tools to ensure that the fluid level is set
properly. The fluid level should be checked when the
engine is fully warmed up and the fluid in the transmis-
sion is at normal operating temperature. Operation of the
transmission with an improper fluid level will greatly
reduce the life of the transmission and of the fluid. Check
the fluid level whenever the vehicle is serviced.
7
MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 555

Fluid and Filter Changes............... 557
Fluid Level Check ..............554,555,556
Fluid Type ...................... 554,583
Gear Ranges ........................ 314
Shifting ........................... 318
Special Additives ..................... 555
Torque Converter .................... 318
Axle Fluid .......................... 553,583
Axle Lubrication (Axle Fluid) ............... 553
B-Pillar Location ........................ 411
Back-Up Camera ........................ 147
Bar, Stabilizer/Sway System ................ 344
Battery ............................... 536
Keyless Transmitter Replacement (RKE) ..... 24
Saving Feature (Protection) .............. 127
Belts, Seat ............................ 39,83
Body Builders Guide ....................... 6
Body Mechanism Lubrication ............... 539Brake Assist System
...................... 396
Brake Control System, Electronic ............. 395
Brake Fluid ......................... 551,583
Brake System ........................ 394,550
Anti-Lock (ABS) ..................... 395
Fluid Check ........................ 551
Master Cylinder ..................... 551
Parking ........................... 392
Warning Light ....................... 219
Brake/Transmission Interlock ............... 313
Break-In Recommendations, New Vehicle ........ 81
Bulb Replacement ....................... 571
Bulbs, Light .......................... 85,570
Cab Top Clearance Lights .................. 576
Calibration, Compass ..................... 241
Camera, Rear ........................... 147
Camper ............................... 198
Capacities, Fluid ........................ 580
10
INDEX 615