Ram 1500 2013 Owner's Manual

CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on
locations other than those indicated in the Jacking
Instructions for this vehicle.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.
3. Placement of the jack:
Jack Warning Label
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 599

4x2 Series Trucks Front Jacking Location
For 2500 and 3500 4x2 series trucks, when changing a
front wheel, place the bottle jack under the frame rail
behind the wheel. Locate the jack as far forward as
possible on the straight part of the frame.
Operate the jack using the jack drive tube and the wheel
wrench. The tube extension, may be used, but is not
required.4x4 Series Trucks Front Jacking Location
For 2500 and 3500 4x4 series trucks, when changing the
front wheel, assemble the jack drive tube to the jack and
connect the drive tube to the extension tube. Place the
4x2 Front Jacking Location
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jack under the axle as close to the tire as possible with the
drive tubes extending to the front. Connect the jack tube
extension and wheel wrench.
4x2 and 4x4 Rear Jacking Location
For 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, when changing a rear wheel,
assemble the jack drive tube to the jack and connect thedrive tube to the extension tube. Place the jack under the
axle between the spring and the shock absorber with the
drive tubes extending to the rear.
Connect the jack tube extension and wheel wrench.
4x4 Front Jacking LocationRear Jacking Location (All)
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 601

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 assem-
bly 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 lug wrench, finish tightening the wheel nuts using a crisscross pattern. The correct wheel nut
tightness for a cone type wheel nut is 120–140 ft lbs
(160–190 N·m) torque, for a flanged type wheel nut is
130–160 ft lbs (175–215 N·m) torque. If in doubt about
the correct tightness, have them checked with a torque
wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service
station.
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WARNING!
A loose tire or jack thrown forward in a collision or
hard stop could injure someone in the vehicle. Al-
ways stow the jack parts and the extra tire and wheel
in the places provided.
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. 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. Stow the replaced tire, jack,
and tools as previously described. 9. Adjust the tire pressure when possible.
NOTE:
Do not oil wheel studs. For chrome wheels, do
not substitute with chrome plated wheel nuts.
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
NOTE: Have the flat tire repaired or replaced immedi-
ately.
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.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 603

1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing theground and toward the rear of the vehicle for conve-
nience in checking the spare tire inflation. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel.
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. 3. Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension tube
with the curved angle facing away from the vehicle.
Insert the tube through the access hole between the
lower tailgate and the top of the bumper and into the
winch mechanism tube.
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4. Rotate the lug wrench handle clockwise until thewheel 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. 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 recommended and can damage the
winch.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 605

Reinstalling The Jack And Tools (2500 And 3500
Series)
1. Tighten the jack all the way down by turning the jackturn-screw counterclockwise until 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 the
jack-turn-screw clockwise until jack is snug into
bracket assembly.
3. Place the jack and tool bracket assembly in the storageposition 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.
Jack And Tools Bracket Assembly
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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.
Jack Hold Down FastenerJack And Tools (2500/3500 Series)6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 607

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 blade on the
end of the lug wrench to pry the hub cap off. Insert the
blade end into the pry off notch and carefully pop off the
hub cap 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 pry off notch of the
rear hub caps. Position the hook and pull out on the
ratchet firmly. The hub cap should pop off. The wheel
skins can now be removed. For the front hub cap on models use the blade on the end of the lug wrench to pry
the caps off. The wheel skin can now be removed.
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
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