tire Ram 1500 2016 Owner's Manual

JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING
Jacking And Tire Changing 1500 Series Trucks
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 the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
•Being under a jacked-up vehicle is dangerous. 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. If you need to get
under a raised vehicle, take it to a service center
where it can be raised on a lift.
•Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is
on a jack.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
NOTE:If your vehicle is equipped with an air suspen-
sion system, there is a feature which allows the automatic
leveling to be disabled to assist with changing a tire.
If your vehicle is equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be activated through the Uconnect system.
Refer to “Uconnect Settings” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information.
If your vehicle is not equipped with a touchscreen, this
feature can be activated through the Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC) or Driver Information Display
(DID). Refer to “Electronic Vehicle Information Center
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 729

There are 2 ways to assemble the tools:
Assembled For Spare Tire Lowering/RaisingCAUTION!
•The wheel wrench can only be attached to exten-
sion 3.
•When attaching the tool to the winch mechanism
be sure the large flared end opening on extension 1
is positioned correctly over the winch mechanism
adjusting nut.
•Damage to the wheel wrench, extensions and
winch mechanism may occur from improper tool
assembly.
Assembled For Spare Tire Lowering/Raising
1 — Extension 1 3 — Extension 3
2 — Extension 2 4 — Wheel Wrench 732 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Removing The Spare Tire
1. Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack up the
truck. 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 be-
tween the lower tailgate and the top of the bumper
and into the winch mechanism tube.
Inserting The Jack Extension Tube Into The Access Hole
734 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

2. Rotate the wheel wrench handle counterclockwise
until the spare tire is on the ground with enough cable
slack to allow you to pull it out from under the vehicle.3. Pull the spare tire out from under the vehicle to gain
access to the spare tire retainer.
Rotating The Wheel Wrench Handle
Pulling The Spare Tire Out
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 735

4. Lift the spare tire with one hand to give clearance to
tilt the retainer at the end of the cable.
5. Pull the retainer through the center of the wheel.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.
Gaining Access To The Retainer
Pulling The Retainer Through The Center Of The Wheel
736 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Preparations
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 the danger of being hit when
operating the jack or changing the wheel.
2. Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
3. Set the parking brake.
4. Place the shift lever into PARK. On four-wheel drive
vehicles, shift the transfer case to the 4L position.
5. Turn the ignition OFF.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.
Jack Instructions (1500 Series)
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.
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 737

WARNING!(Continued)
•Turn on the Hazard Warning flasher.
•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.
•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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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.
Jack Warning Label
738 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Connect the jack tube extension and wheel wrench.
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.4. By rotating the lug 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. Install
the spare wheel and wheel nuts with the cone shaped
end of the wheel nuts toward the wheel. 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. Finish tightening the lug nuts. Push down on the
wrench while at the end of the handle for increased
leverage. Tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern until
Rear Jacking Location
742 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

each nut has been tightened twice. For the correct lug
nut torque refer to “Torque Specifications” in this
section. If in doubt about the correct tightness, have
them checked with a torque wrench by you authorized
dealer or service station.
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: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.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 743

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.
1. Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is facing the
ground 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.
Reinstalling The Retainer
744 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES