Ram 2500 2011 Owner's Manual

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.
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.Instructions
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.
•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.
(Continued)
490 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING! (Continued)
•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.
•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.1. Remove the spare wheel, jack, and tools from storage.
2. Using the wheel 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:
•1500 Series Trucks
When changing a front wheel, place the scissors jack
under the rear portion of the lower control arm as shown
below.
Jack Warning Label
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Operate the jack using the jack drive tube and the wheel
wrench. The tube extension may be used but is not
required.
4X2 Jacking Location4X4 Jacking Location
492 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

For 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, when changing a rear wheel,
assemble the jack drive tube to the jack and connect the
drive tube to the extension tube. Place the jack under the
axle between the wheel and the shock bracket with the
drive tubes extending to the rear.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.
•2500/3500 Series Trucks
For 2500/3500 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.
Rear Jacking Location
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 493

Operate the jack using the jack drive tube and the wheel
wrench. The tube extension, may be used, but is not
required.
For 2500/3500 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 thejack 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.
For 4x2 and 4x4 trucks, when changing a rear wheel,
assemble the jack drive tube to the jack and connect the
4x2 Jacking Location
4x4 Jacking Location
494 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

drive 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.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.
Rear Jacking Location (All)
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 495

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.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.
496 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Hub Caps/Wheel Covers — If Equipped
The hub caps must be removed before raising the vehicle
off the ground.
For 2500/3500 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 3500
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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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 497

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.
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.
498 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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.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.
Oiling Location6
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