Ram 2500 2013 Owner's Manual

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.
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. 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.
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3. Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension tubewith 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.
Reinstalling The Jack And Tools (2500 And 3500
Series)
1. Tighten the jack all the way down by turning the jack turn-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.
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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. 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.
Jack And Tools Bracket AssemblyJack Hold Down Fastener
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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 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
Jack And Tools (2500/3500 Series)
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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 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.
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TypeNut Stud
Size Hex Size Torque
Ft LbsTorque
Newton Meters
Cone M14 x 1.5 22 mm120-140 160-190
Flanged M14 x 1.5 22 mm130-160 175-215
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.
Oiling Location
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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. 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
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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.
HOISTING
A conventional floor jack may be used at the jacking
locations. Refer to the graphics that show jacking loca-
tions. However, a floor jack or frame hoist must never be
used on any other parts of the underbody.
CAUTION!
Never use a floor jack directly under the differential
housing of a loaded truck or damage to your vehicle
may result.
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES
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.
NOTE: When using a portable battery booster pack
follow the manufacturer ’s operating instructions and
precautions.
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.
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WARNING!
Do not attempt jump-starting if the battery is frozen.
It could rupture or explode and cause personal injury.
Preparations For Jump-Start
The battery in your vehicle is located in the front of the
engine compartment, behind the left headlight assembly.
NOTE:The positive battery post is covered with a
protective cap. Lift up on the cap to gain access to the
positive battery post.
Positive Battery Post
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