jack Ram 2500 2014 User Guide

what is the best direction to recover the vehicle. Depend-
ing on what you are in contact with, jack the vehicle up
and place a few rocks under the tires so the weight is off
of the high point when you let the vehicle down. You can
also try rocking the vehicle or winching the vehicle off
the object.
CAUTION!
Winching or rocking the vehicle off hard objects
increases the risk of underbody damage.
Hill Climbing
Hill climbing requires good judgment and a good under-
standing of your abilities and your vehicle’s limitations.
Hills can cause serious problems. Some are just too steep
to climb and should not be attempted. You should alwaysfeel confident with the vehicle and your abilities. You
should always climb hills straight up and down. Never
attempt to climb a hill on an angle.
•
Before Climbing A Steep Hill – As you approach a
hill consider its grade or steepness. Determine if it is
too steep. Look to see what the traction is on the hill
side trail. Is the trail straight up and down? What is on
top and the other side? Are there ruts, rocks, branches
or other obstacles on the path? Can you safely recover
the vehicle if something goes wrong? If everything
looks good and you feel confident, then change trans-
mission into a lower gear, shift the transfer case into 4L
(Low) and proceed with caution. You should use first
gear and 4L (Low Range) for very steep hills.
• Driving Up Hill – Once you have determined your
ability to proceed and have shifted into the appropri-
ate gear, line your vehicle up for the straightest pos-
sible run. Accelerate with an easy constant throttle and
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STARTING AND OPERATING 473

severely hung up on something you should jack the
vehicle up and stack something under the wheels to
allow the vehicle to roll off the object without causing
further damage. This should be tried before attempting
any recovery method.
CAUTION!
Pulling the vehicle off an obstacle, without first
clearing the object, may result in additional under-
body damage.
• Rock Cycling Your Vehicle – Rock cycling your ve-
hicle is one of the easiest, fastest and most commonly
used methods. This simply involves shifting your
vehicle from DRIVE to REVERSE, while applying
throttle after each shift. During this process, for addi-
tional traction, try turning your steering wheel quickly
back and forth no more than a ¼ turn. If you are stuck
in mud, sand, or snow try spinning your tires during this process to clean the debris from the tread and
improve the traction. You want to create a rocking
motion with the vehicle. This helps build vehicle
momentum, which hopefully gets you out. Remember
to ease off and on the accelerator before and after the
shift. If after a few rock cycles your vehicle is not free,
stop and try another method of recovery. Continuous
rock cycling will only cause unnecessary damage to
your vehicle and the environment.
CAUTION!
Damage can occur when spinning your tires at an
excessive high speed. Do not spin your tires faster
than an indicated 30 mph (48 km/h).
• Using The Tow Hooks With A Tow Strap – Tow straps
are a quick and easy way to recover your vehicle from
minor situations if you have a secondary vehicle which
is not stuck. The tow hooks on your vehicle are
480 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
HAZARD WARNING FLASHERS ...........617
 IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS ............617
 WHEEL AND TIRE TORQUE
SPECIFICATIONS ..................... .618
▫ Torque Specifications ..................619
 JACKING AND TIRE CHANGING ..........621
▫
Jacking And Tire Changing 1500 Series Trucks . .621
▫ Jacking And Tire Changing 2500 And 3500 Series
Trucks ............................ .639
 HOISTING .......................... .659
JUMP-STARTING PROCEDURES ...........659
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ..............660
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ................661
 FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE .............663
 EMERGENCY TOW HOOKS — IF EQUIPPED . .665
 SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE ................666
▫ Column Shifter — If Equipped ............666
▫ Center Console Shifter — If Equipped .......667
6

Tighten the lug nuts/bolts in a star pattern until each
nut/bolt has been tightened twice.
After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut/bolt torque to be
sure that all the lug nuts/bolts are properly seated
against the wheel.WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack,
do not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle has
been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury.
Wheel Mounting Surface4 And 5 Lug Nuts/Bolts Torque Pattern
620 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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: To assist with changing a spare tire, the air
suspension system has a feature which allows the auto-
matic leveling to be disabled. Refer to “Electronic Vehicle
Information Center (EVIC)” in “Understanding Your
Instrument Panel” for further information.
Jack Location
The jack and jack tools are stored under the front
passenger seat.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 621

Removal Of Jack And Tools (1500 Series)
To access the jack and jack tools you must remove the
plastic access cover, located on the side of the front
passengers seat. To remove the cover, pull the front part
of the cover (closest to the front of the seat) toward you
to release a locking tab. Once the front of the cover is
loose, slide the cover toward the front of the seat until it
is free from the seat frame.Remove the jack and tools by turning the wing bolt
counterclockwise, remove the wing bolt and then slide
the assembly out from under the seat.
Jack Access Cover
622 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Release the tool bag straps from the jack and remove
tools from bag.
Jack And Tools (1500 Series)Jack And Tool Bag6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 623

WARNING!
After using the jack and tools, always reinstall them
in the original carrier and location. While driving
you may experience abrupt stopping, rapid accelera-
tion or sharp turns. A loose jack, tools, bracket or
other objects in the vehicle may move around with
force, resulting in serious injury.
Removing The Spare Tire
1. Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack up thetruck. 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.
Wheel Wrench And Jack Extension Tube Assembled
624 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

2. Rotate the wheel wrench handle counterclockwiseuntil the spare tire is on the ground with enough cable
slack to allow you to pull it out from under the vehicle.
Inserting The Jack Extension Tube Into The Access HoleRotating The Wheel Wrench Handle6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 625

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.
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.
Pulling The Retainer Through The Center Of The Wheel6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 627