tow Ram 2500 (Diesel) 2007 Repair Manual

RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)
Recreational Towing – 2 Wheel Drive Models
Recreational towing of 2 Wheel Drive models is not
allowed.Towing with the rear wheels on the ground can
result in severe transmission damage.
Recreational Towing – 4 Wheel Drive Models
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these requirements can cause severe
damage to the transmission and/or transfer case.
CAUTION!
Internal damage to the transfer case will occur if a
front or rear wheel lift is used when recreational
towing.
NOTE:Both the Manual Shift and Electronic Shift
transfer cases must be shifted into Neutral (N) for
recreational towing. Automatic transmissions must be
placed in P (Park) position for recreational towing.
Manual transmissions must be left in gear (not in neutral)
for recreational towing. Refer below for the proper trans-
fer case Neutral shifting procedure for your vehicle.
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5

Recreational Towing Procedure — Manual Shift
Transfer Case — If Equipped
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing:
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in N (NEUTRAL) before
recreational towing to prevent damage to internal
parts.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shut OFF the engine.
3. Depress the brake pedal.
4. Shift automatic transmission to N (NEUTRAL), or
depress the clutch on manual transmissions.5. Shift transfer case lever into N (NEUTRAL).
6. Start the engine.
7. Shift automatic transmission into Reverse (R).
8. Release brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that
there is no vehicle movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with the transmission in Drive
(D).
10. Shut OFF the engine and place the ignition key to the
unlocked OFF position.
11. Shift automatic transmission into P (PARK).
12. Apply the parking brake.
13. Attach vehicle to tow vehicle with tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.
378 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION!
•Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
•Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft because
fluid will leak from the transfer case and damage
the internal parts.
Recreational Towing Procedure — Electronic Shift
Transfer Case — If Equipped
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
recreational towing.
CAUTION!
It is necessary to follow these steps to be certain that
the transfer case is fully in Neutral (N) before recre-
ational towing to prevent damage to internal parts.
1. Bring vehicle to a complete stop.
2. Shut OFF the engine.
3. Turn the ignition key to the ON position, but do not
start the engine.
4. Depress the brake pedal.
5. Shift automatic transmission to Neutral (N) or depress
clutch on manual transmission.
380 STARTING AND OPERATING

6. Using the point of a ballpoint pen or similar object,
depress the recessed transfer case Neutral (N) button for
4 seconds.
7. After shift is completed and the Neutral (N) light
comes on release Neutral (N) button.
8. Start engine.
9. Shift automatic transmission into Reverse (R).
10. Release brake pedal for five seconds and ensure that
there is no vehicle movement.
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 with the transmission in Drive
(D).
12. Shut engine OFF and place ignition key to the
unlocked OFF position.
13. Shift automatic transmission into Park (P).
14. Apply parking brake.15. Attach vehicle to tow vehicle with tow bar.
16. Release parking brake.
NOTE:Items 1 through 5 are requirements that must be
met prior to depressing the Neutral (N) selection button,
and must continue to be met until the 4 seconds elapses
and the shift has been completed. If any of these require-
ments (with the exception of 3 - Key ON) are not met
prior to depressing the Neutral (N) button or are no
longer met during the 4 second timer, then the Neutral
(N) indicator light will flash continuously until all re-
quirements are met or until the Neutral (N) button is
released.
NOTE:The ignition key must be ON for a shift to take
place and for the position indicator lights to be operable.
If the key in not ON, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
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5

CAUTION!
•Do not use a bumper mounted clamp-on tow bar
on your vehicle. The bumper face bar will be
damaged.
•Do not disconnect the rear driveshaft because
fluid will leak from the transfer case and fluid loss
will damage internal parts.
384 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS

Hazard Warning Flasher..................386

Jacking And Tire Changing................387
▫All Models – If Equipped...............387

Jacking Instructions.....................388
▫Removing The Spare Tire................388
▫Tire Changing Procedure................389

Hoisting .............................398
Jump-Starting.........................399
▫With Portable Starting Unit..............402

Freeing A Stuck Vehicle..................402

Emergency Tow Hooks — If Equipped........403

Towing A Disabled Vehicle................404
▫4-Wheel- Drive Vehicles.................404
▫2–Wheel- Drive Vehicles................404
6

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.
JACKING INSTRUCTIONS
Removing The Spare Tire
Remove the spare tire before attempting to jack the truck.
Attach the wheel wrench to the jack extension tube. Insert
the tube through the access hole between the lower tailgate
and the top of the bumper and into the winch mechanism
tube. 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.When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the
cable and pull it through the center of the wheel.
It is recommended that you stow the flat or spare to
avoid tangling the loose cable.
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.
388 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 an accident. 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 nuts toward the wheel on 2500/3500 single rear
wheel (SRW) models. On 3500 dual rear wheel models
(DRW) the lug nuts are a two piece assembly with a flat
face. Lightly tighten the nuts. To avoid risk of forcing the
vehicle off the jack, do not fully tighten the nuts until the
vehicle has been lowered.
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 393
6

6. Using the wheel wrench, finish tightening the nuts
using a crisscross pattern. Correct nut tightness is 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 tightness,
have them checked with a torque wrench by your 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 wheel center cap and remove 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 jack
will not lower by turning the dial (thumb wheel) 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.Hub Caps/Wheel Covers
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 pryoff notch and carefully
pop off the hub cap with a back and forth motion.
394 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

wheel. The nuts should then be tightened to recom-
mended torque. Tighten the nuts to final torque in
increments. Progress around the bolt circle, tightening
the nut opposite to the nut just previously tightened until
final torque is achieved. Recommended torques are
shown in the following chart.
Disc
WheelsType
NutStud
SizeTorque
Ft. Lbs.Torque
Newton
Meters
Cone 9/16-18 120-150 160-200
Flanged 9/16-18 130-160 190-220
To Stow The Flat Or Spare
Turn the wheel so that the valve stem is down. Slide the
wheel retainer through the center of the wheel and
position it properly across the wheel opening.
For convenience in checking the spare tire inflation, stow
with the valve stem toward the rear of the vehicle.Attach the wheel wrench to the extension tube. Rotate the
winch mechanism until the wheel is drawn into place
against the underside of the vehicle. Continue to rotate
until you feel the winch mechanism slip or click 3 or 4
times. It cannot be overtightened. Push against the tire
several times to be sure it is firmly in place.
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 or the underbody.
CAUTION!
Never use a floor jack directly under the differential
housing of a loaded truck or damage to your vehicle
may result.
398 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES