Jeep Liberty: Jacking And Tire Changing

Jeep Liberty / Jeep Liberty Owner's Manual / What To Do In Emergencies / Jacking And Tire Changing

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.

• 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.

Jack Location

The scissor-type jack and tire changing tools are located in the cargo compartment behind a trim cover on the left rear trim panel. The latch is located at the bottom of the trim cover.

Jack Storage Location

Spare Tire Stowage

The spare tire is stowed underneath the rear of the vehicle and is held in place by a cable winch mechanism.

Spare Tire Removal

Fit the jack handle extension over the drive nut located in the rear cargo area inside the vehicle. Use the lug wrench to rotate the nut counterclockwise until the spare is on the ground with enough slack in the cable to allow you to pull the tire out from under the vehicle.

Lowering/Raising Spare Tire

CAUTION!
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 they can damage the winch.

When the spare is clear, tilt the retainer at the end of the cable, and pull it through the center of the wheel.

NOTE: Refer to “Compact Spare Tire” under “Tires- General Information” in “Starting And Operating” for information about the compact spare tire, its use, and operation.

Preparations For Jacking

1. Park the vehicle on a firm level surface as far from the edge of the roadway as possible. Avoid icy 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 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 (automatic transmission) or REVERSE (manual transmission).

5. Turn the ignition to the LOCK position.

6. Block both the front and rear of the

6. Block both the front and rear of the wheel diagonally opposite of the jacking position. For example, if changing the right front tire, block the left rear wheel.

NOTE: Passengers should not remain in the vehicle when the vehicle is being jacked.

Jacking 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.

• 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.

Jack Warning Label

CAUTION!
Do not attempt to raise the vehicle by jacking on locations other than those indicated in the Jacking Instructions for this vehicle.

1. Remove spare tire.

2. Remove jack and tools from mounting bracket. Assemble the tools by connecting the driver to the extension, and then to the lug wrench.

3. Loosen (but do not remove) the wheel lug nuts by turning them to the left one turn while the wheel is still on the ground.

4. Locate the jack as shown. For the front tires, place it (rearward) of the notch on the body weld seam behind wheel to be changed.

Front Jacking Location

For the rear tires, place it under the axle by the wheel to be changed.

Rear Jacking Location

Position the jack handle on the jack. Do not raise the vehicle until you are sure the jack is fully engaged.

5. Raise the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the right.

Raise the vehicle only until the tire just clears the surface and enough clearance is obtained to install the spare tire.

Minimum tire lift provides maximum stability.

WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make the vehicle less stable and cause a collision. It could slip off the jack and hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough to remove the tire.

6. Remove the lug nuts and wheel.

7. Position the spare wheel/tire on the vehicle and install lug nuts with the cone-shaped end toward the wheel.

Lightly tighten the nuts.

CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem facing outward. The vehicle could be damaged if the spare tire is mounted incorrectly.

Mounting Spare Tire

WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the wheel nuts fully until the vehicle has been lowered.

8. Lower the vehicle by turning the jack screw to the left, and remove the jack.

9. 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 each nut has been tightened twice. The correct wheel nut tightness is 95 ft lb (130 N·m). If in doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or at a service station.

10. Lower the jack to it’s fully closed position.

11. Secure the tire, jack, and tools in their proper locations.

WARNING!
A loose tire or jack, thrown forward in a collision or hard stop, could endanger the occupants of the vehicle.

Always stow the jack parts and the spare tire in the places provided.

12. Remove blocks from wheels.

Road Tire Installation

1. Mount the road tire on the axle.

2. Install the remaining lug nuts with the cone shaped end of the nut toward the wheel. Lightly tighten the lug nuts.

WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack, do not tighten the lug nuts fully until the vehicle is lowered to the ground.

3. Lower the vehicle to the ground by turning the jack handle counterclockwise.

4. 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 each nut has been tightened twice. The correct tightness of each lug nut is 95 ft/lbs (130 N·m). If in doubt about the correct tightness, have them checked with a torque wrench by your authorized dealer or service station.

5. After 25 miles (40 km) check the lug nut torque with a torque wrench to ensure that all lug nuts are properly seated against the wheel.

If Your Engine Overheats

Jump-Starting Procedures