Wheels and Tires: Description and Operation
Safety Precautions - E-150 - E-450WARNING: Never run the engine with one wheel off the ground, for example, when changing a tire. The wheel(s) resting on the ground could cause the vehicle to move.
WARNING: The tire and wheel must always be correctly matched. It is very important to determine the size of each component before any assembly operations commence. Failure to adhere to these instructions can result in an explosive separation and cause serious bodily injury or death.
WARNING: Aftermarket aerosol tire sealants are extremely flammable. Always question the customer to make sure these products have not been used.
WARNING: Aftermarket wheel assemblies may not be compatible with the vehicle. Use of incompatible wheel assemblies can result in equipment failure and possible injury. Use only approved wheel assemblies.
WARNING: Use only wheels and wheel nuts that have been designed for current model year Ford trucks. Aftermarket wheels or wheel nuts may not fit or function correctly, and can cause personal injury or damage the vehicle.
WARNING: Always wear safety goggles or a face shield when performing any work with tire and wheel assemblies.
CAUTION: Do not clean aluminum wheels with steel wool, abrasive-type cleaners or strong detergents. Use Custom Bright Metal Cleaner 8A-19522-A or equivalent meeting Ford specifications ESR-M5B194-B.
CAUTION: Reduce the air pressure as much as possible by pushing the valve core plunger in prior to removing the valve core. Avoid working in a position in which the face or body is directly over a tire in which there is pressure.
When carrying out any inspection or repair procedures on wheels and tires, follow the preceding safety precautions.
CAUTION and SAFETY FIRST are bywords when handling truck tires. Careful attention to the safety precautions that follow can prevent crippling injuries or even death. Make it a rule to respect the terrific force contained in an inflated tire.
Wheels must be correctly maintained. Incorrectly maintained wheels can adversely affect the life of the tire and the wheel. When inflated, a tire is potentially very destructive. Accidents are caused by careless handling and inexperience.
Follow the safety precautions and obtain safety literature from your wheel and rim distributor, wheel and rim manufacturer, NHTSA or OSHA. For additional questions, consult the distributor or manufacturer directly.
The load carrying requirements of each vehicle should be determined before selecting the correct tire/wheel combination. Always remember that the weakest weight carrying component of the vehicle (tire, wheel, axle, bearings, etc.) determines the overall maximum and safe load carrying capacity for the vehicle.
WARNING: Each individual axle, wheel and tire has its own maximum weight and inflation rating. Do not overinflate or overload beyond the capacity of the lowest rated component of the system.
Rims and wheels are designed to sustain their rated load using the maximum tire size recommended for that rim width by the Tire and Rim Association.
WARNING: An inflated tire and wheel can be very dangerous if misused or worn out. Many accidents, some fatal, have resulted from incorrect handling and operation of truck wheels and tires. It is of the utmost importance that the precautions be carefully followed, by all persons servicing truck wheels, to avoid personal injuries and costly damage.
WARNING: The tire and wheel must always be correctly matched. It is very important to determine the size of each component before any assembly operations commence. Failure to adhere to these instructions can result in an explosive separation and cause serious bodily injury or death.
WARNING: Never mount a smaller diameter tire on a larger diameter wheel. When installing new tires, always match the tire size to the wheel size. Incorrect matching can cause the tire bead to break during mounting or inflation propelling both the tire and wheel into the air with enough force to inflict property damage, serious injury or death.
When installing new tires, use the same size, load range and construction type as originally installed on the vehicle. When installing new wheels, use original equipment manufacturer's wheels or equivalent available from the Ford dealer with equivalent capacity, width, offset and mounting configuration as those originally installed on the vehicle. Use of incorrect tires and wheels can adversely affect ride, handling, load carrying capacity, bearing life, tire clearance to body and chassis components, vehicle ground clearance, vehicle width and brake cooling.
Prepare for any tire repair operation in a safe and efficient way. In servicing all tires, use caution not to drop them (or the wheels) on the feet, hands or body, or heavily on the floor. Truck tires are heavy and a wheel jack such as Rotunda Heavy Duty Wheel Dolly 014-00030 or equivalent should be used to maneuver tires.
WARNING: Excessively corroded or cracked wheels can be dangerous. Deflate tires on corroded or cracked wheels prior to removal of wheels from the vehicle.
WARNING: Never position body in front of the wheel during deflation. Always keep eyes away from the valve when deflating tires.
Deflating a tire correctly is very important for safety. First, reduce the pressure as much as possible by depressing the valve core plunger. Only then should the valve core be removed to completely deflate the tire before removal from the vehicle or disassembly. On dual wheels, deflate both tires completely.
Demounting tires from the wheels requires special care. Use only standard tire mounting tools and equipment. The use of makeshift tools to force tires on or off the wheels is dangerous and must be avoided.
Always lubricate tire beads to make sure the tire beads seal on the rim correctly.
Make sure all the air is out before removing the tires from the wheels. Use special care when using tire irons. Grip the tire irons firmly and keep them free of oil and grease. They can slip and fly with tremendous force.
WARNING: When painting used wheels, do not use excessive amounts of paint. This can cause the wheel nuts to loosen, which can lead to premature failure or loose wheels, resulting in serious, perhaps fatal, injury.
WARNING: When painting any wheel, always allow the paint to dry thoroughly. If the paint is not dry when the wheels are mounted, torque values will not be maintained because of the paint being forced out. Excess paint thickness will cause the wheels to loosen. Retighten the wheel nuts after 80-160 km (50-100 miles) when newly painted wheels are installed on the vehicle.
WARNING: Always wear safety goggles or a face shield when carrying out any work with tire and wheel assemblies.
WARNING: Always wear safety goggles or a face shield when carrying out any buffing operation.
Tires and wheels often require a buffing operation before being mounted, once the regular service has been completed.
WARNING: Avoid hammering with a steel hammer; you can damage the rim. Any hammering can dislodge particles. Never hammer on an inflated assembly.
WARNING: Always inflate the tire in Rotunda Inflation Chamber 104-00104 or equivalent, or use an OSHA-approved portable tire safety cage. This is an important safeguard against incorrect assembly, inadvertently mismatched parts and other assembly errors. Remember, an inflated tire contains potentially explosive energy and assemblies can be propelled if there is a sudden release of air. In emergency situations, where a safety cage or a portable safety device is not available, use the vehicle's spare wheel and tire assembly.
WARNING: Stand clear when using a safety cage or an OSHA-approved restraining device. Always use a clip-on air chuck with a remote valve and pressure gauge. Do not rest any part of the body against the device during inflation. If the components are not seated correctly and an explosive separation occurs, the air blast or movement of the restraining device can cause injury.
Place the wheel and tire assembly in the safety cage and inflate to a maximum of ten pounds. Check to see that the beads are correctly seated. Continue to inflate to recommended pressure.
Use only accurate, tested gauges to make sure air pressure is correct. Check all gauges regularly with a master gauge.
Never attempt to short-cut the above procedures.
WARNING: Correct precautions should always be taken when jacking a vehicle up to prevent personal injury or damage to the vehicle:
a. Always block one axle with wheel chocks to prevent unexpected movement.
b. Always use correct heavy-duty jack stands.
c. Manually cage parking brake chambers when working on the rear axle.
d. Apply the parking brake when working on the front axle.
WARNING: Do not exceed maximum tire inflation pressures. This is determined by the size and ply rating of the tire, but is not to exceed the maximum cold inflation pressure listed for the wheel even if the tire is approved for a higher load or inflation. It is also important to maintain uniform inflation so that weight is equally sustained.
WARNING: Do not run the vehicle on one tire of a dual assembly. When there is loss of air in a dual tire, the carrying capacity is reduced and the load must be sustained by the other tire. Inflate both tires to balanced, recommended pressures before further operation.
WARNING: Thumping or simply looking at the tire does not give an accurate pressure reading. Periodically check your air pressure gauge for accuracy and use it to check tire pressure.
WARNING: Never run the engine with one wheel off the ground, for example, when changing a tire. The wheel(s) resting on the ground could cause the vehicle to move.
WARNING: Aftermarket aerosol tire sealants are extremely flammable. Always question the customer to make sure these products have not been used.
WARNING: Aftermarket wheel assemblies may not be compatible with the vehicle. The use of incompatible wheel assemblies can result in equipment failure and possible injury. Use only approved wheel assemblies.
WARNING: Use only wheels and wheel nuts that have been designed for current model year Ford vehicles. Aftermarket wheels or wheel nuts may not fit or function correctly, and can cause personal injury or damage the vehicle.
CAUTION: Do not clean aluminum wheels with steel wool, abrasive-type cleaners or strong detergents. Use Custom Bright Metal Cleaner 8A-19522-A or equivalent meeting Ford specification ESR-M5B194-B.
When carrying out any inspection or repair procedures on wheels and tires, follow the preceding safety precautions.
Wheels And Tires
WARNING: Do not mix different types of tires, such as radial, bias, or bias-belted, on the same vehicle except in emergencies. Vehicle handling can be seriously affected and can result in loss of control.
Factory-installed tires and wheels are designed to operate satisfactorily with loads up to and including full-rated load capacity when inflated to recommended inflation pressures.
Tire and Wheel Runout
Excessive radial and lateral runout of a wheel and tire assembly can cause roughness, vibration, wheel tramp, tire wear, and steering wheel tremor.
Before checking runout, and to avoid false readings caused by temporary flat spots in the tires, check runout only after the vehicle has been driven far enough to warm the tires.