2009 Mercury Mariner Owner's Manual - Page 241

Roadside Emergencies spare tire carrier has a built-in ratchet feature that will not allow you to overtighten. If the spare tire carrier ratchets with very little effort, take the vehicle to your authorized dealer for assistance at your earliest convenience. If your vehicle is equipped with a trailer hitch, guide the tire with one hand; keep the rear of the tire tilted down until the tire clears the bumper. 6. Check that the tire lies flat against the frame assembly. Push against the tire to make sure it is tightly seated under the vehicle. Loosen and retighten, if necessary. Failure to properly stow the spare tire may result in failure of the winch cable and loss of the spare tire. (Make sure that the tire does not contact the bumper.) 7. Repeat this tightness check procedure (every six months, per scheduled maintenance information), when servicing the spare tire pressure or at any time that the spare tire is disturbed through service of other components. WHEEL LUG NUT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS Retighten the lug nuts to the specified torque at 500 miles (800 km) after any wheel disturbance (tire rotation, changing a flat tire, wheel removal, etc.). Wheel lug nut torque* lb.ft. N•m M12 x 1.5 100 135 * Torque specifications are for nut and bolt threads free of dirt and rust. Use only Ford recommended replacement fasteners. WARNING: When a wheel is installed, always remove any corrosion, dirt or foreign materials present on the mounting surfaces of the wheel or the surface of the wheel hub, brake drum or brake disc that contacts the wheel. Ensure that any fasteners that attach the rotor to the hub are secured so they do not interfere with the mounting surfaces of the wheel. Installing wheels without correct metal-to-metal contact at the wheel mounting surfaces can cause the wheel nuts to loosen and the wheel to come off while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of control. Bolt size 241 2009 Mariner (mrn) Owners Guide, 2nd Printing USA (fus)