WHEELS AND TIRES
Tires are perishable goods. After a few years,
they will begin to harden and their friction
properties will gradually deteriorate. Always
replace tires with the freshest tires possible.
This is particularly important for snow tires. A
series of numbers is imprinted on the sidewall
of the tire. The last four digits in the series is
the Department of Transportation (DOT)
stamp and indicates the week and year the
tire was manufactured. The tire in the illustra-
tion has 0717 as the last four digits, which
means it was manufactured week 7 of 2017.
Correct front wheel alignment is very
important.
authorized Volvo workshop. If significant dif-
ferences in wear (> 1 mm difference in tread
depth) between the tires have already occur-
red, the least worn tires should always be
mounted on the rear wheels. A front-wheel
skid (understeer) is usually easier to control
than a rear-wheel skid (oversteer). If the front
wheels skid, the vehicle will continue in a
straight line instead of the rear wheels skid-
ding to the side, which could cause you to
completely lose control of the vehicle. It is
therefore important that the rear wheels never
lose grip before the front wheels.
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Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy
and driving comfort.
Tires must maintain the same direction of
rotation throughout their lifetime.
When replacing tires, the tires with the
most tread should be mounted on the rear
wheels to reduce the chance of oversteer
during hard braking.
Hitting curbs or potholes can damage the
tires and/or wheels permanently.
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Tire age
Storing wheels and tires
Tires degrade over time, even when they are
not being used. It is recommended that tires
generally be replaced after 6 years of normal
service. Heat caused by hot climates, frequent
high loading conditions or Ultra Violet (U.V.)
exposure can accelerate the aging process.
The temporary spare 2 should also be replaced
at 6-year intervals, even if it has never been
used. A tire with e.g., visible cracks or discol-
oration should be replaced immediately.
Tire rotation
When storing complete wheels (tires mounted
on rims), they should be suspended off the
floor or placed on their sides on the floor.
Your vehicle has no required tire rotation. Driv-
ing style, tire pressure, climate and road con-
ditions affect how quickly the tires age and
exhibit signs of wear. Maintaining the correct
tire pressure helps keep tread wear evenly dis-
tributed.
Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on
their sides or standing upright, but should not
be suspended.
To help prevent differences in tread depth and
wear patterns forming on the tires, the front
and rear wheels should be rotated, i.e. the
front tires moved to the rear and the rear tires
moved to the front. Ideally, tire rotation should
be done the first time after approximately
5000 km (ca 3100 miles) and thereafter at
10,000 km (approx. 6200 miles) intervals.
Tires should preferably be stored in a cool,
dry, dark place, and should never be stored
in close proximity to solvents, gasoline,
oils, etc.
Tire economy
Maintain correct tire pressure.
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Avoid fast starts, hard braking and tire
screeching.
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Tire wear increases with speed.
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If you have any questions regarding tread
depth, Volvo recommends consulting an
2
Not available on all models.
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