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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    267

    Default Full size spare - not for the new XC70's :((

    I proved that our new '09 XC70 can not hold a full size spare tire/wheel (even the 215/65-16 base size), unlike the 'P2 body. I have the spare wheel that I fitted to our just departed '07, and tried to test fit it with no luck, even if you give up the nice organizer tray under the deck. The supplied spare looks to be close to 2 inches less overall diameter than the road wheels, just like the original P1 spares that caused so much trouble with the pre-Haldex AWD's. The diameter of the hole is too narrow, not just the lack of height in the space under the floor. Maybe its time to check into the inflatable spares that came on some up-market cars in recent past. Other than this glitch though, we still really like the new '09 - will take it for its first out of town run into the Maine mountains over the long weekend and see what other observations surface.
    Mike
    ----------------
    '09 XC70 T6
    '07 XC70
    '98 V70M
    '98 S70 T5M
    '95 855T
    '84 MB 380SL

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    445

    Default

    Many cars are going with no spare at all now and run flat tires, like my BMW. I don't know which I'd prefer, run flats and no spare, or temporary spare...
    09 XC70 T6 - Sold

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    122

    Default

    Mike,

    This is very disturbing news to hear. I had always understood (at least here is Oz) that a full size spare was available as a factory option and that the only loss was the underfloor storage tray. I'll have to follow this up with our local dealer. I've been hanging out for the MY10 XC70 (with the new twin-turbo diesel) to replace our '05 XC70 after being disappointed earlier this year to find out that both the XC60 and Audi's Q5 don't have the space for a full size spare. To me the issue of a full size spare is very much a "showstopper" - no full size spare - not on my shopping list. I know some people don't understand this position but it comes down to what this car is used for. We can live with only having a space-saver spare on our little C30 which is only used around town, but not to at least have the option of a full size spare on our long distance tourer is not acceptable.

    Tony

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    267

    Default

    Tony, I'm with you all the way on having a real spare, even here in Eastern US. We used it twice last summer, once 400 miles from home, but still 200 miles from the end of our planned day's drive, and three weeks or so later, also about 400 miles away. Being able to swap wheels and go on without bothering about needing to repair, or worse, replace, a tire on the road is a big plus. With either run-flats or space savers, you will often be in the position of having to find a place to buy a replacement on the road somewhere, even if you are not in the Outback. I'd much rather be in control of the timing and choices than having to take whatever is available in whatever back-hole the problem arises in (good luck with finding a run-flat of any sort).

    An interesting side note: I posted a for sale in several Volvo sites offering our full size spare from the '07, already set up with the TPMS sensor, etc. and nobody has had any interest at all over here so far. I think we are in a small minority who value these things. I also became a believer in the TPMS system last summer, because we would have destroyed both of the above tires before I was aware they were flat (both at 70+ MPH) but dash warning came on while they still had 20+ pounds of air and no damage at all, except nail holes in middle of tread (both times).

    Please post back if you find an answer over there on how to fit a full size in the '08+. I did buy a 12volt tire inflator pump the other day, and will get one of those little kits that have tire repair plugs for fixing the flat on the road.
    Mike
    ----------------
    '09 XC70 T6
    '07 XC70
    '98 V70M
    '98 S70 T5M
    '95 855T
    '84 MB 380SL

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    122

    Default

    Mike,

    Spoke to our local dealer during the week and got some partial answers to the spare wheel issue. Officially here in Australia there is no factory or dealer-fitted option for a full size spare. However there does apparently remain the non-official option of separately buying a full size wheel and tyre and fitting it into the space of the spare wheel at the expense of the underfloor storage tray. Besides costing probably around A$400-500 you are left with a useless temporary spare. The point I made to the dealer was it would be much simpler - and cheaper - if we could just simply get a full size spare as a factory option. Its something I'll probably follow up directly with Volvo Australia because we really have our heart set on the XC70.

    Now the point that puzzles me about your original post was your statement that the well space in the '09 XC70 for the spare wheel wasn't large enough in diameter for full size wheel. With Aussie spec XC70s the spare wheel is a 125/55(I think)-17 - ie its a full diameter 17" wheel. So that's why I'm a little confused that you've said even a 16" wheel is too large in diameter in fit into the available space. Could it be that the well diameter on US-spec XC70s is different from Aussie specs? Excuse me for asking what you may consider to be a silly question, but by any chance is the spare wheel in US-spec XC70s of the type that is normally in a deflated state and is only inflated to its full size (including diameter) when its needed? This is what I understand Volvo calls a "space-saver spare". On the other hand, what we have in Australia is what Volvo refers to as a "temporary spare". Its fully inflated and as I've said above is a full diameter tyre - its just narrower than a full size tyre and has limitations on maximum speed and time period of continuous use.

    As I've said, there's still a bit more work for me to do to ensure I can get a full size spare in any new XC70 we end up getting but it appears we may be in a better position with the Aussie spec XC70 then you guys. Hope you find a satisfactory solution.

    Tony

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Canada
    Posts
    445

    Default

    Problem solved!

    09 XC70 T6 - Sold

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    267

    Default

    Hi Tony,
    I expect that the actual tire well molded into the body of the XC70 is the same for everyone. In US, we get the Temporary spare also - it is fully inflated, but it is not actually as large in diameter as the road wheel/tire. It's not the size of the metal wheel that is the problem, it is the size of the inflated tire, and the inflated temporary spare is a significantly smaller diameter than the road tire (smaller by more than an inch).

    You said "On the other hand, what we have in Australia is what Volvo refers to as a "temporary spare". Its fully inflated and as I've said above is a full diameter tyre - its just narrower than a full size tyre ". I believe you will find that the Temporary spare in Austrailia is not actually a "full diameter" tire - the wheel is 17", but the tire is a smaller overall diameter. Should be easy to check. My guess is that the Temporary spare may be the full diameter of a V70 road tire, but that the XC70 has a taller (larger diameter) stock tire and the designerr never bothered to modify the well to fit the XC size (just like the original '98-2000 Xc's). The stock V70 tire is a 225/55-16 which has a diameter of approx. 653.9mm, or about an inch and a half less diameter than the XC's stock tire. That smaller full size tire is very likely to fit in the spare tire well.


    On our '07, I did as you are suggesting, bought a matching Xenia alloy wheel and a 215/65-16 Scorpion tire, and dropped the set into the spare tire well after removing the storage tray and temporary spare. It was a tight fit, but worked fine, and saved us on at least two separate out of town trips. That same Xenia wheel and tire is now in my garage, and I cannot fit it into the spare well on the new '09 - the molded well is narrower. My calculations of overall tire diameters is 685.9mm for the 215/65-16 versus 690.3mm for the 235/55-17's on the '09, so if anything a new matching wheel and tire for the '09's 17" wheel and tire will be just slightly larger than the 16, and the 16 does not fit into our '09 well.
    Mike
    ----------------
    '09 XC70 T6
    '07 XC70
    '98 V70M
    '98 S70 T5M
    '95 855T
    '84 MB 380SL

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Oklahoma City
    Posts
    227

    Default

    The temp spare is meant to get you to the next available place to get your tire repaired, hopefully less than 50 miles down the road. If you really need a full size spare for exploring the outback, you might try mounting on a roof rack like Lotus suggests or you might try a "hitch gate" which is a spare tire mounting that goes on your hitch. http://www.tiregate.com/hg_series_0.shtml It's $707.98 from http://www.4wheelparts.com/Bumpers-S...n=T%2FGUHG1010
    Last edited by OKCXC70; 09-09-2009 at 11:01 AM. Reason: because I'm smarter than these guys
    2008 XC70 Black/Sandstone
    previous:
    2004 XC70 Crystal Green/Brown trade in @79K

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Location
    Brisbane, Australia
    Posts
    122

    Default

    Mike,

    My apologies - it turns out you are quite corrrect about a full size wheel for an '08+ XC70. Returned to my local dealer yesterday - this time armed with a tape measure - and was kindly allowed to measure up to my hearts content. The spare wheel well has a useful diameter of around 670mm (26.4ins). An 18in wheel on a V70 has a diameter of around 655mm (25.8ins), so it just fits in. However, a 17in wheel for an XC70 (235/55/17 for Aust spec vehicles) has a diameter of 695mm (27.4 ins) - so it will not fit. Depth-wise it may have been just being OK - the temporary spare was a 125/60/17 and the storage tray was 100-105mm thick. So a 225-235mm wide tyre may have just snuck in. However because of the diameter issue, its rather academic.

    While this is rather disappointing, it does mean I'll have to be looking at alternative means to carry a full size spare. Thanks to you others for your suggestions. I'll follow up this "hitch-gate" or similar at some of our local 4WD accessory places and see what I come up with. I would still prefer to carry the spare within the vehicle, perhaps in a vertical position on one side of the cargo area.

    On the bright side, this does open up other alternatives to the XC70. Our main interest in the XC70 was in the understanding that there was an option for a full size spare. With this appearing not to be the case, we will now also go back and have another look at both the XC60 and Q5.

    Tony

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Boston
    Posts
    267

    Default

    Tony, I was really hoping that you guys would have had solution that we could ship over to here The only thing to consider now is acquiring a full size V70 spec tire and wheel, even though it is not "full size" for the XC. At least that would not have mileage restrictions, but I'd still worry about the size difference for the AWD system. Apparently, Volvo no longer worries about tire size mismatching, given the small size of the supplied spare. Hope this is not a revisit to the '98 XC days when the small spare apparently was the direct cause of a number of pre-Haldex system failures.
    Mike
    ----------------
    '09 XC70 T6
    '07 XC70
    '98 V70M
    '98 S70 T5M
    '95 855T
    '84 MB 380SL

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