Tire rotation a bad idea, per Volvo latest manuals

[mbsl98]

I found it very intersting that our '09 XC70 owner's manual specifically says that there is no recommended tire rotation, and goes on to explain that their current view is that letting a tire "set" in one wheel position over its life gives the best performance and traction, least noise, etc. To reinforce this trend, I saw in today's Wall Street Journal a reference to BMW saying exactly the same thing in their current manual. Volvo is clear that the front's will wear faster, and interestingly enough, they address the fact that the tread depth will become significantly different from front to back as a positive, because the added depth at back "will reduce oversteer" (as if the XC had any to begin with). I find nothing of any sort about the old recommendation of having the deeper tread on front wheels of all AWD cars, nor any reference to anything at all about matching tread depth's on AWD systems (or any acceptible tread differences).

[ifnt420]

Check out this short film by Michelin. They advocate the same!!

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/tire-basics/reartire-change/

[Lotus99]

Wow, interesting. Only problem is if fronts wear faster than the rears, and you don't rotate, you'll end up with fronts eventually needing replacement, and rears might still have lots of good tread, but you're not going to just replace the fronts, you'll have to do all 4 when the rears are fine and had you rotated, you'd have gotten more mileage out of all 4.

But they make good points...

Just checked the manual, and it says:

Tire rotation

Your vehicle has no recommended tire rotation. The following information is intended to help you understand why.

Tread set

As a tire ages and the rubber cures, front and rear tires set at different angles. Therefore, if tires are rotated, the tread will eventually set at an angle that is a compromise. Even if ride, handling, and road noise may still seem acceptable, they may not be optimal. Further,
tires that are rotated, but not on a regular basis, may actually cause more tire noise, faster tire wear, and unpleasant changes in steering feel and vehicle handling.

A tire that can fully adapt to its position will provide better steering feel, lower tire noise, and better fuel economy.

Braking stability performance

Your vehicle is driven mainly by the front tires, which will wear faster. This can be beneficial. Having more tread on the rear tires will help
reduce oversteer. Oversteer is when a vehicle wants to keep turning because of momentum and dynamic forces on its suspension.

Suspension wear diagnostics

Every suspension needs periodic inspection and maintenance. A tire's wear pattern can be an aid in detecting a suspension problem. Each
tire, if left in place, tells a story about the suspension. Tire rotation, on the other hand, could make suspension wear harder to detect. Early detection is very important, because suspension problems can make tire wear worse.

If you do rotate your tires…

Please follow the tire manufacturer's recommendations, as outlined in the tire manufacturers tire warranty pamphlet.

Your Volvo retailer can also provide guidance based on your particular driving circumstances.

[Lotus99]

Check out this short film by Michelin. They advocate the same!!

http://www.michelinman.com/tire-care/tire-basics/reartire-change/

Only problem with a tire company putting that out is they have a vested interest in getting you to change your tires faster and buying 4 at a time, when advocating not rotating, but I suppose it sounds like there's some science behind this advice at least...

So are they saying though that it's ok to just replace 2? I thought that was frowned upon, when you had like half tread on one pair, and new ones for the other.

If replacing 2 then, they're recommending at that point to swap the old rears up to the front, and put the new ones on the rear?

[skibo]

With the Haldex AWD system, there is no reason not to change 2 at a time, is there?

[sschultze]

Thinking back, Volvo also stated the transmissions never required fluid change! That did not work so well for many, I think there first fluid change included a new transmission.

[paulw]

With the Haldex AWD system, there is no reason not to change 2 at a time, is there?

I wouldn't think so. I could see new tires on the front being a closer match to rear-only tread than end of life front tires anyway. Thinking about it, the fact that there is a difference between front and rear should give you (us) the answer.

[Lotus99]

With the Haldex AWD system, there is no reason not to change 2 at a time, is there?

Double negatives give me headaches...

[Hiro's XC]

What a load....

As a mechanic you eed to rotate them. If you don't they do set in funny and wear out MORE quickly. Plus they get really odd handling characteristics. The issue comes from idiots not rotating enough and letting other things go out of spec. Care for the car and you will have no issues.

Oversteer....ROTFLMAO!!!

[Chilled Man]

Agreed Rotation is a must .

[lexefx]

Agreed Rotation is a must .

[thumbup] - better wear and noise charteristics, and a darn good time to evaulate inflation pressures, and alignment.

Alex

[volvocar]

Thanks for the post! My car just went in for maintenance and I had to convince them not to rotate my tires.


'09 XC70 T6

[XCovlov70]

On our current XC70 AWD the front tyres (UK Spelling!) Pirelli wore out at 22,000 Miles, so I then put Kuhmo Solus on the rims and swapped them with the rear wheels, again Pirelli that lasted another 13,000 before once again replacing them with Kuhmo Solus.

Interestingly the Kuhmo Solus are providing a quieter ride with better mpg than the Pirelli and above all else are lasting longer when the wear is checked against mileage.

Sadly in a short while the currentl XC70 AWD is going, to be replaced by another XC70 AWD, this time in the correct colour both inside and out and with the 205Bhp D5 engine, as opposed to the 185Bhp D5 'lump'.

I will be swapping the wheels around on this new car as in the UK we get a better deal if we want to buy 4 'skins' as opposed to 1 or 2.

For me having done it on previous cars it has always provided a better ride, performance, & 'levelled out' the wear that occurs on the outer edges of the front wheels that can get 'scrubbed' quite quickly thanks to road camber!

I have also reviously brought into play the full sized spare wheel, and even though I have one which can and will be transferred to the new XC70 I will be swapping the wheels on a diagonal basis, and leaving the spare for other things:
NS/F goes to O/S R, & vice versa
OS/R goes to NS/F, & vice versa

Tyres here ain't cheap but we get nothing like the mileage that some of our friends across the pond get.

[toma nova]

I rotate all my cars every 5k miles, usually same side but I've been known to X-rotate them too!

The only logic I buy for not rotating is when the rears are wider than the fronts as on some performance cars.

Please tell me how to get the stock Scorpions to wear faster so I can replace them with quiter, better performing car tires!

[XCovlov70]

I rotate all my cars every 5k miles, usually same side but I've been known to X-rotate them too!

The only logic I buy for not rotating is when the rears are wider than the fronts as on some performance cars.

Please tell me how to get the stock Scorpions to wear faster so I can replace them with quiter, better performing car tires!

Try some 'hard - scrubbing driving' going around 'Doughnuts/Roundabouts' it worked wonders for a friend of mine who could wear out his tyres in less than 10,000 miles!
He used to live in a town called Milton Keynes here in the UK and they call it 'Doughnut Town' because of all the small roundabouts that if you go fast enough you can scrub the rubber off your tyres without really trying! [cool2]
[thumbup]

Good luck wherever you are.

[OKCXC70]

Thinking back, Volvo also stated the transmissions never required fluid change! That did not work so well for many, I think there first fluid change included a new transmission.

This is so true! Sometimes old school is really the best way to go. My friend had an '03 XC90 that they had to get rid of as it was costing them a fortune in repairs. She never went anywhere except the dealer although I begged her. She never rotated the tires, never did even a drain and fill on the tranny. Hers spent a lot more time in the shop than my 2004 XC70.:rolleyes:

[XCovlov70]

This is so true! Sometimes old school is really the best way to go. My friend had an '03 XC90 that they had to get rid of as it was costing them a fortune in repairs. She never went anywhere except the dealer although I begged her. She never rotated the tires, never did even a drain and fill on the tranny. Hers spent a lot more time in the shop than my 2004 XC70.:rolleyes:

In 40 Years of owning and driving Volvos both Petrol (Gas) and Oil Burners (Diesel) I truly believe in the saying:
"Look after your kit and it will look after you"

Do I hear someone ask "WHY?"

Well thanks to providing a bit of TLC and looking after my kit, I have never suffered a major breakdown with any of the Volvos I have had, nor have I had to call out the Breakdown Mechanic for the 'showstoppers'. [thumbup]