07 Wheels and tires
Tire designations
07
173
Maximum Load: Indicates the maximum
load in pounds and kilograms that can be
carried by the tire. Refer to the vehicle's tire
information placard or the safety certifica-
tion label, located on the B-Pillar or the
driver's door or on the inside of the fuel filler
door on Canadian models, for the correct
tire pressure for your vehicle.Treadwear, Traction, and Temperature
grades: See page 176 for more informa-
tion.Maximum permissible inflation
pressure: The greatest amount of air pres-
sure that should ever be put in the tire. This
limit is set by the tire manufacturer.
The tire suppliers may have additional mark-
ings, notes or warnings such as standard load,
radial tubeless, etc.
07 Wheels and tires
Vehicle loading
07
175 Loading the vehicle
Before loading your vehicle, familiarize yourself
with the following terms for determining your
vehicle's weight ratings, with or without a
trailer, from the vehicle's Federal/Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS/
CMVSS) label, and the vehicle's tire informa-
tion placard:Curb weightThe weight of the vehicle including a full tank
of fuel and all standard equipment. It does not
include passengers, cargo, or optional equip-
ment.Capacity weightAll weight added to the curb weight, including
cargo and optional equipment. When towing,
trailer hitch tongue load is also part of cargo
weight.Permissible axle weightThe maximum allowable weight that can be
carried by a single axle (front or rear). These
numbers are shown on the Federal/Canadian
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS/
CMVSS) label. The total load on each axle must
never exceed its maximum permissible weight.Gross vehicle weight (GVW)The vehicle's curb weight + cargo + passen-
gers.
NOTE
•
The location of the various labels in your
vehicle can be found on page 252.
•
A table listing important weight limits for
your vehicle can be found on page
255.
Steps for Determining Correct Load
Limit(1) Locate the statement "the combined weight
of occupants and cargo should never exceed
XXX pounds" on your vehicle's placard.
(2) Determine the combined weight of the driver
and passengers that will be riding in your vehi-
cle.
(3) Subtract the combined weight of the driver
and passengers from XXX kilograms or XXX
pounds.
(4) The resulting figure equals the available
amount of cargo and luggage load capacity.
For example, if the "XXX" amount equals
1400 lbs. and there will be five 150 lbs. pas-
sengers in your vehicle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs.
(1400–750 (5×150) = 650 lbs.)
(5) Determine the combined weight of luggage
and cargo being loaded on the vehicle. Thatweight may not safely exceed the available
cargo and luggage load capacity calculated in
Step 4.
WARNING
•
Exceeding the permissible axle weight,
gross vehicle weight, or any other
weight rating limits can cause tire over-
heating resulting in permanent defor-
mation or catastrophic failure.
•
Do not use replacement tires with lower
load carrying capacities than the tires
that were original equipment on the
vehicle because this will lower the vehi-
cle's GVW rating. Replacement tires
with a higher limit than the originals do
not increase the vehicle's GVW rating
limitations.
07 Wheels and tiresUniform tire quality gradings
07176
Uniform tire quality gradingsALL PASSENGER VEHICLE TIRES MUST
CONFORM TO FEDERAL SAFETY
REQUIREMENTS IN ADDITION TO THESE
GRADES
Quality grades can be found, where appli-
cable, on the tire sidewall between the tread
shoulder and maximum section width. For
example:
Treadwear 200 Traction AA
Temperature ATREADWEARThe treadwear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov-
ernment test course. For example, a tire gra-
ded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a
tire graded 100. The relative performance of
tires depends upon the actual conditions of
their use, however, and many depart signifi-
cantly from the norm due to variation in driving
habits, maintenance practices and differences
in road characteristics and climate.TRACTIONThe traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, B, and C, as measured under controlled
conditions on specified government test sur-faces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C
may have poor traction performance. The trac-
tion grade assigned to this tire is based on
braking (straight-ahead) traction tests and is
not a measure of cornering (turning) traction.
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on braking (straight-ahead) traction
tests and is not a measure of cornering
(turning) traction.TEMPERATUREThe temperature grades are AA (the highest),
A, B, and C, representing the tire's resistance
to the generation of heat and its ability to dis-
sipate heat when tested under controlled con-
ditions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause
the material of the tire to degenerate and
reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can
lead to sudden tire failure. The grade C corre-
sponds to a minimum level of performance that
all passenger vehicle tires must meet under the
Federal Motor Safety Standard No. 109.
Grades B and A represent higher levels of per-
formance on the laboratory test wheel than the
minimum required by law.
WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab-
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, under-
inflation, or excessive loading, either sepa-
rately or in combination, can cause heat
buildup and tire failure.
07 Wheels and tiresTemporary spare
07178
Temporary spareThe spare tire in your car is called a "Temporary
Spare".
Recommended tire pressure (see the placard
on the B-pillar or on the fuel filler door) should
be maintained irrespective of which position on
the car the temporary spare tire is used on.
In the event of damage to this tire, a new one
can be purchased from your Volvo retailer.
WARNING
Current legislation prohibits the use of the
"Temporary Spare" tire other than as a tem-
porary replacement for a punctured tire. It
must be replaced as soon as possible by a
standard tire. Road holding and handling
may be affected with the "Temporary
Spare" in use. Do not exceed a speed of
50 mph (80 km/h) with the "Temporary
Spare" in use.
CAUTION
The car must not be driven with wheels of
different dimensions or with a spare tire
other than the one that came with the car.
The use of different size wheels can seri-
ously damage your car's transmission.
07 Wheels and tires
Wheel nuts
07
179 Wheel nuts
G020324
Low nut.High nut.
There are two different types of wheel nut,
depending on whether the wheels are steel or
aluminum.
Steel rims – low nutSteel rims are normally secured using the low
type of nut, although steel rims may also use
the high type.
WARNING
Never use the short type of nut for alumi-
nium wheels. This could cause the wheel to
come loose.Aluminum wheels – high nutOnly the high type of nut can be used for alu-
minum wheels. This is considerably different
from other types of nut because it has a rotat-
ing conical thrust washer.
NOTE
This nut can also be used on steel wheels.Lockable wheel nutIf steel wheels with lockable wheel nuts are
used in combination with wheel covers, the
lockable wheel nut must be fitted to the stud
nearest the air valve. The wheel cover cannot
otherwise be installed on the wheel.
07 Wheels and tiresChanging a wheel
07182
WARNING
•
The jack must correctly engage the jack
attachment.
•
Be sure the jack is on a firm, level, non-
slippery surface.
•
Never allow any part of your body to be
extended under a car supported by a
jack.
•
Use the jack intended for the car when
changing a tire. For any other job, use
stands to support the car.
•
Apply the parking brake and put the
gear selector in the Park (P) position or
reverse on models with a manual trans-
mission.
•
Block the wheels standing on the
ground, use rigid wooden blocks or
large stones.
•
The jack should be kept well-greased
and clean, and should not be damaged.
•
No objects should be placed between
the base of jack and the ground, or
between the jack and the attachment
bar on the vehicle.
Installing the wheel1. Clean the contact surfaces on the wheel
and hub.
2. Lift the wheel and place it on the hub.
3. Install the wheel nuts and tighten hand-
tight. Using the lug wrench, tighten cross-
wise until all nuts are snug.
4. Lower the vehicle to the ground and alter-
nately tighten the bolts crosswise to
81 ft. lbs. (110 Nm).
5. Install the wheel cap (where applicable).Returning the jack to its storage space
G029335
The jack (certain models) and tools should be
returned to their correct storage places after
use.•
On vehicles equipped with a jack and
spare wheel, the jack should be cranked
down to the position shown in the illustra-
tion.
•
On vehicles equipped with the tire sealing
system, the jack should be cranked down
as far as possible and returned to its stor-
age position in the foam block.WARNING
The jack and any tools should always be
returned to their proper storage compart-
ments after use to help keep them securely
in place in the event of sudden braking, etc.