WHEELS AND TIRES
473
sidewall (see the illustration). A tire with e.g., visi- ble cracks or discoloration should be replacedimmediately.
Tire economy
•
Maintain correct tire pressure.
• Avoid fast starts, hard braking and tirescreeching.
• Tire wear increases with speed.
• Correct front wheel alignment is very impor-tant.
• Unbalanced wheels impair tire economy anddriving comfort.
• Tires must maintain the same direction ofrotation throughout their lifetime.
• When replacing tires, the tires with the mosttread should be mounted on the rear wheelsto reduce the chance of oversteer duringhard braking.
• Hitting curbs or potholes can damage thetires and/or wheels permanently.
Tire rotationYour vehicle has no required tire rotation. Tirewear is affected by a number of factors such astire inflation, ambient temperature, driving style,etc.
NOTE
•If the tires are rotated, they should only be moved from front to rear or vice versa.They should never be rotated left toright/right to left.
• Ideally, tire rotation should be done thefirst time after approximately 3,000 miles(5,000 km) and thereafter at 6,000-mile(10,000-km) intervals. Some customersfind that tire rotation may help to getextra mileage from tire life.
• Tire rotation should only be performed iffront/rear tire wear is fairly even andtread height is above 1/16" (1.6 mm).
Storing wheels and tiresWhen storing complete wheels (tires mounted on rims), they should be suspended off the floor orplaced on their sides on the floor. Tires not mounted on rims should be stored on their sides or standing upright, but should not besuspended.
CAUTION
Tires should preferably be stored in a cool, dry, dark place, and should never be stored inclose proximity to solvents, gasoline, oils, etc.
WARNING
• The wheel and tire sizes for your Volvo are specified to meet stringent stabilityand handling requirements. Unapprovedwheel/tire size combinations can nega-tively affect your vehicle's stability andhandling.
• Any damage caused by installation ofunapproved wheel/tire size combinationswill not be covered by your new vehiclewarranty. Volvo assumes no responsibilityfor death, injury, or expenses that mayresult from such installations.
Related information
•Checking tire inflation pressure (p. 480)
• Tread wear indicator (p. 477)
