V70 Wheels/Tyres: speed rating

[xc70jason]

Try going on a supplier site like Central Tyres or Kwik-Fit and do a trye search.Try a few though and see what each one come's up woth.That might shed a bit of light onto your query.It's only a thought.Jason

[cejsmith]

Just had Volvo customer services on the phone and they have confirmed that the car was originally fitted with H rated tyres.

So thats going to save me a few quid!!!

[marcb]

When I last looked into this there was some talk that the higher speed ratings are not really to do with the actual top speed but the stress that higher performance cars put on tyres, so the higher speed tyres are higher quality and match the car.

That said, I also found that regulations/fitting differ among countries - H seems to be fine in the US for say the V70 but I believe they are usually factory fitted with W in Europe. I put Vs on our 2001 V70 in the end.

[Bill_56]

This is from a late S60 UK owners' manual, section on tyres & speed ratings, which clarifies things...

The car is approved as a whole, which means that dimensions and speed ratings must not differ from those specified on the vehicle reg-istration document. The only exception to these conditions is winter tyres (both those with metal studs and those without). If such a tyre is chosen, the car must not be driven faster than the speed rating of the tyre (for example, class Q can be driven at a maximum of 160 km/h).

...except, of course, that I don't recall ever seeing tyre details on a registration document. Do they mean the V5? I just had a look, and....nothing. Both my Saabs (1998 & 2000, bought new) had a laminated A4 sheet floating round in the spare-tyre well, containing all the type-approval details, including tyres. But neither of my Volvos (2006 & 2008, both bought used) had this.

Interesting that winter-tyres (as distinct from M&S) are excepted from speed ratings. I wonder where that leaves people who drive on winter tyres all through the year? Or even just if there's a heat-wave in January?