Harsh ride over potholed roads

[PJordan]

Well have had my XC60 for 6 weeks now and love it but was finding the ride very harsh and bumpy on our lovely potholed roads here in Edinburgh - they really are atrocious, the worst I have ever known them to be.

Anyway, tyres had been set to 37psi by the Volvo dealer so thought I would experiment a little and have reduced them to 34psi which has made a huge difference to the ride quality, think I will keep them at that now unless there is a full/heavy load. Tyres are the 235/60/R18 Continentals that came with car originally.

Just thought it might help anyone else going through the same situation.

[whiten]

My 2017 XC60 R Design’s suspension is smooth but unnecessarily firm and that’s with the standard alloys. I mean it’s not exactly a sports car is it. I don’t suppose the SE is much better. That’s one of my main gripes with the car, that and the disconcerting torque steer and also the pretty rubbish MPG. 42 mpg from mixed but very gentle driving is waaay off the claimed 63mpg Volvo quote. My 2004 s60 D5 averages 52mpg!

[Deadloak]

The benefit of the LUX is that it has the smaller wheels with the larger profile tyres. By playing with the pressures is a good way to alter the ride, and the Lux would have more leaway. But if you go to low, I'd imagine those same pot holes could possibly cause a greater chance of damage to the alloys.

The next car I get I'll definately look for air or adaptive suspension and test it out on our glass smooth roads Although my V60 Lux isn't bad, I still get the willies when one of those pot holes creeps up on me.

[id5]

Originally Posted by PJordan

Well have had my XC60 for 6 weeks now and love it but was finding the ride very harsh and bumpy
...
so thought I would experiment a little and have reduced them to 34psi which has made a huge difference to the ride quality, think I will keep them at that now unless there is a full/heavy load.
...

Originally Posted by Deadloak

...
But if you go to low, I'd imagine those same pot holes could possibly cause a greater chance of damage to the alloys.

The next car I get I'll definately look for air or adaptive suspension and test it out on our glass smooth roads ...

We live out in the potholed countryside as well and have always run at 34psi on this and the previous XC60 both on 18" for just that reason. We do try and miss them but hit the occasional new deep one at 50 to 60 with a loud bang but have never damaged an alloy.

Air suspension only makes a car's suspension firmer, not softer, and the amount of suspension at its softess is the same as the SE Lux as standard. We demo'ed both with and without before we specified the last XC60 to check and there is no difference on the softest setting.

[PJordan]

Glad to hear you also run yours at 34psi. Reckon that is the sweet spot so far on the 18" for unloaded journeys.

[simonjedrake]

Originally Posted by PJordan

Glad to hear you also run yours at 34psi. Reckon that is the sweet spot so far on the 18" for unloaded journeys.

Likewise, I run my 18” Lux wheels at 34psi which on my 4C suspension gives me the perfect compromised setup.

[whiten]

Originally Posted by simonjedrake

Likewise, I run my 18” Lux wheels at 34psi which on my 4C suspension gives me the perfect compromised setup.

The Volvo dealer who serviced my XC60 on Saturday inflated the tyres to 39psi, saying this was the recommended pressure Volvo recommend 😯

Problem is, higher psi = better mpg, lighter steering etc, but firmer ride....hmm what to do?

[AndyJudge]

I run mine on 37psi as well seems a decent compromise. yes dropping them down to the minimum improves the ride a smidge but the tyres wear quicker & the mpg suffers.

39 seems a bit high (although it's the eco setting) but it does seem to make the car a bit skittish & the steering a bit too light for my taste.

[canis]

Lowered suspension, firm shock absorbers, massive wheels with pathetic elastic band tyres ...

This is what happens when form is put before function. This car vanity is what gives you an uncomfortable ride. Probably really useful on a racing circuit, where you're either flat-out or braking, but do you really drive your car right on the limit of it's performance that these things become necessary? I mean, you wouldn't want to arrive thirty seconds late for ASDA car-park, would you?

Think of the time these performance enhancements save you! You might have had to set off a minute earlier if you had one of those n00b cars with actual rubber on their wheels and suspension that actually can make it over a speed hump at more than three miles per hour. Oh, how you'll fly across town with your 18" rims, braking at the very last second for every red light confident your lowered suspension will maintain the car's poise and posture because, y'know, don't want to lose any momentum to the springs for the red light you're stationary at.

It really makes me laugh how people keep adding all these performance bits to make it go faster. Then they moan about speed cameras and enforcement.

The sleek lines, the shiny paintwork, the confident stance on the showroom floor ... but in the real world it's a folly. But, people buy with their eyes.

It's all styling. It's why indicators are almost invisible these days. Impractical, but it looks so good. Shame about the ride quality.

[SwissXC90]

I totally agree, having driven in the UK on my 20" rims and upset my front wheel alignment on those darn potholes

17" is a MUCH better ride quality on rough roads and much more tolerant to potholes.