V70 Tyre Load Ratings

[bobsy852]

So, I accidentally caught by tyre on a 90degree corner of a kerb the other day. Gutted as it still had plenty of tread left.
I'm a fan of Michelin tyres (I find they last longer and have good ratings in the wet) and so went on the hunt for a new one to fit.

Normally I buy them online and have them fitted by someone I know FOC.
However, I wasn't able to find tyres through any online retailer near as cheap as when I bought the last 2 (just before the New Year).

Turns out the cheapest place I could find was Kwik-fit of all places. Now I detest that sort of place and so kept a beady eye on them the whole time but they fitted me a new tyre without much issue.

What they did question though was the load rating. The tyre the were replacing had a load rating of 98. So we looked at the other tyres on the car. The tyres I had replaced before the New Year had a load rating of 94.
The tyre I had asked him to put on also had a load rating of 94.
The final tyre (still on the rear and same age as the one I damaged) had a load rating of 98.

Question is, I'd never really considered load ratings before.
How important are these to consider?
Do I now need to replace all three tyres with a load rating of 94 to new ones with a load rating of 98?

[Simon Jones]

You can go higher that the recommended, but if you go lower it could cause problems with insurance in the event of a claim. Check the owners manual to confirm whether 94 meets the required rating.

[V7T]

Agree, like to keep it to spec for the insurance at least.

I use a mobile tyre fitter via Black Circles to fit Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance 98 W. Currently £104/corner, which I don't think is bad at all. Or £89 plus postage.

[green van man]

If I remember correctly my xc70 needs a load rating of 97, and a speed rating of v to comply with Volvo min requirements.

Am currently running pirelli scorpion zero all season tyres wich match this, previous front tyres were Michelin which had a load rating of 105 and a speed rateing of w as they did no direct equivalent to the original pirrelli tyres which were the 97 v type.

It is possible the v70 is a lighter car but my dealer fits the 97 v to all xc and v 70s

Paul.

[Simon Jones]

Speed ratings also follow the same rule: you can go higher but not lower than specified by manufacturer. Chances are, if you're buying a make & size that fits numerous vehicles, it'll be a pretty high rating so it will fit a wider range of cars.

There is an N rating which is only 87 mph, but the ones I've come across tend to start about H with is 130 mph. NOTE: unlike load ratings, a higher letter does not always equate to higher speed (as H in the example above demonstrates)

[Billggski]

https://www.wheel-size.com/size/volvo/v70/

[bobsy852]

Thanks everyone.
The 94 load rated tyres should easily cope with the kerb weight of the V70 with a bit extra allowace. I hardly ever load the car up. Heaviest thing it carries is me and a set of telescopic ladders.

So I'll keep these tyres for now and look out for the higher load rating when these need replacing

[green van man]

Even manufacturers get it wrong, my caravan came from the manufacturers with tyres of a 650kg load rateing, 2x650 =1300kg, on a van with a MPLM of 1460kg, just a bit short of their own figures then.
Went to an 8 ply light truck tyre when I changed them which have a load rating of 850kg so now have no worries on that score.

Paul.