Wheel Arch Extensions

[Shutterbug]

Hi,

We bought a 2003 SE T6 2.9 today and already love it but we're struggling a bit as the wheels that the last owner fit are illegal - the front protrude about 2.5cm and the back by about 1cm. It won't fail an MOT but the police can and probably will pull it over and whack us with a £60 fine and 3 points if we're not careful.

However, we really really like the 20" alloys that the previous owner put on, they're worth about £1k and are perfect condition and it'd cost us quite a bit to replace them. As I need to drive the car I can't take the current ones off to sell and I can't afford new ones until these ones sell!

I've seen wheel arch extensions on an american website but can't find anything here. Any ideas? What sort of price would they be?

Thank you and I look forward to joining the forums!

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by Shutterbug

Hi,

We bought a 2003 SE T6 2.9 today and already love it but we're struggling a bit as the wheels that the last owner fit are illegal - the front protrude about 2.5cm and the back by about 1cm. It won't fail an MOT but the police can and probably will pull it over and whack us with a £60 fine and 3 points if we're not careful.

However, we really really like the 20" alloys that the previous owner put on, they're worth about £1k and are perfect condition and it'd cost us quite a bit to replace them. As I need to drive the car I can't take the current ones off to sell and I can't afford new ones until these ones sell!

I've seen wheel arch extensions on an american website but can't find anything here. Any ideas? What sort of price would they be?

Thank you and I look forward to joining the forums!

The R design XC90 has larger wheels and extended wheel arches so you could take a look and see if they would fit your car. Have you looked to see if the wheels are fitted with spacers to make them sit further out? If they are you could just remove them.

[Beavis]

i enquired at my local dealership mid 2009 when i changed wheels for 19's and i was concerned about them extruding a bit too much. i was informed they would be around £500 fully fitted inc painting.

i never went for them as the wheels never went out beyond the original arches and its passed mot's fine since.

i think you can buy them for about £350, but you'll need to spray and fit yourself.

[Shutterbug]

Thank you both for your replies.

There aren't spacers on apparently - our garage took one wheel off to see exactly how wide it was and its a 9J. They are absolute beasts, which look really meaty, but I'm sure its not helping the economy as we've not managed to get it past 20 m/g yet!

I'll try contacting our local Volvo tomorrow. It looks like its going to cost £1000+ to replace the wheels and tyres

As the car has the dark grey plastic trim at the moment we wouldn't want something sprayed but just the same plastic - is this what it is?

[Beavis]

Originally Posted by Shutterbug

As the car has the dark grey plastic trim at the moment we wouldn't want something sprayed but just the same plastic - is this what it is?

(although i didn't go for it myself)..i think they need to remove the "rough" plastic existing arch, and the new one replaces it, and also extends by a further inch or so - this is smooth - same finish as body panel, so once painted it looks like the rest of the car. when supplied as its for any colour car, it needs to be painted.

they are like these in this picture in this article... http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/Drives/...ic-CAR-review/

[Shutterbug]

Thanks.

Looking at it I think we're going to be better off if we sell the current wheels and replace with thinner ones, as all the tyres currently need replacing, so that'll be about £600 and then another £500 for arches!

We just don't know what wheels and tyres we should be ordering. We need a 7.5 or 8J but then its the whole tyre thing. I thought they needed to be a certain size for the mileage counter etc. The current ones are 62.6cm in diameter but when we look for wheel and tyre packages listed for XC90s, they come up at 62.28cm (255/55/19) and one is listing them at 59.74cm (255/55/18). Surely that can't be right?

Which tyres should I be looking at for a 19 inch rim?

[GJB]

Originally Posted by Shutterbug

Thanks.

Looking at it I think we're going to be better off if we sell the current wheels and replace with thinner ones, as all the tyres currently need replacing, so that'll be about £600 and then another £500 for arches!

We just don't know what wheels and tyres we should be ordering. We need a 7.5 or 8J but then its the whole tyre thing. I thought they needed to be a certain size for the mileage counter etc. The current ones are 62.6cm in diameter but when we look for wheel and tyre packages listed for XC90s, they come up at 62.28cm (255/55/19) and one is listing them at 59.74cm (255/55/18). Surely that can't be right?

Which tyres should I be looking at for a 19 inch rim?

For replacement wheels suggest you look on ebay always some on

[Shutterbug]

That's where we've been looking. Found these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/19-Volvo-Pegas...39672914233973

But they give a diameter of 56.48cm - thats 6.11cm shorter than the ones on there now, surely that would mess with how it counts mileage??

[Ron_XC90]

THese are the original 18" fitted to SE models
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...#ht_500wt_1156

[RoyMacDonald]

The 18" and 19" Volvo wheels end up with the same outside diameter as the aspect ratio changes for the bigger size, so there is less tyre wall if you see what I mean.

There are also the 17" rims of course and the tyres are a lot cheaper than the 18" and a bigger range as well. Still end up with the same outside diameter though.