V90 CC seems quite sensitive to tyres

[Bash D Bishop]

Picked up my new V90 CC just over 2 weeks ago. As I have done for many years with all my cars I arranged to have winter tyres fitted. Having done my usual research on the latest tyres and viewed a few tyre tests online, I went for the Goodyear UltraGrip Performance GEN-1. I couldn't get them done immediately so I had a week of the car on the OEM tyres.

Last Sunday I had the winters fitted. On my commute to work I was aware of a level of vibration at most speeds but more pronounced towards 70-80 mph. I ran with it for a week but suspecting poorly balanced wheel(s) I went back to the tyre fitter last night. They rebalanced them and I watched as the machine said all 4 were 'OK'.

It doesn't seem to have made any difference. I suspect that as the tread pattern is slightly more aggressive it is transmitting a vibration to the car.

Anyone else fitted winters and had a similar experience?

[ergonomist]

It's a brave man who re-opens a tyre discussion...

I think the SPA cars are sensitive to tyres in terms of noise, but vibration doesn't sound right to me. My MY2016 XC90 is quite noisy on the original Continentals on 20" wheels, but my winter tyres (Pirelli Scorpions on 19" rims) are actually both quieter and smoother. I might expect more noise from winters because of the blocky tread pattern - but not vibration. Are your winters on different wheels - can you easily refit the original tyres and see if the problem changes? Alternatively - you might try swapping the tyres front-to-rear to see if that changes the problem (if it does, then there is something amiss with at least one wheel; if it doesn't, you haven't lost anything).

[Haldex]

Originally Posted by ergonomist

It's a brave man who re-opens a tyre discussion...

Got that right

To the OP- not the same car and not the same tires, but for what it's worth my XC60 is even quieter on Michelin Latitude Alpins than it is on Latitude Sports (summer..), all other things being equal. And Latitude Alpin has a higher noise rating compared to Ultragrip Performance Gen-1 (72 vs. 68-71). Not sure the vibration is tire-related.. What size wheels you got on it?

[Bash D Bishop]

Thanks both. It does seem strange that it coincided with the changeover.

It was a direct swap of tyres on to the existing rims: OEM 235/55R18 came off and the same size on winters went on.

When I had my A6 Allroad I had a set of OEM rims and tyres which made life easy for changeover. Unfortunately Volvo want too much money for spare rims and the German supplier - www.reifenprofi.de/en -I got the Audi's from; don't deal in Volvo.

The savings on that site are huge. As far as I believe; dealers in Germany and Austria are obliged to fit winters to their demo/fleet cars and at the end of each winter they sell them on. The tyres I got were all 7mm+and the rims unmarked. Cost just a bit more than a full set of tyres but I then saved on changeover costs. I then sold the wheels and rims for only a couple of hundred less than I'd paid; after I'd used them for 3 winters.

[simonjedrake]

Normally find the Winters are in fact quieter but NEVER vibrating.......
As you have had then rebalanced/rechecked, I would try them on a lower pressure at the bottom of the recommended range, then if still no difference switch the fronts to the rears and see what happens.

If still no difference suggest you try a different tyre fitter as I have seen some balancing machines that find it hard to correctly balance todays wider rims.

[Haldex]

Yeah, I’d have them checked by another shop.

On 18s ride should be as smooth as it gets..

[Bash D Bishop]

My normal mobile guy wasn't available so I went to my local Kwik Fit this time. They seemed to have a very state of the art machine. I went to a different branch (closer to work) to have them checked and they used a different machine to my local branch. I watched carefully as he did them and could see the machine saying they were balanced.

I'll check the pressures tonight on my way home and see if lowering it helps.

The vibration is strange. There is a small amount in the steering wheel but the main vibration is felt through my feet and bottom. When I stop after my 25 mile commute I feel my feet 'tingling'.

The tyres could be a red herring and a pure coincidence that it occurred around the same time as the switchover.

Might just have to take it to a dealer and get an opinion.

[jonnyu]

Goodyear UltraGrip Performance GEN-1 are not Volvo approved tires for this car

[gaby]

Originally Posted by Bash D Bishop

My normal mobile guy wasn't available so I went to my local Kwik Fit this time. They seemed to have a very state of the art machine. I went to a different branch (closer to work) to have them checked and they used a different machine to my local branch. I watched carefully as he did them and could see the machine saying they were balanced.

Also with an on-vehicle balancing machine?

[Bash D Bishop]

Originally Posted by gaby

Also with an on-vehicle balancing machine?

Never heard of this before. A quick Google search hasn't revealed much either. The only thing I found was an aricle that said for classic cars with wire type wheels that on-vehicle balancing was better.