What are the best tyres to put on an XC90?

[Just Drive]

Second Summer season now over for my Conti CrossContact UHPs.

They covered just over 10,000 miles in 6 months and lost 1.4mm. Avg MPG = 33.4

If I take these to the legal limit, I'm on course to cover 39,750miles with this set or about 34,000 if changing at 3mm

[rkv]

Originally Posted by semo

Long story short, if you want WR G2s, best to balance them on a Hunter roadforce machine. But make sure you specify "roadforce" and/or "gsp9700" as hunter do bog standard balancers too

Mounted 2 WR G2s today with a Hunter roadforce. One tyre needed 145g weights before a match-mount. So after the tyre was remounted, only 45g of weights were needed.


The other tyre actually needed more weights after remounting but it resulted in less pressure limit. Didn't really understand what p/limit was but the lower it is (in nm), the better.

With the previous set, one of the WR G2s needed 170g! But since that was on a normal balancer, this was the best you could achieve.

Problem is, the cost for the job including changing and disposing of the old tyres was around £27 per corner which is quite high.

Can someone comment on how well the WR 3 SUV tyres balance and how much weight they require?

First, I agree on Hunter Roadforce for balancing. As to your question on weight, I had a problem of excessive weight back in 2009 where Nokian actually swapped three WR G2 SUVs. At that time, an individual from Nokian technical support via email claimed that their standard for maximum unbalance was that it should be less than 0.6% of weight. He added that the usual is significantly below that but above 0.6% they considered it to be defective at that time. For the specific tyre size I was using this was 110g. They claimed that my experience was highly unusual but swapped the tyres without any questions.

Note the whole process took about two months and five emails to three different people to work its way to the appropriate person at Nokian.

[A lex]

Originally Posted by A lex

A further update on the wear rate of the Nokian WR SUV3.

Now covered 7600+km (4750miles) through the hottest months of the year.

Both front tyres showing a tread depth of just over 7mm

Both rear tyres showing a tread depth of just over 7.5mm

So I have lost 1mm on the rears and 1.5mm on the front - for the sake of making it easy, we will call it 5k miles covered.

That means I should get around another 25-30k miles out them, meaning a total life of approx. 30-35k miles, which I think is very reasonable for a big SUV.

I am going to rotate the wheels once, probably just before the crap weather arrives this winter.

Coincidentally with my mileage that means I should be running them with around 6mm tread this winter period (perfect) and they will need replacing just before the winter season 2015 (also perfect!)

Measured my Nokians again today.

Distance now covered since fitting: 12,600km (approx 7,800 miles).

FR = 6.3mm
FL = 6.5mm
RR = 7.0mm
RL = 7.0mm

So ive lost 2mm on the fronts and 1.3mm on the rears (tyres not yet rotated).

Now standing at approx 4.5k miles per mm (averaged over all 4 tyres if I rotate them).

So if replacing at 2mm next summer, an approx life of 28k miles for the set.

[SkipjackUK]

i think im going to take the plunge and go for General Grabber AT.

thinking of putting 255/55/R18 on instead of the 235/60/R18 that is currently on

anyone now of a good place/deal either in or around Leeds(Yorkshire) or Crew (Cheshire)

thanks

[SkipjackUK]

actually i think i will go with the forum favorite - Nokian WR 3 SUV

ditto above for getting them ordered and fitted + anyone know of suitable hunter alignment in crewe or leeds

ta

[xco]

Originally Posted by Squirrell

Anybody have experince of Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons tyres, was looking for some new 235/65x17 to work mainly on road with odd green lane, UK snow and ice and a trip to the Alps, saw the Goodyear 4 Season tyres, any thoughts?

Also, should a 2010 XC90 Active have 104 or 108 load ratings?

I've just put a 4 set of these(205/50/17) on my missus' s c30 185 D5 se lux and in the rain they are superb.
Check out the videos of these tyres on you tube.
Pretty damn good.
I see we are in for some c$$$ weather at the weekend and next week (daily express today forecasts 6 inches of snow in some places in britain.)
If you haven't got your winter tyres on yet peeps now's the time to do it.

--------------------YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED------------------------

[Squirrell]

I went ahead and fitted the Goodyear Vector 4 Seasons and after the first 1000miles I am seriously impressed. They grip well in the wet, are really quite, so all good so far, I guess the real truth will be how long they last and grip in the snow.

235/45x17 108V XL were £130 per corner fitted.

Also had a hunter 4 wheel alignment done this week, sorted out the slight toe in at the front, so all good.

[xco]

Yep I 2nd that they are good on the c30.
Dont forget your 4 wheel alignment.

[bobdabuilda]

Originally Posted by A lex

Measured my Nokians again today.

Distance now covered since fitting: 12,600km (approx 7,800 miles).

FR = 6.3mm
FL = 6.5mm
RR = 7.0mm
RL = 7.0mm

So ive lost 2mm on the fronts and 1.3mm on the rears (tyres not yet rotated).

Now standing at approx 4.5k miles per mm (averaged over all 4 tyres if I rotate them).

So if replacing at 2mm next summer, an approx life of 28k miles for the set.

Incredible, but I think your car runs on cloud power and doesn't touch the road!

[RoyMacDonald]

Originally Posted by bobdabuilda

Incredible, but I think your car runs on cloud power and doesn't touch the road!

The Nokian WR3 is a good tyre but the Vredstien Wintrac 4 Extreme wear rate was about half that on my XC90.