New tires for '94 850T

Post by **hernhaw** » 16 Jun 2007, 22:32

Is there any harm to replacing only the FRONT tires of a different size?
We purchased our car a few months ago & noticed (among many other things) scraping sounds from the front end every time we made a turn or reversed out of parking stalls, etc. Turns out the tires on the car were a little bigger (55/16) than recommended. I was told it wouldn't hurt to leave them on but since there was considerable wear anyway, I changed out the front only. Goodyear said because the rear tires were in good shape & because it was a front wheel drive, it would be okay to change out only the front to the correct size which is 50/16 (hard to find here). Haven't noticed anything really different other than the knocking sounds (another repair issue) which happen at slow speeds & over rough roads, has gotten a little louder-but maybe that problem is just becoming worst with time & not related . At least the scraping is now non-existent. I don't know if the prev owner had purchased all 4 tires at once, but the wear on both front tires were so dramatic in comparison to the rear which are in real nice condition so I am assuming they were purchased at separate dates unless something else is going on with my front end. If not, should I have changed out all 4?

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 17 Jun 2007, 00:32

No problem at all with different sized fronts and rears.

My fronts were like Formula 1 grooved slicks when I had them changed out a couple of weeks ago and I almost went the other way, from the 50's to the 55's since the 50's will rattle your dental work on rough roads. At the end of the day I went with the 50's since I thought the car would look funny with taller tires on the front than on the back.

...Lee

cyclmck · Post by **cyclmck** » 17 Jun 2007, 10:58

Was the wear on the front tires even? The previous owner probably smoked the front tires off.

Tsquared · Post by **Tsquared** » 17 Jun 2007, 12:56

The only problem I can see is if you perform a 5 tire, tire rotation. I would do a front to back rotation when it is due...

Post by **hernhaw** » 17 Jun 2007, 13:21

Yes, both were pretty worn evenly on the outer wall but she is an ederly woman who only used the car for errands until her son decided she would no longer be safe driving--or more likely, that other drivers on the road would not be safe. Who knows, maybe mom was doing some off road driving in her spare time! In fact, a lot the roads on this island are not well maintained so it does kind of feel like you're driving off road, esp in an 850. Mine's seem so low to the ground that I feel swallowed up when there's a big truck or SUV along side me.
But having changed the tires to a smaller size, as Lee said, it explains why I've been feeling a lot more knocks & bumps in the road but I will be checking the struts, suspension, seats, etc. as I suspect there's more going on. Can't wait to find out what's next. In the few months I've owned this, I replaced the AC control unit & Auto feature still does not work , front knock sensor - no sure what it does but my CEL kept coming on, tailgate lock- still rattling a bit, coolant hose/clamp- coolant still splashing, probably need a new radiator...
Love the car! Love the way it looks & it's the first Volvo Turbo I've owned & given its age, it is in great cosmetic condition & not to mention low mileage (55K) but now that seems to be more of a curse than a great selling point.[/code]

Post by **hernhaw** » 17 Jun 2007, 13:49

The only problem I can see is if you perform a 5 tire, tire rotation. I would do a front to back rotation when it is due...

Thanks. Sorry, what's a 5-TIRE tire rotation?
I know I won't be able to do the usual cross style rotation until all 4 tires were the same size but if I did a front to back rotation, that would mean the 55s would be put up front & scrape again. It never came up but is it possible that the all that scraping wore out only the front tires and not the rear because there's more clearance in the back than the front?

Post by **JRL** » 17 Jun 2007, 14:12

Standard tires are 205/55/16. Originally they were 205/50/16 but people were blowing out the sidewalls and bending wheels so Volvo changed the
"official" size in 1995
Your front springs are either sagging a bit or your struts are worn but you should have stuck with 55's. The BRAND of tire also makes a difference, some have a wider tread section. These cars have very close fender tolerances.
You should NOT run different sizes at all.
Are you sure you're hitting tires or do the steering stops need lubing?
If they are dry when you get near full lock they make an awful grinding noise like a tire is rubbing but it isn't