[kmalhotra1901]

Hi all:

I own a 2016 Volvo S60 D4 with R18, 245/40. I got new Michelin Pilot 3 last year, but I am facing many problems. Gurgaon roads are simply too violent for these tyres to operate.

Within 15 months of getting new tyres and 18,000 KM of running, I have damaged two tyres. First one was an exterior side wall pinch. Thankfully, the damage was only cosmetic in nature, which I got satisfactorily repaired. The other recent one (last week) was a full fledged pinch running through the side wall making the tyre useless.

I am wondering what options I have as I have only 2 years of ownership left?

Option 1 : I was contemplating downgrading to R17 and getting new 235/50 tyres. I have got a quote from a dealer of New R17 inch Momo RIMs and tyres, which is above 1 .3L expense. The option is expensive as I will be selling the car next year.

Option 2 : I am thinking of squeezing in R18 with a profile of 235/45 which will give me additional margin on the sidewall from existing 245/40. What do you think?

Another option is to have brand new R18 245/40 tyres with some kind of unconditional warranty [getting Bridgestone and Ceat] from the manufacturer, and rely on the manufacturer to honour the unconditional warranty. What do you think?

[GTO]

kmalhotra1901, check this thread out (18" wheels of my car are troublesome | Frequent tyre damages | EDIT: Moved to 17-inchers).

I'm a big proponent of downsizing rims when required. These R18 rims for sedans or R19s for SUVs are simply not for India. Looks yes, but other than that, too many headaches. I even wrote a full article on it (Tall tyres & regular wheels versus low-profile tyres & large wheels).

With the 10-year diesel ban in Delhi, you won't be able to retain the car for more than 1 - 2 years. Just drive more carefully and repair / replace tyres as needed. Don't waste time, effort & money on downsizing for such a short remaining ownership period.

[kmalhotra1901]

Thanks GTO,

I agree with you. The better option is to replace the damaged tyre with new one. Just one question. Might be little naïve.

I went to few tyre dealers today. One of them suggested replacing the damaged one and retaining three old (18000 KM run) tyres. The other one suggested putting two new ones by replacing one damaged and any one of the three old tyres, and then putting the new ones in front.

What do you recommend?

[tbppjpr]

Another option is to consider anything other than the soft compound Michelin, Pirellli, Conti. You may even get a pair in the price of close to one Michelin.

Instead of downsizing the rim, you can upsize the tyre by +1 size for some extra sidewall height.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

The better option is to replace the damaged tyre with new one. One of them suggested replacing the damaged one and retaining three old (18000 KM run) tyres.

Given your limited ownership, I won't suggest going for aftermarket rims and new tyres.

I will pick the best two tyres, put them in the front, and use the other two, including the new one in the rear. But if you are okay with spending a little more and can afford two new tyres, putting these two in front and the old ones in the rear will be a better option. That way, you will also have a full spare tyre at home for any future issues that may come during the remainder of your ownership.

[kmalhotra1901]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Another option is to consider anything other than the soft compound Michelin, Pirellli, Conti.

Thanks.

How are Indian brands, say MRF? I find that their tyres are not as soft as Michelin/ Pirelli. What do you think?

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Given your limited ownership, I won't suggest going for aftermarket rims and new tyres.

Might sound little naive, but could having one new and one 3 old (18,000 KM) ones lead to any highly adverse effects on performance/ suspension ?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

How are Indian brands, say MRF?

Why change the tread pattern/ brand if you have three Michelin tyres?

one new and one 3 old (18,000 KM) ones lead to any highly adverse effects on performance/ suspension ?

It's not a sports car Keep the tyre brand and type like the other three, and you will be good.

[tbppjpr]

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

Thanks.

How are Indian brands, say MRF? I find that their tyres are not as soft as Michelin/ Pirelli. What do you think?

Irrespective of the tyre brand, the general rule of thumb is you will lose some bit of comfort and grip and the road noise will increase a bit more with the harder compound tyres. At the same time you can expect longevity and durability.

[divyank25]

Hi kmalhotra1901, I was in a similar situation last week. An HSRP pin went straight through my rear left tyre and destroyed it completely. Did some research and found a good used tyre shop in Mayapuri where I searched for the exact Goodyear tyre that I have on my Ciaz. I was lucky to find the same tyre with almost the same tread life left as I have on the remaining three tyres. The plus point was that I got the tyre for 1/4th of price of a brand new one. I was also promised a 6 month warranty in case I have any bubbles on the sidewall.
Considering you only have a few years left with your Volvo, this can be an option you can explore.

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

Hi all:

I own a 2016 Volvo S60 D4 with R18, 245/40. I got new Michelin Pilot 3 last year, but I am facing many problems. Gurgaon roads are simply too violent for these tyres to operate.

Within 15 months of getting new tyres and 18,000 KM of running, I have damaged two tyres. First one was an exterior side wall pinch. Thankfully, the damage was only cosmetic in nature, which I got satisfactorily repaired. The other recent one (last week) was a full fledged pinch running through the side wall making the tyre useless.

I am wondering what options I have as I have only 2 years of ownership left?

Option 1 : I was contemplating downgrading to R17 and getting new 235/50 tyres. I have got a quote from a dealer of New R17 inch Momo RIMs and tyres, which is above 1 .3L expense. The option is expensive as I will be selling the car next year.

Option 2 : I am thinking of squeezing in R18 with a profile of 235/45 which will give me additional margin on the sidewall from existing 245/40. What do you think?

Another option is to have brand new R18 245/40 tyres with some kind of unconditional warranty [getting Bridgestone and Ceat] from the manufacturer, and rely on the manufacturer to honour the unconditional warranty. What do you think?

[Cresterk]

Are you absolutely sure you will only keep this car for another year or two? If you already have another car in mind, you can check if the rims you buy now will fit them too. You can then swap out the new 20 inch whatever they come with to the 17 inchers you buy now for better comfort and practicality.

Or you can just go for bigger sidewalls on the current rims and hope nothing rubs. You can also fill up the tyre pressure a bit more than you need to to prevent pinching and protect your sidewalls.

[nmn.070]

You can also explore upsizing to 245/45/18 because this will be a slight increase in overall diameter which may still not result in any fouling with the fenders. That would give you a beefier tyre to protect against damages, the same wheels will be used and may even result in a more comfortable ride. The acceleration will reduce by 5% and there will be a similar speedo error. In the larger scheme of things this may be your best bet. I operated this size against the standard 225/45/18 on my 3 series with absolutely no challenge.

[littlebrother]

I own a D5 inscription, we upgraded to 245 45 R 18s and found a significant improvement in ride quality clearance and of course better tyre longevity.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

Gurgaon roads are simply too violent for these tyres to operate.

Originally Posted by kmalhotra1901

The other one suggested putting two new ones by replacing one damaged and any one of the three old tyres, and then putting the new ones in front.

What do you recommend?

It's not just Gurgaon, pretty much anywhere in the world (I mainly drive in New York and Kerala) and it hurts to have bigger wheels. My XC90 has 21" wheels with 40 profile tires and they just don't last a long time nor ride well.

I don't understand this obsession with larger wheels with all manufacturers. I get the cars are getting more powerful and they need wider tires for traction and more room for larger brake discs, but practically speaking it's a bit too much at times, sacrificing ride, tire longevity etc.

By the way, a lot of people think of putting new tires on front or on the drive axle, because that's what conventional wisdom would seem like, however, new tires should always go on the rear. Plenty of research on this you can look up.

If you can find a decent used tire go for it as 18kms is probably half the life of the tire, which means there would be some difference in thread wear (and height), otherwise swap the rear for new ones.

[kmalhotra1901]

Originally Posted by divyank25

Hi kmalhotra1901, I was in a similar situation last week. An HSRP pin went straight through my rear left tyre and destroyed it completely. Did some research and found a good used tyre shop in Mayapuri where I searched for the exact Goodyear tyre that I have on my Ciaz. I was lucky to find the same tyre with almost the same tread life left as I have on the remaining three tyres. The plus point was that I got the tyre for 1/4th of price of a brand new one. I was also promised a 6 month warranty in case I have any bubbles on the sidewall.
Considering you only have a few years left with your Volvo, this can be an option you can explore.

Thanks. Can you DM me the details of this used tyre dealer?

I am not sure if I will be lucky as you in finding R18, 245/40. It's a rare size and even tough to find this size in new ones.

Anyways, thanks a lot.

[kmalhotra1901]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

Are you absolutely sure you will only keep this car for another year or two? If you already have another car in mind, you can check if the rims you buy now will fit them too. You can then swap out the new 20 inch whatever they come with to the 17 inchers you buy now for better comfort and practicality.

Or you can just go for bigger sidewalls on the current rims and hope nothing rubs. You can also fill up the tyre pressure a bit more than you need to to prevent pinching and protect your sidewalls.

Thanks. I wish I could extend the ownership beyond 2026, and keep the car longer. However, in Delhi NCR we have a draconian NGT order which doesn't allow diesel cars to run beyond 10 years. Also we have frequent GRAP bans in every winter, so makes it difficult to keep a diesel vehicle.

I am apprehensive of buying a new high end car next because of many reasons including future regulatory uncertainty of owning ICE cars in long run. I am not fan of EVs so my next car would be a Honda or Toyota hybrid, most likely Innova/ Hyryder and would like to stick to stocks.

Checked with few tyre dealers and like you they are anxious of rubbing into fender on higher size, R18 235/45.