'98 v70 AWD flat tire

I had the bad luck of having a flat on my 98 V70 AWD. This is the model with the viscous coupling that can be damaged by mismatches in tire diameter.

I am using 205/55/16 Michelin MXV4s, and have taken the following action so far:

i) the flat (passenger front) was replaced with the exact same tire, brand new, having 10/32" of tread depth. the driver's front was at 13/64" of tread depth, and the two rear tires at 7/32" of tread depth.

ii) I have rotated the two rear tires up front, so that both passenger front and driver's front are at 7/32", and rotated the two front tires back so the rear driver's tire is 13/64" and rear passenger's 10/32". All tires are inflated to the same PSI.

To summarize the tire diameters: driver's front 7/32" (formerly driver's rear) passenger's front 7/32" (formerly passenger's rear) driver's rear 13/64" (formerly driver's front) passenger's rear 10/32" (new tire).

I understand that the system is very sensitive to differences in tire diameter and asking the dealer, they indicated that the tolerance is within 3/32" of wear. My concern is that the new tire, at 10/32" is

7/64" larger than the smallest tire (13/64"), which is 1/64" (0.5/32") over the recommended tolerance.

Do you think that the difference in diameter is severe enough to damage the viscous coupling in the car?

What would your recommended tire placement be based on the diameters listed?

Thank you for your help.

Reply to
theo.chan
Loading thread data ...

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.