So I want to put a lower profile winter tire on and honestly dont see why it wouldnt be fine, but that dont make me right.
Want to swap from the standard 215/65 r16 to a 215/55 r16
I know this will drop the clearance about .75in. But will it bugger up the suspention and such by doing so?

 

The correct term for upgrading aspect ratio/tire size is Plus sizing

Tire Rack lists the 17" wheel as 235/55-17 and 18" as 235/50-18 The diameter is important to match as well as the max width(most P2s 235mm)

A good site to show what options are workable is:

https://www.tyresizecalculator.com/

 

This will give a comparison of the tires with change in diameter, mph etc.

https://www.willtheyfit.com/

 

another good resource is wheel-size.com which will tell you all the OEM wheel/tire options for your model/year. Actually the better play here is to keep the stock tire size for the winter and go with taller/wider summer tires. If you live where it snows you want tall/narrow tires that cut through the snow, not big wide slicks that sit on top of the snow. Simply going from a 215/65-16 to 215/55-16 will only throw off your speedo and increase your risk of a pot hole injury to the tire/rim. It won't really impact the suspension geometry but may look odd with the extra arch gap.

 

Thanks for the info and resources. Actually went on up to 17s. For the winter.

 

Hello,

I have a 2010 XC70 with the stock 16-inch wheels and 215/65-R16 tires.

I have bought a set of the Volvo BBS Propus 7.5 x 17 wheels and I would be interested to know exactly which 17-inch tires you bought and how you like them?

The TireRack guide suggests 235/55 size tires, but I can't help thinking that a bit more sidewall would be a good idea given how bad our roads are here in LA.

Jon

 

If you are worried about potholes - then you should leave the original size wheels (16 inch) on - they can be bent with abuse also -

If you want the "cooler" look of 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22 inch wheels - then be prepared to pay the price! How "cool" do you want your Volvo Station wagon to look?

Sorry I've been in the Volvo Repair business for over 40 years - and it's always been fun to surprise an unsuspecting driver - with how the "Volvo station wagon" (chipped) was able to easily pass them - but larger wheels have never been on the radar for me - I guess i'm just not into a "cool" looking Station Wagon - maybe I always wanted to blend in.