1974 Volvo 240 tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 1974 Volvo 240, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 185/70R14 OEM | 5.5x14 | 5x108 | 25mm | 88 | T |
| 185/75R14 | 5.5x14 | 5x108 | 25mm | 89 | T |
| 185/65R15 | 6x15 | 5x108 | 20mm | 88 | T |
1974 Volvo 240 wheel bolt pattern & specs
| Bolt pattern (PCD) | 5x108 |
|---|---|
| Center bore | 65.1 mm |
| Source | bolt-pattern.com |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
See the best tires for the Volvo 240, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Volvo 240 →
Compatible alternative sizes for 185/70R14
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
195/60R15 |
0.07% | plus 1 | Safe |
215/60R14 |
-0.16% | wider | Safe |
155/75R15 |
-0.18% | plus 1 | Safe |
175/60R16 |
0.29% | plus 2 | Safe |
165/70R15 |
-0.42% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 185/70R14 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 185/70R14 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 195/60R15; one rim size up, 0.07% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 175/60R16; two rim sizes up, 0.29% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 1974 volvo 240
The 1974 Volvo 240 ships from the factory on 185/70R14 tires mounted on 5.5x14 wheels, with a load index of 88 and a speed rating of T. 3 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Volvo 240 comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number, in this case 88), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard, here T), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 1974 Volvo 240 owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 1974 Volvo 240, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 1974 volvo 240
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (7) · Tread / Belt (4) · Spare Tire (2) · TPMS (1) · Sidewall (1)
Reported across: 1982 – 1993 (8 years)
What owners described
Blowout or sudden deflation appears in 33% of these reports; about 1.7× as often as across all tire complaints. Percentages are shares of the 12 reports covering every model year of the Volvo 240 that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 33% | 20% | 1.7× |
| Sidewall failure | 33% | 15% | 2.2× |
| Tread or belt separation | 8% | 13% | 0.6× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 8% | 6% | 1.4× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 8% | 9% | 0.9× |
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Volvo 240. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 1992 VOLVO 240 EQUIPPED WITH YOKOHAMA AVID TOURING S TIRES, SIZE: 185/70R14 (NA). WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AT APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE DEFLATED AND THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES WERE FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE SIDEWALLS OF THE TIRES WERE CRACKED AND ALL FOUR TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12T025000 (TIRES); HOWEVER, THE TIRES WERE NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,050 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,436.
TRANSMISSION/PARKING BRAKE ARE DEFECTIVE. WHEN CONSUMER IS IN VEHICLE A REMINDER OF VEHICLE'S SAFETY exists. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AKCONSUMER STATES THAT THE GEAR SHIFT SAFETY INTERLOCK CABLE IS DEFECTIVE CAUSING THE KEY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH WITHOUT PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION GEAR LEVER IN PARK. CONSUMER STATED THAT THE SPARE TIRE DISINTEGRATED WHILE IN THE TRUNK, TIRE NEVER BEEN USED.
I OWN A 1993 VOLVO 240 SEDAN. I AM SELLING IT AND UPON REMOVING THE "TEMPORARY USE SPARE" TO CLEAN OUT THE TRUNK, I SAW THAT THE TREAD HAS SEPARATED IN A SECTION ABOUT ONE FOOT OF THE CIRCUMPHRENCE. THIS TIRE HAS NEVER BEEN USED, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE TRUNK. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES: FIRESTONE TEMPORARY USE ONLY 155R 15 90 Q MADE IN SPAIN DOT F7P7 B2ET 472.
I OWN A 1993 VOLVO 240 SEDAN. I AM SELLING IT AND UPON REMOVING THE "TEMPORARY USE SPARE" TO CLEAN OUT THE TRUNK, I SAW THAT THE TREAD HAS SEPARATED IN A SECTION ABOUT ONE FOOT OF THE CIRCUMPHRENCE. THIS TIRE HAS NEVER BEEN USED, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE TRUNK. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES: FIRESTONE TEMPORARY USE ONLY 155R 15 90 Q MADE IN SPAIN DOT F7P7 B2ET 472.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 1974 Volvo 240?
What is the bolt pattern of a 1974 Volvo 240?
Can I run a different tire size on my 1974 Volvo 240?
Where can I buy tires for my 1974 Volvo 240?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 1974 Volvo 240?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 1974 Volvo 240?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 1974 Volvo 240?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Volvo 240 is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 1974 Volvo 240.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.