[DebMj1]

Good morning all. First time on the forum. I'm heading out today to pick up a 2012 S60 T5 in Flamenco Red/Sandstone with Premium and Climate packages, Urbane Wood and PCC. So excited!

Hubby has a Savile Gray CPO 2011 S80 3.2 that we bought about 2 months ago with 8 months of service and 14K, replacing a CPO 2004 S80 with 125K . One of my biggest complaints with his old S80 was the amount of road dirt that built up on the wheels; those things always looked dirty, no matter how often we washed the car. So far his rims are doing fine.


Here's my question. I don't love the standard wheels (they're just okay) and am considering upgrading to the Njords. However, I'm concerned that the spokes and grooves in the Njords are going to catch all the road dirt and brake dust and be much more difficult to keep clean. Looks like the standard wheels would be a breeze to keep clean, even if they are pretty boring.


Thoughts, impressions, experiences? Thank you!

 

[mtaxman]

I have the Sliepner wheels that come with the Dynamic package and brake dust hasn't really been a problem.
Wheels stay pretty clean and are easy to wash.
I feel like Volvo brakes throw off less dust- at least compared to my Audi.
Good luck.

 

[GrecianVolvo]

NJORDs might be a bit more challenging in keeping them clean however they look so much better. Worth the upgrade, as far as I am concerned.

 

[Bl2UTAL]

You can always do more things to ease the cleaning of them, you can try different waxes... Armor All has a good wheel wax. Good Luck with the new car!

 

[PureDrive07]

All type of paste or liquid wax will be safe for painted/clearcoat wheels. Every couple of months I wax the wheels up and it keeps the brake dust off.

 

[volvobuff]

I don't love the standard wheels (they're just okay) and am considering upgrading to the Njords. However, I'm concerned that the spokes and grooves in the Njords are going to catch all the road dirt and brake dust and be much more difficult to keep clean. Looks like the standard wheels would be a breeze to keep clean, even if they are pretty boring.

Fully agree with you that the Balder rims are not very attractive and the Njord rims are much better looking. However, you should bear in mind that the Njords require a different size tire (wider tread and narrower sidewalls), which will change the ride and handling qualities somewhat and tighten everything up a bit more. If you like the more cushioned ride that the Balder rims provide, you have the option of a number of other 17x7 rims that take exactly the same tire size. I opted for the Regor rims, which preserved the ride of the Balders but are IMO far more attractive.

 

[Diggersan]

yeah keeping the 17inch wheels will also lower the cost as an upgrade to 18inch is pretty expensive when tires need replacing.

 

[ecoDrive]

I opted for the Regor rims, which preserved the ride of the Balders but are IMO far more attractive.

Since this thread seemed to have run it's course.. For me, the Balder rims are my least favorite feature of this car and have been contemplating changing them out since I drove off the dealer lot. I don't want to change the tires or the ride quality so I'm considering only 17x7s. Do you have a picture that you can share of your S60 with the Regor rims? It have it down to those or the Cassini's.

Does anyone know of an alloy wheel exchange program anywhere? I won't need my Balders and don't want them laying around taking up space.

 

[seaton463]

Check out George's website for pictures and pretty good prices right now:

http://www.vivaperformance.com/17x7-regor-wheel-bright-silver/

 

[GrecianVolvo]

Fully agree with you that the Balder rims are not very attractive and the Njord rims are much better looking. However, you should bear in mind that the Njords require a different size tire (wider tread and narrower sidewalls), which will change the ride and handling qualities somewhat and tighten everything up a bit more. If you like the more cushioned ride that the Balder rims provide, you have the option of a number of other 17x7 rims that take exactly the same tire size. I opted for the Regor rims, which preserved the ride of the Balders but are IMO far more attractive.

The difference is minimal (between the tires used for the BALDER wheels); I have driven both and I do not notice a different feel to the way the cars ride.

 

[volvobuff]

The difference is minimal (between the tires used for the BALDER wheels); I have driven both and I do not notice a different feel to the way the cars ride.

I guess one man's minimal is another man's substantial. In any event, I stand by my original comments. I should also add that the two differently-sized rims probably would have different make and model tires, which undoubtedly would also be a factor in the palpably different riding and handling characteristics. And if one also opts for the run-flats that Volvo pairs with the Njord rims, the difference is really huge, and not in a good way.

 

[epk123]

I use Optimum Opti-Seal on my rims and the grime is very easy to keep off and wash off - sealants like Opti-Seal are better than carnauba waxes IMO because they have a higher tolerance for heat.

 

[PureDrive07]

The difference is minimal (between the tires used for the BALDER wheels); I have driven both and I do not notice a different feel to the way the cars ride.

There's definitely a slight handing difference between the two rims, the Njord is 17x8 and the Balder is 17x7; that's a whole 1" difference in with in all four corners and not to mention more tire surface on the pavement does help with braking (215 vs 235 tire widths). The ride comfort wasn't compromised at all since they both have the Touring Chassis associated with those sets of rims.

 

[djstorm]

I have the Njords with about 30K miles on them. I don't find them any harder to keep clean than any other of the vehicles I've owned. As many have mentioned, if you put a coat of wax on them and make sure you clean them every couple of weeks, they'll stay nice. I've found that this Volvo doesn't throw much brake dust, which is a good thing.

Nothing bothers me more than seeing a good-looking BMW or Mercedes with brake dust-blackened wheels...

 

[ecoDrive]

Nothing bothers me more than seeing a good-looking BMW or Mercedes with brake dust-blackened wheels...

+1 The front wheels on our Lexus IS250 would literally turn black a day or two after a wash. I got so tired of trying to keep them clean that I changed the front pads to ceramic. Not sure what the OEM pads were but they ate up the rotors before 30k miles! I don't notice a difference in stopping power with ceramic and the IS250 is woefully underpowered to begin with that having sticky pads for that car is simply overkill. Dirty wheel syndrome solved :thumbup:

Any member pictures of the S60 with Regor or Cassini rims?

 

[cwb3]

IMO the Balder rims are better looking in person than they look in photo's. They do not seem like a popular style on this board, but I like them well enough. And after 8 months I can tell you that they do keep pretty well clean.

 

[JohnnyB756]

IMO the Balder rims are better looking in person than they look in photo's. They do not seem like a popular style on this board, but I like them well enough. And after 8 months I can tell you that they do keep pretty well clean.

+1 on Balder wheels.

 

[ecoDrive]

I'll give you that, the balders are easy to clean and don't seem to be as susceptible to curb rash. Looks like the regors might not be as ideal in that regard.

 

[mstak]

I'll give you that, the balders are easy to clean and don't seem to be as susceptible to curb rash. Looks like the regors might not be as ideal in that regard.

I think the balder looks fine, but my only complaint is that Volvo will install the balance weights on the outside of the wheel. I don't understand why they do that. I always see wheel damage when the weights are repositioned during a tire change.

 

[ecoDrive]

Agreed! That was the first thing that I noticed with these. The weights on the outside make the wheels look cheap. I have it down to the Cassini's or the Spartacus. I saw both today at my dealer. Looks like the center cap is the same on these. I'm leaning toward the Spartacus :thumbup: