Tire Question

[khancock]

I'm shopping for some new winter's and have had a few places ask my how many ply I wanted. I've never been asked this before when buying tires and am wondering what I need? One place said I need 4 ply and another said 10ply. ?? Thanks!

[jrrod2004]

I'm shopping for some new winter's and have had a few places ask my how many ply I wanted. I've never been asked this before when buying tires and am wondering what I need? One place said I need 4 ply and another said 10ply. ?? Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

Ply — One or two layers of heat and impact resistant, rubber-coated fabric used to form the body of the tire. Automobile and light truck tire plies are normally constructed of nylon or polyester cords.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The load range or ply rating branded on a tire's sidewall helps identify its strength and ability to contain air pressure. While specific load ranges are assigned to passenger tires, load ranges are identified in ascending alphabetical order for light truck tires (the further along the letter is in the alphabet, the stronger the tire and the greater amount of air pressure it can withstand and load it can carry). Before load ranges were adopted, ply ratings were used to identify the relative strength of light truck tires with higher numerical values assigned to tires featuring stronger, heavier duty constructions.

 

Today's load range/ply ratings do not count the actual number of body ply layers found inside the tire, but indicate an equivalent strength based on early bias ply tires. Most radial passenger tires have one or two body plies, and light truck tires, even those with heavy duty ratings (10-, 12- or 14-ply rated), actually have only two or three fabric body plies, or one steel ply.

 

Passenger Tires

 

Since most passenger tires feature Standard or Standard Load Ranges, only Light Load, Reinforced and Extra Load tires are designated in the Tire Rack's descriptions.

 

 

• <LI type=disc>Standard Euro-metric tires will have nothing branded on their sidewalls, Extra Load or Reinforced Euro-metric tires will be branded as such and identified by an "RF" or "XL" in their descriptions, as in 305/50R20 XL or 305/50R20 RF.

   

   

• Standard Load P-metric tires will have nothing branded on their sidewalls or may be branded as "Standard Load," Light Load P-metric tires will be branded as "Light Load," and identified by an "LL" in their descriptions, as in P285/35R-19 LL. Additionally, Extra Load P-metric tires will be branded as "Extra Load," and identified by an "XL" in their descriptions, as in P235/75R-15 XL.

   

Only P-Metric sized tires with 45-series aspect ratios or lower may be manufactured in a Light Load configuration. Light Load tires are designed to carry less weight than Standard Load tires and have been developed for specific applications (typically when relatively large tire sizes are used as Original Equipment (O.E.) on relatively small cars or for Track & Competition DOT tires used for racing applications).

 

In all cases, when changing tire sizes or converting from Euro-metric sizes to P-metric sizes, it is important to confirm that the Load Index in the tire's Service Description of the new tire is equal to or greater than the Load Index of the original tire.

 

Light Truck Tires

 

Since light truck tires are often available in multiple load ranges, the appropriate load range is identified immediately following the size's rim diameter in the Tire Rack's descriptions.

 

 

• <LI type=disc>LT-metric, LT-Flotation and LT-numeric tires will be branded with their load range ("Load Range E" or "LRE") or their ply rating ("10 Ply Rated") on their sidewalls and list their appropriate load range letter in their descriptions as LT245/75R-16E, 7.50R-15D or 31x10.50R-15C.

   

   

• ST-metric sized special trailer service tires will be branded with their load range ("Load Range D" or "LRD") on their sidewalls and list their appropriate load range letter in their descriptions as ST205/75R15 LRD.

   

Common passenger, light truck and special trailer tire load ranges, equivalent ply ratings and load inflation pressures for radial ply tires are shown below:

 

Load Range and Load Pressure for Passenger Tires

 

 

Load RangeLoad Pressure (psi)P-metricLight Load

 

Standard Load

 

Extra Load35

 

35

 

41Euro-metricStandard

 

Reinforced/Extra Load36

 

42

 

 

 

Load Range, Ply Rating and Load Pressure for Light Truck Tires

 

 

Load RangePly RatingLoad Pressure (psi)LT-metricB435LT-numericC650Flotation LT*D

 

E

 

F8

 

10

 

1265

 

80

 

95*Selected large Flotation LT sized tires have reduced load pressures from the values shown above.

 

 

 

 

Load Range, Ply Rating and Load Pressure for Light Truck Tires

 

 

Load RangePly RatingLoad Pressure (psi)ST-metricB

 

C

 

D4

 

6

 

835

 

50

 

65

 

 

Most Popular Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[khancock]

I'm shopping for some new winter's and have had a few places ask my how many ply I wanted. I've never been asked this before when buying tires and am wondering what I need? One place said I need 4 ply and another said 10ply. ?? Thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

Ply — One or two layers of heat and impact resistant, rubber-coated fabric used to form the body of the tire. Automobile and light truck tire plies are normally constructed of nylon or polyester cords.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The load range or ply rating branded on a tire's sidewall helps identify its strength and ability to contain air pressure. While specific load ranges are assigned to passenger tires, load ranges are identified in ascending alphabetical order for light truck tires (the further along the letter is in the alphabet, the stronger the tire and the greater amount of air pressure it can withstand and load it can carry). Before load ranges were adopted, ply ratings were used to identify the relative strength of light truck tires with higher numerical values assigned to tires featuring stronger, heavier duty constructions.

 

Today's load range/ply ratings do not count the actual number of body ply layers found inside the tire, but indicate an equivalent strength based on early bias ply tires. Most radial passenger tires have one or two body plies, and light truck tires, even those with heavy duty ratings (10-, 12- or 14-ply rated), actually have only two or three fabric body plies, or one steel ply.

 

Passenger Tires

 

Since most passenger tires feature Standard or Standard Load Ranges, only Light Load, Reinforced and Extra Load tires are designated in the Tire Rack's descriptions.

 

 

• <LI type=disc>Standard Euro-metric tires will have nothing branded on their sidewalls, Extra Load or Reinforced Euro-metric tires will be branded as such and identified by an "RF" or "XL" in their descriptions, as in 305/50R20 XL or 305/50R20 RF.

   

• Standard Load P-metric tires will have nothing branded on their sidewalls or may be branded as "Standard Load," Light Load P-metric tires will be branded as "Light Load," and identified by an "LL" in their descriptions, as in P285/35R-19 LL. Additionally, Extra Load P-metric tires will be branded as "Extra Load," and identified by an "XL" in their descriptions, as in P235/75R-15 XL.

   

Only P-Metric sized tires with 45-series aspect ratios or lower may be manufactured in a Light Load configuration. Light Load tires are designed to carry less weight than Standard Load tires and have been developed for specific applications (typically when relatively large tire sizes are used as Original Equipment (O.E.) on relatively small cars or for Track & Competition DOT tires used for racing applications).

 

In all cases, when changing tire sizes or converting from Euro-metric sizes to P-metric sizes, it is important to confirm that the Load Index in the tire's Service Description of the new tire is equal to or greater than the Load Index of the original tire.

 

Light Truck Tires

 

Since light truck tires are often available in multiple load ranges, the appropriate load range is identified immediately following the size's rim diameter in the Tire Rack's descriptions.

 

 

• <LI type=disc>LT-metric, LT-Flotation and LT-numeric tires will be branded with their load range ("Load Range E" or "LRE") or their ply rating ("10 Ply Rated") on their sidewalls and list their appropriate load range letter in their descriptions as LT245/75R-16E, 7.50R-15D or 31x10.50R-15C.

   

• ST-metric sized special trailer service tires will be branded with their load range ("Load Range D" or "LRD") on their sidewalls and list their appropriate load range letter in their descriptions as ST205/75R15 LRD.

   

Common passenger, light truck and special trailer tire load ranges, equivalent ply ratings and load inflation pressures for radial ply tires are shown below:

 

Load Range and Load Pressure for Passenger Tires

 

 

Load RangeLoad Pressure (psi)P-metricLight Load

 

Standard Load

 

Extra Load35

 

35

 

41Euro-metricStandard

 

Reinforced/Extra Load36

 

42

 

 

 

Load Range, Ply Rating and Load Pressure for Light Truck Tires

 

 

Load RangePly RatingLoad Pressure (psi)LT-metricB435LT-numericC650Flotation LT*D

 

E

 

F8

 

10

 

1265

 

80

 

95*Selected large Flotation LT sized tires have reduced load pressures from the values shown above.

 

 

 

 

Load Range, Ply Rating and Load Pressure for Light Truck Tires

 

 

Load RangePly RatingLoad Pressure (psi)ST-metricB

 

C

 

D4

 

6

 

835

 

50

 

65

 

 

Most Popular Links

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, I've already read the tirerack.com info. Still leaves me wondering what I want? Are there downsides to having a heavier duty tire (10ply) rather then a 4ply? Maybe ride? not sure....

[Zembonez]

HOLY PAJEEBERS CRAP!

 

That's a long winded way of saying buy the 4 plies and be happy. 10 ply tires will ride like they are carved out of stone. (unless you intend to haule LOTS of weight)

[jrrod2004]

damn, I know I wrote under all of that info I posted...

 

what my original post should have included was "You should be fine with 4 ply tires unless you are doing some serious hauling with your truck in the winter"

[pennzoil29]

4 ply should be fine for you. I have 10 ply, but I alway's have a load on my truck.

[95Sierra2500]

In all honesty, I'd go with the 10-ply rating. Why? 4-ply rating tires feel too mushy. I had some 4-ply rated tires on my wife's Jimmy when I bought it, and that thing SCARED me in corners. I went with some heavier-rated tires (BFG All-Terrain TA/KO's, load range C, but apparently 8-ply rated IIRC) and that thing feels incredibly stable now.

 

In short, if you want a squishy, car-like ride, get some 4-plys. If you want a truck-like ride, get the 10's.

[Nick The Great]

My life philosophy is "go big or go home."

22oz Beer > 12oz Beer

100W Light Bulb > 40W Light bulb

46DDD Boobs > 34A Boobs

etc.

 

Except guns, steel, and electrical wire. They're backwards

 

 

Seriously though, if you have to ask, you probably don't need/want the 10-plys.

[MS3DALE]

I don't see why you'd need a 10-ply on a 1/2-ton,I've always run 6-ply on mine (Load Range "C")

Going from a 4-ply ("P" rating) to a 10-ply (Load Range "E") is kinda' extreme for a 1/2-ton I think.

 

Or I guess I could put it this way....If you "need" 10-ply tires on a 1/2-ton,You need a 3/4 or 1-ton!!

[khancock]

I don't see why you'd need a 10-ply on a 1/2-ton,I've always run 6-ply on mine (Load Range "C")

Going from a 4-ply ("P" rating) to a 10-ply (Load Range "E") is kinda' extreme for a 1/2-ton I think.

 

Or I guess I could put it this way....If you "need" 10-ply tires on a 1/2-ton,You need a 3/4 or 1-ton!!

 

Thanks guys, going to go with the 4 ply!

[bosro]

I have been looking at new tires lately and the whole 4 ply 6 ply 10 ply thing I sometimes think is a big money making thing for the tire companies.

My truck,which is an 07 VMax(with max towing package) came stock with 265/70/17 113S tires,which are essentially a 4 ply tire.

Truck is rated to pull more and haul more than I ever will so 4 ply should be more than adequate for me.

The kicker up here is that 10 ply tires are alot more money than 4 ply,I mean $50-$75 a tire up here in Canada.

I looked at Nitto,Yokohama,BFG......all had a significant price difference between the different plys.

As someone already said if you need 10 ply tires I'm thinking you should be putting them on a 3/4 or 1 ton not a 1/2 ton.......unless money is not a problem then go ahead and buy the 10 ply...sort of a waste though IMO!!!