johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Got a new set of tires today, and while the sales guy and I talked, I asked what load range the new tires were. He said they were P metric, so they had 4 ply sidewalls. Oh, load range "C" said I. He says no LRC is 6 ply. ????? Now, I've been playing trucks/cars for over 50 years, modding this and that, especially tires/wheels. I also realize the English language as us olde guys know, is different from what is acceptable today, grammar, spelling, etc.
Instead of telling him, "Don't try to BS a BSer" I let it slide and gave up trying to get any sensible advice.
Am I wrong? There is that possibility, I suppose, I am married and used to being told how wrong I always am.
Have the load ranges versus plies changed, and no one told me?

jp360cj

Most modern radial tires have 2 or 3 ply sidewalls, no matter what the load rating. Most offroad tires I have looked into had 3 plies.

But load range C are 6 ply rated. This simply means they have a similar load rating as 6 ply bias ply tire.

marshallr

I don't think the 4,6,8, 10 ply really means anything anymore. P series tires are Passenger car tires and are very comparable to a D rated Light Truck "LT" tire. A load range "C" tire is rated for less weight than a "P" rated tire. A "C" rated LT tire will have a tougher sidewall than a P rated tire which is good for off road use, but are meant for lightweight SUV's like Wranglers that don't carry much cargo. An LT tire in any rating will have a tougher sidewall than any P rated tire. An E rated LT tire has about the same load carrying ability as an old 10 ply tire. But that doesn't mean it actually has 10 plies.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Wow, I'm loosing it. Glad I didn't argue and just shut up.

HangDiver

I'm with you. At 63 years old I've finally learned that I have never been hurt by what I have not said.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

That right there is words to live by!!!

Stever39

I thought when they said ply that is actually under the tread. The sidewall does not have that many plies. Maybe I also have no idea haha

Ricktwuhk

From Discount Tire, charts not copied, I added bold highlights - https://www.discounttire.com/learn/l...ge-load-index:

LOAD RANGE AND PLY RATING

There are a few different classifications tire experts use to discuss a tire’s ability to hold air pressure and carry weight. You’ll find one of these classifications, the load range, listed on the tire sidewall represented by a letter. This letter code gives you a comparative idea of the tire’s toughness; helping you understand how much air your tire can hold, how much weight it can carry, and it provides a relative measure of the tire’s durability. Tires with higher load ranges carry heavier loads.

Load range is based on an older measurement called “ply rating.” All tires are constructed of rubber and cord layers referred to as “plies.” Historically, more plies gave a tire a larger load carrying capacity, so manufacturers would count a tire’s plies and use this number to denote carrying capacity.

However, a modern tire’s construction uses fewer, stronger plies. Therefore, load range simply defines the tire’s toughness and maximum allowable air pressure, as opposed to specific information about its composition. For example, a “C” load range indicates that a tire is equivalent to a 6-ply construction tire. This tire isn’t actually built of 6 plies, but rather one or two plies of equivalent strength.

When it comes to load range, you may see these indicated as C1 or C2. To simplify this even further, the letter C still indicates the load range but the number after it designates a difference in max load carrying load pressure. For example: C1 and C2 are both 6 ply rated, but C1 has a max of 50 PSI and C2 has a max of 35 PSI. This holds true for other ply ratings too. See chart below.

Check the tire sidewall to find the letter that indicates the load range. Passenger tires are usually unmarked because they have a standard 4-ply rating. However, you may find passenger tires marked as Standard Load (SL) or Extra Load (XL or Reinforced). Both of these types have a 4-ply rating, but the Extra Load can support additional load at up to 42 PSI, as opposed to the Standard Load’s 36 PSI. Some passenger tires indicate higher max air pressures than the Max Load Carrying Load Pressure of the tire in which case a tire expert may need to weigh in and we are always happy to help.

LOAD INDEX AND LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY

Tire experts also use a system called load index to further describe a tire’s carrying capacity. The load index explicitly indicates how much weight a tire can carry. To find your tire’s carrying capacity, look for the load index number on its sidewall.

The load index number indicates a tire’s carrying capacity when inflated to its maximum load sustaining pressure. It corresponds to another number in an index, which tells you how many pounds of weight the tire can carry.

Bubbabiker

Also with P metric is to derate the max tire load capacity by 10% when installed on a truck.

johnday in BFE

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Rick. I don't know where my head was talking with the guy. I'm beginning to think I need to give my daughter Power of Attorney. That is all stuff I should have been remembering.

You must be getting up there yourself Stever!