6 ply or 10 ply. Would I see a difference?

blt2ski wrote:
10 ply equals LR E tires
8 ply LR D
The new single numerical number makes no sense to me, unless you have the key saying what that number equates to in lbs.
Looking for tires for my 1500, it's P metric, XL, LRC upon occasion, or LR E tires, with a load rating. IF one reads fine print, you can find load rating in lbs in specs....won't always guarantee it.

Marty

That's the beauty of load index. Since that came out, there is no guesswork, D vs E, XL vs LT, etc.

speediq99 wrote:
Towing a 7000lbs tt with F150 2021 w/ 6 ply factory tires. Experiencing some bouncing.

Would I see a difference with 10ply tires?would the ride w/o a trailer be too stiff?

Thank you

MC

Usually the factory tires are only rated to 2175lb, at 44PSI. going to a tire rated 2601lb to 2760lb at 51PSI would be the thing to do. And no the ride with out the trailer would be just about the same as the 2175lb tires. You would just need to lower the tire psi to around 40psi with out the trailer. and of course air them to max psi, 51psi while towing.

Tire’s have several areas of specification.

You all are talking about load rating.

Old days. A 10ply tire meant actual 10 layers (Ply) of cotton fabric, but today’s material science has 1-2-3 or more able to do what took 10 plies to do in the old days. Back then, you had to look up the tire size in order to know what it is rated for. As 10 ply was out of context without the tire size.

There is (actually already has happened and the ply rating is just to help old references in line) move away from ply ratings and into the numeric ratings. This numeric rating is an absolute and does NOT matter which tire size it is molded onto. A much better system.

There are other attributes that matter in this discussion. The main one, IMHO, is the rim width in reference to the tire section width…or that tires spec sheet listing recommended wheel rim width.

Too narrow will have too much sidewall bend back and have the tire behave differently from on mounted on a wider rim width.

For the OP, bouncing means (IMHO), that the tire when compressed by road conditions…spring back faster than a softer tire. As tires are also part of the damping (shock absorber) system.

As recommended by others, suggest lowing your tire PSI but leave enough to carry the load you have on it. Another is to change to higher dampening rate shock absorbers.

There are many sites with ‘what a tire sidewall markings mean’ and here is just one of them:

Tire Rack tech section on tire sidewall markings and what they mean

Original image at the TireRack site has each a clicky jumping you to their detail info site. Each is specific to a table that all tire OEM’s must have. Speed rating, weight rating, heat rating, wear rate, etc, etc…

10 ply equals LR E tires
8 ply LR D
The new single numerical number makes no sense to me, unless you have the key saying what that number equates to in lbs.
Looking for tires for my 1500, it's P metric, XL, LRC upon occasion, or LR E tires, with a load rating. IF one reads fine print, you can find load rating in lbs in specs....won't always guarantee it.

Marty

I walked by 5 units here at the rancho - all have "Load Range E" marked on the tires.

4 different weight capacities depending on the tire size and load index. 3640lbs down to 2680lbs.

Us know-it-alls might understand what "10ply" slang means - same as "3/4 ton" vs 1 ton - but maybe we shouldn't be sending someone new to the sport looking for "10 ply tires"...

Tire guy shows him "10 ply" tires. Marked on tire is "Sidwall 2 plies polyester..." - newbie customer looks confused....

Phil

What tires did you go with for your truck?
I never thought the trailer tires had that much influence but I will look into it. I don't experience sway but I do experience bouncing in the truck.

MC

HUGE DIFFERENCE!

I replaced my F150 tires with 10 ply Michelin tires. No longer needed sway control. Might still feel e teeny wiggle in higher winds and getting passed by a semi truck. Funny thing, replaced China Bombs with GY Endurance, no longer felt any sway at all.

2oldman wrote:
Not sure how you buy tires by 'ply' anymore.

Okay, okay, okay... We get it... They don't make tires with "plies" anymore. A 10 ply tire does not have 10 individual layers anymore.

Being nit picky for the sake of being nit picky is rarely productive.

HOWEVER, if you read the sidewalls carefully, many tires still include a "ply rating" in addition to the load range letter, and the current speed and load indexes.

10 ply, load range E, load index 126 for example.

I agree about trying increased PSI before buying new tires.

speediq99 wrote:
I've heard the argument that too much pressure on the load bars creates bouncing. I just don't understand why?

My understanding is that pressure on the equilizer bars transfers move weight to the front which helps take the load off the back reducing bouncing. In my crew cab f150 2021, I can't barely compress the front unless I really load up the Equilizer bars.

Truck is new with 12k miles. As soon as it hits 20k, I will probably just add the Load E tires.

MC
MC

From your previous posts, it's unclear whether you have an issue with how your truck/trailer handles or just have expectations that may not be realistic.
That said, more pressure for a given load = less flex and a stiffer, more planted "ride." Within reason.
If you want to test that theory (rvnet psi cops close your eyes for a sec here please), air up your current P/XL tires to the weight your carrying plus some and go fer a drive.
Front, you said is still at factory weight or a bit light, so give 'em 44 psi or whatever the max rating is. Should be well over the min psi for the FA weight.
Rear, air them up to the weight you're carrying + 5-10psi. If that means dumping 55-60psi in your tires, that's fine, don't freak out, tires will not pop. It will stiffen up the sidewalls considerably. Take a test run and see if it helps. Far cheaper than buying new tires to fix a problem that it may not fix.
(I've run OE light duty P/XL rear tires at excessive psi many times for many miles. That's what happens when the boss says you don't need a 3/4 ton, but still have to do your job. I started out "trying" to pop a tire or 2 so I could get new ones. Never worked....but it sure improves handling)

If it works, higher load range tires can/should be in your future. Higher load LT tires will do a bit better than the overinflated donuts as the side walls are also heavier/stiffer. But airing up the ones you have will prove or disprove the need for them.

Edit: This is an as is / no warranty suggestion.