6-ply or 10-ply?
For all you SRW drivers hauling TCs.... Do you buy 6-ply or 10-ply tires? I've been using 10-ply tires for quite a while but yesterday, a tire guy told me that 6-ply was more than enough for my ...
Forum Discussion
Geewizard wrote:
I'm considering Hankook Dynapro AT-m, LT275/65R18, 10-ply tires. No, I did not have the camper on at the time. However, I told the tire dealer what my TC weighs (2100 lbs all-up) and he knew the weight of my Tundra. And suggested that the Hankook 6-ply (C load range) would be adequate and that I would not need nor want the 10-ply (E load range) tires because they'd give a harsher ride and be noisier.
In that case the numbers show you could "probably" get by with the P275/65R18. It's load rating is 2601 lbs so as long as your rear axle empty weight is under ~3000 lbs the numbers work, and that's assuming your entire camper weight is over the rear axle. That said, if it were me I'd still go with E for the added safety margin but it's your wallet. The harsh ride can easily be corrected by lowering the inflation pressure. You don't need 80 PSI in an E tire unless you're actually carrying the max load for the tire. One thing to consider is the softer sidewalls could lead to the truck tending to wander more as it goes down the road loaded. As to noise, I was always under the impression that noise is more a function of the tread pattern than load rating though I suppose the firmness of the rubber could also be a factor. Do they use a softer rubber for P tires?
