6-ply or 10-ply?

Tire data can sometime be confusing and there are many "experts" on the forums who base wieght carrying solely on the letter. Not all "E" tires are the same and may not be able to carry the same weight.

Check out this article: Load Range and Load Index

The old way of determining load capacity by a "letter" (D, E , F, G) connotation is not really valid as much as it used to be but it is important because the letter relates (among other things) to what the tires maximum PSI can handle and Load Index (LI) relates to weight carrying capacity.

LI is the actual weight the tire can handle at the max PSI. So the two go hand-in-hand. Look at both when selecting a tire.

Ply is an attempt at translating an old standard. Most tires don't actually have the number plies they are listed at. Weight rating or Load Index is where it's at. Funny that a tire guy would bring this up.

For SRWs carrying truck campers, it's usually impossible to have too much capacity for the rear. You can always run less air which also decreases the capacity. The negative impact of higher weight capacity is the ride will be rougher.

ply comes from technology of diagonal tires that used fabric for reinforcement.
10 layers of fabric is stronger than 6 layers.
But for last 50 years cars are using radial tires with steel mesh so no more multi-layers of fabric.
Still 50 years is not long enough to wear old perceptions, that's why it is still listed this way.
Kind like cellphone manufacturers with technology change were still putting dummy antennas on the phones, since it took several years for owners to trust the phone with no antenna.
Ply-rating or load-rating this is just nominal category. In each category the tires will have individual weight listing and that is what I am checking - choosing one.

Kayteg1 wrote:
Still 50 years is not long enough to wear old perceptions, that's why it is still listed this way.

Every gas station I've seen still calls it "unleaded", although lead hasn't been in "gas" for what.. 40 years? Just once I'd like to see a gas station with a big sign saying "GAS".

As for the 'ply', how does one know which load range equates to a ply?

Lol at this thread......

Grit dog wrote:
Lol at this thread......

Indeed! I thought I was asking a straightforward question.

So....I've decided to go with Load Range E tires with 10 plies, the Hankook tire I listed. These, coupled with Air Lift air bags, will make my 2014 Tundra Double Cab as durable and capable a TC hauler as my 2004 Toyota Tundra Double Cab has been for 13 years.

Thanks for all the input.

d3500ram wrote:
Tire data can sometime be confusing and there are many "experts" on the forums who base wieght carrying solely on the letter. Not all "E" tires are the same and may not be able to carry the same weight.

Check out this article: Load Range and Load Index

The old way of determining load capacity by a "letter" (D, E , F, G) connotation is not really valid as much as it used to be but it is important because the letter relates (among other things) to what the tires maximum PSI can handle and Load Index (LI) relates to weight carrying capacity.

LI is the actual weight the tire can handle at the max PSI. So the two go hand-in-hand. Look at both when selecting a tire.

Good article in the link. Very clear.

2oldman wrote:
although lead hasn't been in "gas" for what.. 40 years?

More like 15, but who is counting?
To defend "ply" the cheaper trailer tires still are diagonal tires and use layer of fabric.

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?

I read a number of reviews for the Hankook Dynapro AT-m tires which said that after 15k miles, they get very noisy.

I don't quite understand that. I agree that it's the tread style that makes them noisy but why, after 15K, would they get noisier? Does Hankook put a "15k thick" layer of softer, quieter rubber on the tire?
I don't think so.

The Toyo Open Country AT/II tires on my 2004 Tundra have worked great. I merely want to give the Hankook tires a try and their ratings are pretty good....from what I read.

thanks all.