Other than dealers word how do I know what PLY my tires are?

[Dragon240]

Have 2006 Toyota Tundra Double cab 2w dr. Recently installed 4WC 'Hawk' Shell. was recommended at that time to move up to 10lpy tires. So [I think] I did

Had set [4] of BF Goodrich AllTerrain T/A KO2 265/270R16 00062023BF put on. OK neighbor says says that she "...looked them up on the internet & that they ARE NOT 10Ply....." . Would like to see that site for my self but no go. Dealer site say they are 10Ply [ is there truth in marketing??]


How do I KNOW what I have. Any clues????

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and answer.

TakeCare ~ TravelSafe ~ HaveFun K

SO How do I know for sure

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Many tires have a rating that tells what the tire is equivalent to, not the actual number of plies. Typical 10 ply have two or three plies.

https://info.kaltire.com/ply-rating-or-load-range-what-to-look-for-when-choosing-tires-for-hauling/

 

[rando]

"Ply" is an outdated concept and isn't a meaningful number any more in terms of load carrying capacity. What you care about is load range, and the tires you have are load range 'E' which is the heaviest duty, and what you want.

 

[JaSAn]

Tire sidewalls are rated as compared to 10 cotton plys; which goes way back to when synthetic materials were first used in tires. You want 10 ply rated (which is designated E); the actual number of plys and their composition is molded into the sidewall.

Here is more than you ever want to know about tires: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_code

jim

 

[moveinon]

As said before if yours are "E" rated tires you are good to go. KO2's are made in C and E rated. You can just look on the side of the tire and it will say E rated right on it. Ply ratings are for us older folks that bought tires in the 60's.

 

[LiveLifeNow]

Where specifically on a tire is the rating listed?

 

[MotoDave]

You're good - BF Goodrich P/N 62023 is an E load range tire.

 

[zuber]

Where specifically on a tire is the rating listed?

In the fine print. There is a box on your tire that shows the max load at max pressure. Usually gives the actual plys in the tread and sidewall.

 

[Advmoto18]

Indeed, "PLY" is a old hold-over term from the days of cotton ply tires, which are no longer used.

As others have stated, LOAD RANGE is the variable you should be most concerned about when sourcing tires for your truck/camper rig.

Then proper tire psi for your actual payload. Some guys add temperature when calculating psi, but, in reality it is only a few psi difference between 32F and 100F for a cold tire, so pretty much a non-factor unless you're in an extreme environment.

 

[ntsqd]

I recall when BFG first came out with 3 ply rated sidewall on their A/T's. They made a big marketing deal out of calling them a "TriPly Sidewall". Bought a set for the rear of the dune buggy to replace the worn out 2 ply sidewall Armstrong Norseman's. At first that feature only came in 10.50R15's and not in the 31-10.50's with much more commonly recognized BFG A/T tread. First trip to the desert put a hole in a sidewall where the Norseman's had hit that same rock point many times within a problem. Turned out that the Norseman's were steel plies and those BFG's must not have been.

Here we are using an exhaust jack to lift the rear enough to get the LR tire off so that we can put a tube in it:

Not to detract from the discussion on getting the right load range tires for the truck, but a "ply rating" means nothing to this sort of situation. It is actual plies that you want.

 

[klahanie]

^ great pic. good times, heh. I'd look for ply construction marked on the sidewall, but in truth wouldn't be sure about comparing durability.

I'm thinking that for campers Load Index might be a better guide than Ply Rating. Assuming that tougher construction is consistent with higher index. Maybe higher max psi also.

And perhaps also be guided by Speed Rating in the case of LT tires used with a camper type load off highway. Assuming increased heat tolerance is consistent with higher rating. Driving on gravel for eg, where the sidewalls are continuously flexing over bumps, can really heat up a loaded tire, more so if aired down for comfort.