number of plies in tires

[Clyde9]

From: lucidsodemite  (Original Message)
Sent: 5/19/2008 5:53 PM


i have received some contrary advice on this subject from both professionals and friends. how many plies should be in the tires on my 22 brave 1976. it has had a swapover to 16 inch rims and is currently running 215/85r16 on back only 4 plies. i am being told that 6 plies are what i want but others are saying 10 ply is the way to go and will reduce the rock and roll the hula gurl is famous for. what are folks here using? this is the real world not a bunch of theories. please help a brother out.



From:Enigma960080
Sent: 5/19/2008 6:19 PM


Somewhere  on the  tire  there  should be  a  'LOAD RANGE"   C, D  or E  no mater  how many plies  the  tire  actually  has.  I had an 89 Chieftain 27 ft  that  had  12500  GVW.  Original  tires  were  load range D,  the Yokohama  tire I put on  were load  range E.  BOTH  were  4 ply  tires.
D 'SHOULD' be sufficient,  I would  go with E so as to not  max out the  tire.



From:Enigma960080
Sent: 5/19/2008 6:27 PM

try  this  site  for  info & comparisons

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compare1.jsp?width=215%2F&ratio=85&diameter=16&startIndex=0&search=true&pagelen=20&pagenum=1&pagemark=1&load_rating=C&load_rating=D&load_rating=E&load_rating=F&load_rating=G&RunFlat=All&x=86&y=7



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 6:28 PM


the load range as far as i can see on these tires is quantified by the number of plies. there is no letter load rating system. there is a max weight rating. my question is would a 6 or 8 or 10 ply tire be more appropriate for a 13000lb gvw rv.



From:Enigma960080
Sent: 5/19/2008 6:31 PM

here  is  info on the  load ratings

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=55

From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 6:35 PM


well ok that is great but it does not discuss rv tires and the kind of tire that would be appropriate. i am not looking for an intellectual discussion on the merits of d versus e load rated tires. where i am from we simply use the old term ply rating. we are just country folk after all. and i simply would like to hear from others who run similar rigs and what they use for tires. thanks



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:12 PM

I found the load range letter designation you are talking about. it is a d on the rear tires which are duals and e on the front. is this typical to have different load ratings front to rear? and shoudl i be using a tire of this load range?

From:Enigma960080
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:13 PM

Load  range  D SHOULD  be about  ~2600 lbs each.  If the  existing  tires are Light Truck  (LT)  tires,  there  should be an actual  load  rating  somewhere  on the  tire.
The  format  could  be  215/85R-16LRD    meaning  it is  Load range D



From:ZR91
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:16 PM


A 215/85 is a very narrow, tall tire. If it is a "D", it will be a 6 ply. However, a wider tire will have a heavier load capacity, as it's side wall will be stronger as well.

The # of plys is a good rule of thumb, but not the definitive answer when it comes down to capacity.

Our motor home weighs 11,000 pounds loaded down with all the kids and critters.

We went from an "E" 10 ply 8.00R16.5 LT rated at 2,040 pounds capacity, to "D" 8 ply 9.50R16.5LT rated at 2875 pounds per tire.

BTW, the larger tires really REALLY improved the ride and decreased the rpm's on the highway.

Jay



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:21 PM


what is the best load rating for a 1976 Winnebago 22 foot brave with a 13000lb gvw. should i run a 8 ply or e rated tire all the way around or is it normal for the tires to be different front to rear?


From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:22 PM


with a gvw of 13000lbs what kind of a load rating should i be looking at for my rv



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/19/2008 7:44 PM


i have the exact info off of the tires. the rears are lt215/85r16 110/107q load range d 2335lbs.
the rears are lt245/75r16 120/116o load range e 3042lbs.
should i be looking at a rear tire with numbers that more closely match( for load range that is ) the front tires. should the reae tires be closer to the 3000lbs weight rating?



From:ibdilbert01
Sent: 5/19/2008 10:24 PM


"is this typical to have different load ratings front to rear?"

Well, I would want the same rated tires all the way around, that way I could rotate the tires and also my spare would match.



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/20/2008 9:30 AM


that is a great point! i am however still wondering if it is an indicator to me that i have the wrong load rated tires on the rear. the rv does the hully gully on uneven pavement and thought the corners and one of the tires(the outside rear on the pass side dually) had a big chunk tear out of it going down the road. should i be looking to replace a the rear tires with an 8 ply tire with a higher load rating?



From:lucidsodemite
Sent: 5/20/2008 5:01 PM


i went to the tire shop today and got 4 used tires for the hula gurl. they are d rated tires slightly different size. lt225/75r16. they have a larger load rate, 2660lbs. i am running them at 65psi. they have greatly improved the handling of the hula girl. took a lot of the sway out. the old tires had huge cracks! i am so glad i had this done! i never saw the cracks. the sidewalls the tire guy figured were collapsing and that was part of the issue. i could have had a real problem! i count myself lucky and advise everyone to crawl under their rv and have a really good look at the inside of those RV tires. the sitting around really does them in. he said 5 years old is about the maximum life you can get out of a tire.