What do Ply Rating and Load Ranges Mean?
When Bias Ply tires were introduced, the tire’s Ply Rating was used to refer to how many layers were placed in the tire. Over time, manufacturers were able to use stronger materials that were able to handle a higher amount of weight.
This led to Ply Rating’s and Load Ranges. On the sidewall of a tire, the amount of Plies used in the tire is listed, as well as a Load Range. What used to be a six ply tire may have had three ply’s in the tread and three in the sidewall. Now, a manufacturer may be able to create a six ply rated tire with only 4 ply’s. The lower amount of plies means the tire will run cooler, so you get a tire with the same load capacity or rating that will run cooler when used. This tire would still be called a Load Range C/Six Ply Rated tire even without a total of six ply’s. The higher the Load Capacity, the higher amount of weight the tire can handle (this corresponds directly with load ranges, the higher in the alphabet the load range is, the more ply’s the tire has).
This is the standard between tire manufacturers. If you'd like to learn more feel free to give us a call at 321-872-8473.
