What is the difference between 4 ply and 8 ply tires

Load Range indicates the maximum load recommended for the tire. This varies by tire size and inflation pressure: A bigger tire can hold more air and can be rated for a higher load. Also, a given tire size at a higher air pressure results in a higher-rated load.

Most radial truck tires, for example, have a total of five plies. What is different today is the strength of the steel cables in those plies or the number of cables per inch. Will a tire with a higher Load Range last longer?

It might, but it also might not. What usually determines tire life is the rate at which the tread wears and whether or not the tread wears evenly. Or how many retreads you can get from its casing. Modern load ranges correspond to the ply ratings of old.

Load range is expressed as a letter, with letters further down the alphabetic order corresponding to increased strength, with higher psi inflation pressure potential and heavier load capacity. Load range for LT tires is often indicated adjacent to the tire sizing information on the sidewall of the tire:. Next, think about your towing or hauling plans. The load capacity of these tires is limited as compared to LT metric tires, and typically expressed with "Light Load," "Standard Load," or "Extra Load" stamped on the tire sidewall.

Review the specifications in your vehicle owner's manual for towing capacity if any , and check the information sticker on the driver's side door jamb to understand target tire pressure and maximum vehicle weight. Tell us what you drive and we? By continuing to use our site, you consent to the placement of cookies on your browser. Learn more. Installation options:. Get FREE delivery, too. Shop now.

Therefore, bigger tires with a higher ply rating can hold more air and, thus, can carry more substantial loads.

You may hear the terms tire load ranges and tire ply ratings tossed around together — one, which is designated by letters, and one, which is designated by numbers. They are actually terms from radically different historical eras that mean basically the same thing. Load ranges and ply ratings are both used to identify load and inflation limits for any given tire. The historical term ply rating goes back to the days when bias ply tires were actually constructed of layer upon layer of cotton fabric — yes, cotton.

Ply rating referred to how many layers, or plies, of cotton had been used in the tire's construction, and the number of plies determined the strength of the tire. In today's modern world, tire plies are no longer made out of cotton. Now, tires are constructed using fewer, yet much stronger, plies so the term ply rating doesn't refer to the actual number of plies anymore.

Instead, the ply rating indicates an equivalent strength compared to early cotton-constructed bias ply tires. If you see ply rating and load range on a chart, they both represent the tire's maximum load carrying capacity at maximum allowable air pressure.

Whether you drive a regular passenger vehicle, a light truck or even a heavy truck, each will be riding on tires that have been specifically constructed to hold the weight of your vehicle.