What Is Ply On Tires?
Tires are an incredibly important aspect of any vehicle, and can make a significant difference to how it runs and performs. They provide the grip and support needed to keep a vehicle moving safely on the road, making them a crucial safety component as well.
However, tires are more than just rubber that’s been shaped into a circle. When you’ve gone to purchase tires, you’ve likely seen that they contain information about their ply rating or load range. Seeing that this information is right there for you to compare with other tires, it must be important— but what does it mean?
This article explores what tire ply is, what tire ply ratings mean, what load range is, and how you can use this information to make an informed choice about the tires for your vehicle. For personalized advice, contact our team at Carlisle TyrFil today.
What Is Ply On Tires?
Tire ply refers to the layers of fabric coated in rubber that strengthen the tire. Ply also provides tires with the necessary support to carry the weight of the vehicle. As vehicles have different weights depending on their size and other factors, the amount of ply will differ from vehicle to vehicle.
Each layer of ply is made up of cords which are usually made from nylon or polyester. These cords are woven together in a criss-cross pattern and then coated with rubber to form the tire appearance that we see.
What Does Ply On Tires Do?
Ply on tires is an important factor in determining the tire’s strength and load-bearing capacity. Tires with more plies tend to be stronger and therefore able to carry heavier loads than tires with less ply. However, as they’re stronger, this also means that they’re more likely to be heavier and less flexible than tires with less ply.
For example, a typical sedan or other everyday car will usually have four plies under the tread and two on the sidewalls. This is what’s known as a 4+2 ply tire.
When there are more plies under the tread than the sidewall, this allows for strength while also keeping the sidewall’s flexibility intact.
What Are Tire Ply Ratings?
If you have heard the term “load range”, this is the same as tire ply rating. Today, we no longer use the cotton layers or plies that were originally used when creating tire ply ratings, so the term “load range” tends to be more commonly used.
The ply rating refers to how many layers of rubber is on the tire. In general, 6 ply tire has six layers of rubber, an 8 ply tire has eight layers of rubber, and so on. The higher the ply rating, the greater load that tire can carry.
The shift in naming occurred due to how the ply rating doesn’t have a direct association with a tire’s construction and number of layers anymore. This is because modern tire engineering and modern materials have allowed us to create stronger tires without needing to add as many layers. Therefore, today, the layers of rubber don’t always necessarily equal the ply rating.
What Is Load Range?
Load range is expressed with letters rather than with numbers. The further down the alphabet the load range is, the stronger the tire will be. It will also have the potential for higher psi (inflation pressure) and the capacity to carry a heavier load.
Load range begins with “A” and continues through to “L”, though most truck and SUV tires that are able to tow and have good load capacities are rated between “C” and “F”. To find your tire’s load range, look for the letter that corresponds with “Construction Type” written on its sidewall.
Read related article: What Does Pneumatic Tires Mean?
Want To Know More About Ply On Tires?
Making an informed decision about the load range on your tires is important for you and your vehicle’s safety. Ensuring your tires have adequate ply and meet the load range can help your vehicle do what it needs to do safely and competently.
If you have any further questions about ply on tires, our team at Carlisle TyrFil is here to help. As the leading global supplier of polyurethane tire fill and with over 500 years of combined experience, we know tires inside and out! Whatever your question, we’re just a click or call away.
