my truck came with E rated 265/75/16's......I've had D rated 285/75/16's on it but I've just bought a 30 gooseneck and I'm also in need of new tires (they are worn out but got almost 40K out of them).......now the D rated 285's actually have a higher load capacity than my E rated 265's, but they are only 8ply......that said the choices in E rated 285's is limited (I had another thread on this subject) but D rated is wide open with choices.....so if the 285 is rated higher than the stock tire just not 10ply is it ok to run the D rated tire (at 60psi during towing)......what do I gain with the extra 2ply's except a firmer ride? sorry to be all over the map on this but I can turn any decision into to something difficult and time consuming.......thanks Chris.
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You need to ensure your information is correct. I have a Goodyear tire chart which shows the 265/75/16 LE to be 3042@80 psi. This chart is old. I have a newer Michelin chart which shows the 265/75/16 LE to 3415@80 psi. The numbers are produced by the Tire and Rim Association and are the same for all manufacturers. Something is a miss. Michelin do not produce a 285/75/16 tire and therefore do not list it.
You will not be able to carry more on a load range D tire than a load range E tire.
That number of plys is just a rating kinda like the load range. If ya really want to know how many plies and what kind it should be printed on the sidewall somwhere.
While I've never heard of a D rated truck tire that carried more weight than an E rated tire I suppose it is possible but I'd make SURE your information is correct (check the side wall for load capacity). When dealing with radial tires there are ACTUALLY no "plys" in an 8 ply RATED tire or a 10 ply RATED tire, it's just a means of grading the tires sidewall stiffness. That being said, as long as the weight is within the weight being actually carried there is no problem towing with D rated tires but I SURE wouldn't run them lower than maximum pressure. Fill them up to the 65 lb limit ALWAYS. Low air pressure will de-rate the tires load carrying capacity. Good luck / skip
Actually, both tires likely have 3 plies of polyester cord in the tire's sidewall, altho some Load Range D tires have 2 plies, and tires with steel body cord have 1 ply.
The Load Range shows the minimum inflation pressure required for the maximum load. Load Range D tires meet this requirement at 65 psi, and Load Range E tires at 80 psi. Bigger tires can carry more load at lower air pressure. For the same size, the higher pressure will carry more load.
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I have 285/75R16 load D tires on my truck. I pulled my 5th wheel 11,000 miles in a 6 week cross country trip with the D rated tires. I didn't have any problems. They handled fine in all kinds of weather and road conditions. We drove to Las Vegas from southern California in 126 degree temperatures and didn't have a problem with the tires. Check out the Tire Rack web site they have a few E rated 285/75R16 tires. I'd by the 285/75R16 e rated tires if the price wasn't that much more. Toyo make the Open Country tire in an E load rating. It's expensive by they a good tires. You are right the D rated 285/75R16 tires will hold I think 3,300 pounds per tire.
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2001 2500HD LS D/A crew cab 6 1/2 box
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Air Ride load levelers, 285/75r16 Bridgestone Dueler REVO
2002 Cedar Creek 33RLTS 5TH Wheel 2006 Fourwinns 220 Horizon 280 HP
Talking about the various metrics out of context, so confusing.
Maybe this analogy with bolts might help.
"C", "D", "E", "F", etc are to tires, what grade is to bolts. Grade
3, 5, 8 have different tensile strength values. Tire ratings has
different ply values.
So talking about a grade 8 vs a grade 5 strength is out of context
without the bolt size as is talking about a tire load rating without
the tire size.
Torque is to bolts what air pressure (PSI) is to tires.
A 1/4x20 grade 8 bolt might have a higher load carrying capacity
than a 3/8x16 grade 3 bolt.
The 3/8" bolt is 'bigger' than the 1/4" bolt, but since the smaller
bolt has a higher grade, it can have a higher load carrying capacity.
So making reference to a tire ply rating without the size is out
of context.
Then the confusion of that 'actual' vs the 'rating verbiage' issue.
The letter load rating is a hold over from long ago when tire plies
were made from cotton cord woven into the ply. They actually had 10
layers or plies of cotton cord weave.
Todays material science, production science and engineering science
has much higher strength materials. Both in the rubber 'compound'
and the 'cord'. So as Kenneth said, today's tires only have 1,2,3
and some times more actual plies, even though it might be rated a
10 ply or more.
You are not comparing Fuji apples to Fuji apples, but to green apples.
When RE-ENGINEERING, aka....changing tire sizes/class/rating, you
must keep the above in mind. If staying in the same 'class', then
there is less to account for. If moving to a different 'class', there
are more things to re-engineer, or take into account.
Going from "P" (passenger) class to "LT" (light truck) the next higher
class, you must convert the different weight carrying nomenclature.
P class tires use a numeric system, while LT tires still use the old
letter system and are now switching over to the same numeric system
and has both for a while till folks get it.
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actually our modern radial LT tires come with a two ply carcass (sidewall) with 2-3 tread caps. BUT the two plies in a load range E tire are thicker/heavier than the two plies in the D rated tire. What do you gain by the extra two ply ?? Safety. For example watch a max loaded D tire go over a curb. Then watch a max loaded truck with a E tire over the same curb. The E tire with 80 psi and ply rating doesn't come close to the wheel cutting into the tire sidewall fron the curbs edge. Same with max loaded truck and a big 'ol pot hole in the road or a 4x4 from some trucker flatbed rig. The E tire will handle those type situations than the D tire.
There are 16" 3450 lb capacity load range C tire (6 ply rated) BUT capacity is only part of a story on load carring tires. 2500/3500 SRW trucks come with E load range for a reason.
Now if your quite a bit under max axle loads, derating to a D (8 ply rated) may work for you. If your at max axle loads I would stick with a E load range with its 10 ply rated sidewall (carcass).
Jim
'03 2500 QC Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs Westach Linex
'97 Park Avanue 28' 5er with two slides 16" BFG Commercial LTs
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