4Ply or 10Ply Tires?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
378
Location
Arkansas
I'm fixing to purchase new tires for my 2001 GMC Sierra Z71. I now have the Yokahama Geolander ATS 10 PLy and man does it ride rough. I been looking at the Hankook Dynapro's ATM's. They come in 4 ply and 10 ply but tires look exactly the same. My question is does the PLY have anything to do with like having punctures and stuff like that or is it just the load ratings? Only thing I ever haul is my four wheeler. If it makes no differance I'm gonna go with the 4 ply because there much cheaper. Thanks for any advise.
 
I have no idea. I will look because I never thought about it. Its a 1/2 ton truck and I think all previous tires were 4 ply before I got these 10ply I have now.
 
It says P265-75-16 so I guess it dont require the 10 ply then. So does the PLY have anything to do with the tires not getting flats?
 
How many ply on the tire is relative to load capacity.
So how often are you hauling with it and how much weight do you commonly haul.
10 ply are a must for a worked truck. If it's no more than a grocery getter don't bother
 
Originally Posted By: Clevy
How many ply on the tire is relative to load capacity.
So how often are you hauling with it and how much weight do you commonly haul.
10 ply are a must for a worked truck. If it's no more than a grocery getter don't bother


It's a half ton, the spec tires (a P-Metric) are more than adequate for the loads the truck is designed to carry.

If it had a heavy payload package on it, it would likely spec an LT tire with a higher load range.
 
Well its certainly not a work truck. I hunt out of it. Just a every day driver but dont put many miles on it. I mainly only use 4x4 in the winter time.
 
My buddy had them on his 'duty and wasn't overly enamoured with them FWIW.

I'm a fan of the Goodyear Silent Armour if you want something a bit more aggressive than a Michelin LTX M/S2.
 
Easy go with the 10 ply. yes they are more resistant to punctures in my experience, especially soft punctures like wood splinters/corn stubble. I have never had a blowout running e range tires, the tires actually last long enough to wear the tread out. I have had many d ranges blowout.

my .02
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Clevy
How many ply on the tire is relative to load capacity.
So how often are you hauling with it and how much weight do you commonly haul.
10 ply are a must for a worked truck. If it's no more than a grocery getter don't bother


This^^^

Originally Posted By: Texan4Life
Easy go with the 10 ply. yes they are more resistant to punctures in my experience, especially soft punctures like wood splinters/corn stubble. I have never had a blowout running e range tires, the tires actually last long enough to wear the tread out. I have had many d ranges blowout.

my .02


This too^^^
 
Using an LT tire:

1) Your ride will suffer.
2) MPG will suffer.
3) Off-road performance will suffer.
4) Stopping distance will increase.

All of that mostly from added unsprung weight and the compound of the rubber. You will be able to carry more weight but if the tires exceed the limits of the truck why bother? You will be better off using a quality tire as close to factory spec as possible.
 
Originally Posted By: Honda2003
I'm fixing to purchase new tires for my 2001 GMC Sierra Z71. I now have the Yokahama Geolander ATS 10 PLy and man does it ride rough. I been looking at the Hankook Dynapro's ATM's. They come in 4 ply and 10 ply but tires look exactly the same. My question is does the PLY have anything to do with like having punctures and stuff like that or is it just the load ratings? Only thing I ever haul is my four wheeler. If it makes no difference I'm gonna go with the 4 ply because there much cheaper. Thanks for any advise.


First, you need to get rid of the "ply" thing. It's the way, way, old way of talking about load carrying capacity and it leads to exactly the kind of thinking that is leading you in the wrong direction.

In fact, if you look at your current tires, you will find they are likely 4 actual plies, with the possibility that they could have an extra nylon cap ply or 2.

Instead think in terms of load index.
 
Originally Posted By: Oil Changer
Using an LT tire:

1) Your ride will suffer.
2) MPG will suffer.
3) Off-road performance will suffer.
4) Stopping distance will increase.

All of that mostly from added unsprung weight and the compound of the rubber. You will be able to carry more weight but if the tires exceed the limits of the truck why bother? You will be better off using a quality tire as close to factory spec as possible.
OC's #1 to #4 above are all true-UNLESS you use your truck as a "TRUCK"-I have 4 of these Geos on the back of my F-450, in a 10 ply LT235/85R16, and at 80 PSI they haul that 13,000 pound beast around, on road, gravel, even mud construction sites, better than most other A/Ts I've had. My XJ has them too, only a "C" or 6 ply rating on those, and at a reasonable 35 PSI they ride fairly well. Try dropping your PSI to 45 all the way around, I bet you'll be a lot happier, & raise them if you need to haul a heavy load.
 
Lowering air pressure will improve ride and reduce the risk of puncture but will never address the issues associated with the much heavier (and completely unnecessary in this application) LT tire. Adding unsprung weight is never an improvement.

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Try dropping your PSI to 45 all the way around, I bet you'll be a lot happier, & raise them if you need to haul a heavy load.
 
Hunting as in you pull off the shoulder and wander in the woods? Or you crash through thicket in some farmer's field?

I'd go with the Ps as you obviously hate what you have now.
 
I agree-it is unnecessary, but how much unsprung weight are we talking-for example, going from a Geolandar 10 ply to a P-metric in a 245/75R16 is 14 pounds a tire, 56 pounds total? If the OP was looking to buy them & didn't have them already, it would be a different story. I haven't been to Detroit in a while, but if the roads up there are anything like they are in the City of Cincinnati (I-75 is a construction moonscape, 3/4 of the city streets are beat senseless at the START of winter), I would live with the 10 plys.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Hunting as in you pull off the shoulder and wander in the woods? Or you crash through thicket in some farmer's field?

I'd go with the Ps as you obviously hate what you have now.


Bingo!

Truck is spec'ed for P-Metric tires. Adding tire capability will not increase the truck's capability. You're still limited by the existing axles, brakes, frame and springs.

Go with a P-Metric and enjoy the lower price tag and better ride.

The Cooper Discoverer AT-3 or Mastercraft Courser AXT my serve you well.
 
You realize number of plys does not even mean anything in modern radials and is just a throwbacm to when trucm tires were bias ply consrruction? LT load tires may offer a more puncture resistant carcass, even just from slightly deeper tread but the belting is very similar. Just heavier.

At least that how Cooper explained it to me when I spoke with their tech dept about the differences betwee the LT and P rated AT3 tires. Im running P265/60rz17 AT3 on my truck and am very happy.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top