Can a tire's sidewall strength be rated by the number of plies?
Is there a standard individual ply strength?
What if you had a tire with 10 ultra puny plies?
Then my 6 beefy ply tire could actually be tougher.
Anybody know for aure?

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of Rubatoguy
> Sent: Sunday, February 28, 1999 2:37 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: tire ratings
>
>
> I think.. and I may be completly wrong, that the key is "8-ply
> rated" Meaning
> that you could have a 6-ply tire that is just strong enough to
> meet the 8-ply
> strength rating.
>
> If I remember this is what I was told at the neighborhood tire store.
>
> Todd
> '88 Westy
>
> BILL wrote:
>
> > I have a question that my local tire shops can't seem to give
> me an answer
> > on.
> >
> > Yokohama Y370B M&S load range D tires have an 8 ply rating. OK.
> So why does
> > the sidewall state sidewall 2ply poly, tread 2ply steel + 2ply poly?
> >
> > A local tire shop says you add up the belts. If this were true
> then these
> > tires would be 6 ply rated and not 8 ply rated. Yet Yokohama
> sticker, etc
> > state that they are 8ply rated (1710lbs@65psi) Most LT "C" rated tires
> > (6-ply) are 1435lbs? Keeping the tire size the same
> (195/75R-14).........
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > BTW Sears got them all mounted for me on my Westy with a final price of
> > $59.40/ea + Balance + I added high pressure stems rated at
> 80psi. They are
> > great tires for my Westy with an M&S rating!. As a matter of
> fact, they grip
> > the road better than the Michelins on my GL. This also means
> with a softer
> > rubber compound, they won't last as long.
> >
> > Bill                              And the eagles fly, and the rivers run
> > '85 GL [*Magic*Bus*]     I look through the night
> > '82 Westy [FreeBird]       And I can see the rising sun
> > Big Sky Country              And everywhere I go I see You
> > <><
> ----- Mullins
>