What does the ply mean?>

[compaqkoci]

is that how strond the side walls are? also can someone tell me what the three numbers on tires mean like..

22x11x8

i still kinda don't know and i like to know everything! :rolleyes:

[nitekrawler]

22 How tall the tire is
11 Width of tire
8 Size of rim

My front tires are 2 plys and rears are 6 ply. Stiffer, but less likely to get a puncture

[trikerider2oo7]

it will probably say how many ply it is on the tire somewhere. exs: bias;2 ply; 4 ply; or 6 ply

[Mobular]

Ply refers to the layer material used in the construction of the tire, be it nylon or steel. Usually 2, 4, or 6 is the number of plys used in the building of an ATV tire carcass. The greater the number, the stiffer and greater the load capacity of the tire.

Think plywood...layered wood...

[compaqkoci]

ok. so i was reading the capacity load on some 2-plys and it was 330 pounds. i am about 250 and my bike has some weight to it also. i know it exceeds it. and if i do jumps which i do quite big ones... theres a chance they will blow out on me? :oops:

[nitekrawler]

Get a 4 ply then. Its in the middle 8) Personally, I went with 6 in the rear and 2 up front (like I said). I think 2ply just isnt enough for the rear. I am also 6'3 240 and all is good when I rarelly ride the kids Atc's
Before, with the 2ply, I could see the tires, they would look low, now, nothing :!:

[bbechtel16]

is that how strond the side walls are?

If it's like automotive tires, the ply rating doesn't mean jack. Nowadays the ply rating is usually higher than the actual amount of plys in the tire. Basically the ply rating is supposed to be how strong the tire is compared to a tire of [older desgin?] that has that amount of plys. But often this isn't the case. If that didn't make sense let me know.

[nitekrawler]

is that how strond the side walls are?

If it's like automotive tires, the ply rating doesn't mean jack. Nowadays the ply rating is usually higher than the actual amount of plys in the tire. Basically the ply rating is supposed to be how strong the tire is compared to a tire of [older desgin?] that has that amount of plys. But often this isn't the case. If that didn't make sense let me know.

It does mean something in automotive :-D Load range E tires (for towing) are usually 6-8 ply, stiffer side walls, which is 100% needed. Just as the 6ply tires on Atc now, thats why I don't notice the side walls flexing anymore as I did with the 2ply.

Good luck

[TimSr]

Ply is number of layers but as bbechtel16 said, it doesnt mean jack, because there is no standard as to how thick "one ply" is. In other words a two ply, can be thicker than a 4 ply because its layers could possibly be thicker. It also has little to do with hardness. Obviously a thicker tire wil be harder than a thinner one made of the same rubber compound, but the main different in tire hardness is the rubber compound being used. An example is Carlisle and the reason I hate them is that they use a rock hard compound, and their tires are often much harder than tires that are thicker and/or have more plys. Maxis All Trax are a very thick, and a heavy tire, and they also give a soft ride, and they have a 2 ply rating, and Ive never put a hole in one. Ignore the ply rating.

[nitekrawler]

Do this as I still disagree...SORRY. Go to pepboys ask for a load range E and a load range C tire (passenger tire). Each wil have different "ply" put them side-by-side and push in the center and tell me which is softer and which is harder and then tell me "ply" doesn't make a difference in hardness 8)
OR
Go look at a Chevy 2500 or a Ford 250 and look at the tires. See any "P" passenger tires? Why? You dont want any sidewall give, Hence, stiffer. Trust me, I am right
OR
Go to your local motorcycle dealer and ask for a 20x11x10 "2 ply" and a 20x11x10 "6 ply" and push in the center of the tire. Report back your findings. The "6 ply" is stiffer because it has less flex.
This might help you see how the ply can effect stiffness
http://www.csupomona.edu/~av/howthingswork/Howstuffworks%20How%20Tires%20Work.htm

[hondaatcvabeach]

He is right, ply dose make a differance, I know this because I have been an auto mec. for too long. Also The 22 ( 22-11-8) stands for how WIDE the tire is, 11 means the sidewall is 11% as tall as the with. and 8 is the rim size.

[hondaatcvabeach]

22 How tall the tire is
11 Width of tire
8 Size of rim

My front tires are 2 plys and rears are 6 ply. Stiffer, but less likely to get a puncture

22 is with
11 means the sidewall is 11% tall as the with
8 is rim size

22 being the highth is a common mistake, mostly due to the fact that when people see a 22-11-8 compared to a 25-12-9 the 25 is bigger, The reason is you have a bigger % of highth. Think of it in car tires a 235-75-15 is much bigger than a 275-45-17.

[TimSr]

Obviously a thicker tire wil be harder than a thinner one made of the same rubber compound, but the main different in tire hardness is the rubber compound being used.

I dont think anything anybody said is a direct disagreement with what I said before.

"Ply" is a number of layers, and is not a hardness rating. More layers, more often than not, means thicker, but not always. Thicker means less flex, than a thinner tire of the same compound. More "plys" almost as a rule for automtive tires, results in a stiffer tire because they are a lot more standard about the rubber compound they use, and lot less variety in design as very few are made for purposes other than pavement. The only common variance is the amount of weight you will put on it, and the easiest way to get a higher weight rating is thickness, and the best way to accomplish that in automotive tires is adding more layers. I dont disagree with that at all.

ATV tires vary a lot more on their rubber compounds for different purposes, and terrain is a lot more of a deciding factor than weight. Granted soft ballon tires dont work well on heavy utilities, but among utility tires your not normally choosing a tire based on much much your girlfriend weighs who will be riding on the back. There are a lot more exceptions to the "ply" rules because of the wide range of compounds used so it very common to see tires with the same ply rating having major differences in flexibility, and not unusual to see tires with a lesser ply rating stiffer and or thicker than one of a higher ply rating.

[Howdy]

He is right, ply dose make a differance, I know this because I have been an auto mec. for too long. Also The 22 ( 22-11-8) stands for how WIDE the tire is, 11 means the sidewall is 11% as tall as the with. and 8 is the rim size.

Don't want to step on toes here. Just want to correct something. ;)
Auto tires and ATV tires are measured differently. If this was a car / truck tire ( or a few newer style atv tires ) then hondaatcvabeach would be right on the money. But that is not the case here.

ATV tires go by Height x Width x Rim size. 22x11x8 comes to 22 inches tall, 11 inches wide, and 8 inch rim.

Example, on a 22x11x8 tire: If the side wall was 11% tall as the width then the side wall would be only 2.42" tall. They measure way over that. But if you do a actual measurement you will see the atv tire measures close 11" wide ( different manufactures will be a little wider or narrower ).

Here is a little cut out from a tire web site ( http://www.carlisletire.com/catalog/atv.pdf ):

http://www.bright.net/~4howdy/1TireSize.jpg

MTD Diameter: Height
MTD Width: Tire Width
MTD Rim Width: Rim width.

I do know some of the newer ATV tires are going to the same style measuring as car & trucks. But 95 out of 100 ( estimate ) still use the old way ( Tire Height x Tire Width x Rim size ).

Thanks
Howdy

[hondaatcvabeach]

I stand corected :)

[86250RZ]

Howdy is correct, the formula that hondaatcvabeach used only works with metric size tires i.e. 255/70/16 to get the total height you divide the aspec ratio (255) by 25.4 which will be 10.04" then you times that by the cross section width (70) .70 and you get 7.03 which is the sidwall height and since you have 2 sidewalls you times that by 2 = 14.06 then you add the rim size which in this case is 16, so 14.06 + 16= 30.06" is the total height of a 255/70/16 We use this formula for + sizing. Let say you come in with a 2000 model Ford with tire size described above and want to replace your 16" wheels with 20" wheels, you would want a 285/45/20 its 30.10" tall about as close as you will get to a 255/70/16 and you odometer and MPH will still read correctly and if you have ABS brakes they are also calibrated to the factory tire size which is very important. (there are small variances brand to brand but this will get you in the ballpark)

[plkmonster2]

The weight that each tire will hold is bull, IMHO, also. One tire will hold 330 lbs, as you say. This is one tire. You have 3 on the trike, so you can load the total weight to 3x330, or 990 lbs. Also, like all the others said :-D ply rating is different also. I've seen some 2 ply's that are more thorn resistant than 4 plys. No probs with my 2 plys, but tons witht he 4. The 2's are are hard azz rubber, almost plastic, but the 4's are soft, and thus grip much better.