Commercial Van Tyres explained
Ply Rating for Commercial Tyres – Van, Commercial, Trailer or Caravan Tyres are recognized by the dual load index 104/102 they may have C for c
Commercial, have a PR Ply Rating in a number such as 8 and the matching load index in letters LRD.
If you’re confused now, it doesn’t get any clearer, best to contact us for any questions about tyres and your vehicle, we’re happy to give you all the advice you need about your tyres for your vehicle.
Before the modern Radial Tyre as we know it today it was called a Bias Tyre, the Ply Layers were made of cotton and 4 Ply Tyres would have 4 layers/plies. Skip forward to the modern Radial Tyre and they are still called 4PR Ply but may only have 2 actual plies because of modern technology and materials being stronger.
The Ply Rating system tells you the maximum pressure at maximum load, you may also see Extra Load or XL and this means the tyre can have a higher inflation to carry extra load.
Van Commercial Tyres have been specially designed for heavier loads and resisting wear in rougher road conditions.
The chart below illustrates the Load Index and Ply Rating Car Tyres are LRB and Commercial Tyres will be 6 and over. These markings can be found on the sidewall of a tyre
You can see the PR Ply is a measurement for maximum pressure it is not a rating for the load in KG per tyre, that is in a different format and on another page named Tyre Load Index
| Load Index | PR Ply | Max Pressure |
|---|---|---|
| LRB | 4 | 35psi |
| LRC | 6 | 50psi |
| LRD | 8 | 65psi |
| LRE | 10 | 80psi |
| LRF | 12 | 95psi |
C for Commercial – Means the tyre has a dual load index for single or twin axles. The higher the load index for carrying heavier loads up to 3.5t, for van axles such as transits.
PLY Layers – Car Tyres are constructed with only 1 or 2 Ply Layers. Commercial van, Trailer and Caravan Tyres are constructed with 4,6,8,10 or 12 PLY Layers giving varying levels of load bearing strength, these are displayed as PR Rating.
FAQs
The higher the ply rating the more pressure a tyre can hold at a higher load rating, an 8 ply tyre is stronger than a 6 ply tyre, which is why commercial vehicles use 6, 8, 10 and 12 ply tyres.
No, this shows the construction of the tyre, Plies 1 polyester, 2 steel, 1 polyester. This is not the ply rating and is often confused with the ply rating, they are not the same one is the construction of the tyre on the sidewall and the ply rating is the tyre pressure at maximum weight.
6ply tyres are a higher pressure rating at a higher load capacity than 4 ply but it’s too simple to say they are better. You should use the ply rating recommended for your vehicle.