Tire load rating - 35" e rated vs 37" d2 rated

[Adventurebound]

Not to create another "will it fit thread" I'm looking more for information on load ratings. Factory tires couldn't handle the weight of the FourWheel camper (or was it that sharp rock...lol?) and did a tire in with 800 miles on the truck. Time for a much needed upgrade. Leaning towards 37's. Question is, the load rating on all 37's are D2, 8 ply and call for max psi 50. While a 35 is load rated e, 10 ply. Concerned the 37" tire is not "up to the task" of handling the weight of the truck and camper? Am I missing something here? Are they just as strong? For those that understand and have experience with this please educate me, I can't find any good info on this.

 

[Grand Mesa]

The load range is not the number of plies. 10 plies do not come in radial tires, but in bias.

Duratrac has a 2 ply sidewall no matter what Load Range. The truck tire review below lists that as a CON. They also mention the BFG KO2. The BFG use to have 3 plies as the KO, as well as some of the Duratracs were also 3 ply, but that's not the case any longer.

https://trucktirereviews.com/goodyear-wrangler-duratrac-review/

A well placed sharp rock can still puncture through a 3 ply tire carcass versus a 2 ply, but one additional ply shoud help to prevent that. Look for higher quality name brand off-road tires which have a 3 ply tire carcass construction versus a 2 ply. Also look at the maximum load capacity.

 

[Travelin Ram]

I prefer to use the Load Index numbers as a basis for comparison as those relate directly to weight capacity. For example a 121 rated tire is good for 3197#. Whereas the old school letters vary capacity with changing sizes.
With load index it’s very easy to compare the weight capacity of different tires such as 33” D, 35” E, or 37” D.

Not all tires will have equal puncture resistance, even when the ply ratings are identical. And “ply rating” is often used in literature by tire sellers, which is not the same as actual plies in the carcass.

Duratrac are known for sidewall punctures. A cactus spine got one of mine.

My typical response to a puncture on OEM tires has been to upgrade and this time was no different. There is a downside, which is a harsher ride off-road with the heavier E rated 35’s. And the shocks struggle to control a heavier tire. Unsprung weight increases.

 

[Grand Mesa]

Some tire seller websites will list the Load Index number and/or they will list the Maximum Load (weight) Capacity in pounds. They both can be looked up in charts to convert to each other.

Assume, that if the tire carcass construction isn't mentioned in the description that its a 2 ply, but check the manufacturers website for the details just to be certain. If they don't state it, then it is unknown without actually checking the tire sidewall.

 

[62Blazer]

Almost all tire manufacturers list the actual load rating in pounds of the tires. As mentioned above the load letter rating will have different actual pounds rating based on size. For example, most E rated 35x12.5R17s are rated at 3,195 lbs. at 65 psi where as a D rated 37x12.50R17 at 50 psi has a higher load rating of 3,525 lbs. It's not really the inflation pressure that carries the weight but rather the volume of air in the tire.......the larger the tire size the larger the air volume it has and thus lower air pressure is needed for the same weight. They use pressure as a measuring tool because it's easy to measure, but it's really hard to easily measure how much volume of air you have in the tire.

In the OP picture the tire failure was primarily caused by being punctured or otherwise damaged by debris or a rock, and did not fail strictly because of the weigh of the camper.