Load range tells you how much weight a light-truck tire is built to carry, and how much pressure it takes to get there. Here’s what the letters mean, what they don’t change, and how they matter when you air down. See how we research.
The letters
- Load range letters stand for ply ratings: C is 6-ply, D is 8-ply, E is 10-ply and F is 12-ply. These are strength ratings; the tire doesn’t have that many actual plies.
- Maximum pressure depends on the size, not just the letter. Many sizes run C to 50 psi, D to 65 and E to 80, but some wider sizes are rated lower for the same letter.
- The sidewall maximum isn’t your driving pressure. Use the placard on your door jamb, or our airing-down guide on the trail.
Both examples are the Yokohama Geolandar A/T4: maximum load at maximum cold pressure, from Yokohama’s spec table.
Same size, same pressure, same load
A higher load range doesn’t carry more at the same pressure, and doesn’t necessarily make the tire heavier. It lets the tire take more pressure, and carry more weight at that higher pressure. From maker specs
| LT285/70R17 | Load range C | Load range E |
|---|---|---|
| Rated load at 35 psi | 2,105 lb | 2,105 lb |
| Maximum pressure | 50 psi | 80 psi |
| Rated load at maximum pressure | 2,755 lb | 3,195 lb |
| Weight (Toyo Open Country A/T III) | 56 lb | 56 lb |
Bigger tires can need less pressure for the same job. Nitto rates its Recon Grappler A/T 37x12.50R17 in load range D at 3,525 lb at 50 psi, close to the 3,640 lb its 35x12.50R17 E carries at 65 psi.
Load index
The numbers after the size, like 121/118, are the load index for single and dual rear wheels. 121 is about 3,200 lb per tire. When you change load range, the load index changes with it, and that number is what to compare against your truck’s needs. Industry ratings for some 17-inch sizes rose in 2020, so check the load index printed on your own tire.
Which load range do you need?
- Start with your door placard. Your replacement tires need to carry at least the load your vehicle’s placard tire does.
- Factory off-road 33s are often C-load. Jeep fits LT285/70R17C tires to the Wrangler Rubicon and Willys and the Gladiator Mojave and Rubicon, and its 35-inch package uses LT315/70R17C.
- More capacity means more pressure. An E-load tire carries more weight only when it’s run at the higher pressure that weight needs. Ride is the trade-off owners mention: two Falken A/T4W owners in our log found the heavier-duty versions rough (one E-load, one C-load), and one switched to the lighter SL version.
Load range when you air down
Because C, D and E versions of a size carry the same load at the same pressure, a stiffer load range doesn’t carry more at trail pressure. And none of the tire makers’ load tables we found lists a rated load below 35 psi for LT-metric sizes, or below 25 psi for flotation sizes. Read more in our airing-down guide.
FAQ
Is a 10-ply tire actually 10 plies?
No. “10-ply” is a strength rating that matches load range E. The tire doesn’t have 10 actual layers.
Does an E-load tire weigh more than a C-load tire?
Not necessarily. Toyo’s LT285/70R17 Open Country A/T III weighs 56 lb in both C and E.
What pressure should I run in an E-load tire on the road?
The pressure on your door placard, or the pressure the tire maker’s load table gives for your vehicle’s load. The 80 psi on the sidewall is the maximum, not a driving pressure.
Sources
Show all 12 sources
Manufacturer data (10)
- Falken, Load Range F tires explained
- Toyo, Guidelines for the Application of Load and Inflation Tables (2020-7)
- Toyo, Open Country A/T III product sheet
- Yokohama, Geolandar A/T4 sizes and specs
- Yokohama, How to read a sidewall
- Nitto, Recon Grappler A/T sizes and specs
- Nitto, Ridge Grappler sizes and specs
- Stellantis, 2026 Jeep Wrangler specifications
- Stellantis, 2026 Jeep Gladiator specifications
- USTMA, Tire Information Service Bulletin Vol. 55 No. 1 (2022)