Tire Load Range / Index Explained - Outdoor Auto YT Video

THAW · Dec 19, 2025

Some tires with different load ratings are identical
Higher load rated tires often have deeper treads to compensate for increased wear from heavier vehicles, which contributes to tire weight
Ply number is not synonymous with sidewall rubber thickness
Plies are not all the same strength, some lower ply tires have stronger individual ply materials
Tire wall thickness/strength/stiffness for a particular load rating varies by brand/model, so "do your own research" when buying tires

James Westfall · Dec 19, 2025

He doesn't do the best job of explaining, and his reasons aren't all correct, but this is a great video for those "E-load tires have stronger sidewall" guys who refuse to consider that technology progresses.

Ratbert · Dec 19, 2025

James Westfall said:
He doesn't do the best job of explaining, and his reasons aren't all correct, but this is a great video for those "E-load tires have stronger sidewall" guys who refuse to consider that technology progresses.

Which of his reasons aren't correct?

stretch-bsn · Dec 20, 2025

Just ran across this video and thought it was a pretty good breakdown. I’ve heard lots of things in a different tire load thread I posted a while back. This address’s many of those questions and shuts down some of the rumors people think are still true…

Ratbert · Dec 20, 2025

@THAW beat you to it yesterday: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/tire-load-range-index-outdoor-auto-yt-video.161354/

stretch-bsn · Dec 20, 2025

Ratbert said:
@THAW beat you to it yesterday: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/tire-load-range-index-outdoor-auto-yt-video.161354/

Ahhh … well… day late and a dollar short. Mods please feel free to delete

AmericanPatriot100 · Dec 20, 2025

I love this guy! Since I got my jeep and did my tire research his videos are the ones I watch! Sadly I didn’t do too much research when I chose the KO3s for my wife’s Escalade because they definitely don’t have the wet or snow traction my MTBBATs have.

Opus · Dec 20, 2025

As someone who knows next to nothing about tires this was very informative. Thanks for posting it.

Flip · Dec 20, 2025

Great video.

Buy whatever tire you think is going to work best for you. Good advice.

Ratbert · Dec 20, 2025

AmericanPatriot100 said:
I love this guy! Since I got my jeep and did my tire research his videos are the ones I watch! Sadly I didn’t do too much research when I chose the KO3s for my wife’s Escalade because they definitely don’t have the wet or snow traction my MTBBATs have.

They're really that much worse in rain and snow than Mickeys? I would have expected them to be similar.

Ratbert · Dec 20, 2025

Opus said:
As someone who knows next to nothing about tires this was very informative. Thanks for posting it.

Watch enough of his videos and you'll have a decent idea of a tire's focus by looking at its tread.

AmericanPatriot100 · Dec 20, 2025

Ratbert said:
They're really that much worse in rain and snow than Mickeys? I would have expected them to be similar.

Rain 100%, snow I’m not sure yet because we haven’t gotten snow except the last 2 days. And when we took the Escalade on KO3s to snow I had no traction. Haven’t had the Mickeys to the snow yet! And based off what Outdoor Auto says is the reason he chose mickeys for snow wheeling was the snow and wet traction over the KO3. He actually loves both tires. But for different reasons. He loves KO3s for dry weather desert rides and the Baja boss ATs for rock crawling snow wheeling and wet traction. I’ll link the video. If I forget to it’s “KO3 vs The World” on his channel.

AmericanPatriot100 · Dec 20, 2025

Sorry it’s “KO3 vs Everything…”

Wabujitsu · Dec 20, 2025

I found it very interesting that the two BFG mud tires he talked about, both the same size except one was a C and the other an E, are the EXACT SAME tire, zero difference in weight, construction, sidewall thickness, etc. The explanation is interesting, considering the international sales component..

Flip · Dec 21, 2025

Wabujitsu said:
I found it very interesting that the two BFG mud tires he talked about, both the same size except one was a C and the other an E, are the EXACT SAME tire, zero difference in weight, construction, sidewall thickness, etc. The explanation is interesting, considering the international sales component..

I appreciate that he quelled the rumor of an E load tire always being heavier.

Tire Load Range / Index Explained - Outdoor Auto YT Video

THAW

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James Westfall

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Ratbert

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stretch-bsn

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Ratbert

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stretch-bsn

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AmericanPatriot100

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Opus

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Flip

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Ratbert

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Ratbert

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AmericanPatriot100

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AmericanPatriot100

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Wabujitsu

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Flip

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