6 or 8-PLY Tire for '76 Lance (PA-32R-300)?

HorstairHorstair
in General Discussion
I'm confused! It's time to replace my main tires (and front). Will get Michelin Air again but the 8-PLY seem out of stock at Chief in OR. My parts-book says 6 PLY but doesn't really distinguish between a Cherokee Six and a Lance (or I can't figure it out). The Michelin website says 8-PLY for the mains. The load rating is 1750lbs for 6-PLY and 2350lbs for 8PLY. My plane weighs 3600lbs at gross. So I always thought 1750lbs per side didn't seem enough (I know there's some weight on the front, too) Any ideas?
And it gets even more confusing on the front. Parts book says 5.00-5-6 which seems right from what I remember and the tire is smaller. Michelin site says 6.00-6-4 which seems wrong. They have the Saratoga with a smaller tire than the Lance? Makes no sense. Aircraft suppliers says another... It's been so long that I bought tires and I'm not near my airplane to check what I have on there right now but need to order for my annual.
Tx for any input. Horstair.

Comments

  • flyguydonflyguydon
    A 6 is good. An 8 is for a heavier plane, really. Quite stiff on one of your size.
  • JoeBJoeB
    The parts manual calls for 6-ply for both nose and mains for your aircraft.

    In general you do not want to add plies to the tires on a retractable aircraft as the fatter tires may not fit in the wheel wells. However, if you've been flying around with 8-plies, you've proven it doesn't matter. But from the tone of your question I gather you're not sure what you're flying around with. So stick with 6-plies.
  • flyguydonflyguydon
    4, 6, 8, 10, 12 ply tires of the same brand are all dimensionally the same. More plies does not make the tire bigger, taller, or wider. It just means the reinforcement under the tread has more or less layers (plies) of nylon, rayon, aramid, or whatever type cord they are built with. Your plane calls for 6 ply and an 8 is not an upgrade really, but rather a tire that will weigh more and be stiffer. It will offer you no benefit other than being slightly more puncture resistant, which is not much of a problem at most airports.
  • HorstairHorstair
    I finally figured it out...:-) Looked at my logbook from 8 years ago, dahh. The piper dealer had put 8-plies on and so that's what I ordered again. Horstair.
  • DLR rentalsDLR rentals
    desser tire 800-247-8473 sells a retread goodyear FLIGHT CUSTOM III, 8PLY for around $50 with free shipping. The 8ply will sit taller on the rim and make the ac easier to pull out of the hangar. I promise you won't notice the stiffer side wall during taxi or landing. If your concerned about the retread better make sure you never ever take a commercial flight, everyone uses retreads. I've used them for the last 300hrs on my lance and they are great tires. good luck, Rob
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