8.00-6 tire ply rating?

[Ryan Smith]

Fair enough. Not being overly familiar with the mechanics of aircraft wheels, that makes sense that they would be split rim. I saw some tubeless Goodyears on Aircraft Spruce and was curious.

[gparker]

Thanks Bruce and Aryanna. I will let you know how they do, although I suspect I won't be able to tell the differed from my old 6 ply tires.

[GAHorn]

In order for a split rim to hold air it requires a sealing O-ring at the split. Standard Cleveland wheels for our airplanes are not intended for tubeless tires.

[n2582d]

Please forgive the dumb question, but assuming a 170 with Cleveland wheels (if it matters), will that wheel support both tube and tubeless tires? Any advantages/disadvantages to running either? I assume perhaps that with tubeless tires, there is a possibility of breaking the bead on a hard landing and blowing a tire, quickly ruining your day.

Cessna/Goodyear introduced tubeless tires in Oct. 1958 as if they were the best thing since sliced bread. But it appears they were on their way out within two years. Apparently they didn't hold air well in cold weather.

Tubeless1.jpg

Tubeless2.jpg

Tubeless Conversion to Tube.jpg

SNL 2-2-62.jpg

SNL 2-2-62B.jpg

[n2582d]

In this old thread the question was whether it is legal to install 6-ply tires since the TCDS requires 4-ply rated tires. Here's the applicable section of TCDS A-799:

Screen Shot 2025-06-14 at 11.38.38 AM.png

But note the highlighted section at the bottom of this screenshot. These tires are what are certified to go on Goodyear rims. Most of us have long since replaced the Goodyear rims with Cleveland wheels using STC SA13GL or a field approval. The TCDS data here no longer applies; it has been superseded by the Cleveland STC or a similar field approval. The Cleveland STC gives no guidance regarding tire ply rating. But Cleveland's website shows this for our 40-97A wheels:

Screen Shot 2025-06-14 at 11.20.57 AM.png

So the question now becomes, "Is it legal to install 4-ply rated tires on Cleveland rims?"