diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/consensus.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/consensus.rs
index 4d20691b..9a980968 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/consensus.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/consensus.rs
@@ -49,15 +49,15 @@ impl ConsensusRpcData {
 
 #[derive(Constructor, Clone, Copy, Debug, Default, Eq, PartialEq, Serialize)]
 pub struct RpcRanking {
-    tier: u8,
+    tier: u32,
     backup: bool,
     head_num: Option<U64>,
 }
 
 impl RpcRanking {
-    pub fn add_offset(&self, offset: u8) -> Self {
+    pub fn add_offset(&self, offset: u32) -> Self {
         Self {
-            tier: self.tier + offset,
+            tier: self.tier.saturating_add(offset),
             backup: self.backup,
             head_num: self.head_num,
         }
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ impl RpcRanking {
         }
     }
 
-    fn sort_key(&self) -> (bool, u8, Reverse<Option<U64>>) {
+    fn sort_key(&self) -> (bool, u32, Reverse<Option<U64>>) {
         // TODO: add soft_limit here? add peak_ewma here?
         // TODO: should backup or tier be checked first? now that tiers are automated, backups
         // TODO: should we include a random number in here?
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ pub enum ShouldWaitForBlock {
 /// TODO: one data structure of head_rpcs and other_rpcs that is sorted best first
 #[derive(Clone, Serialize)]
 pub struct ConsensusWeb3Rpcs {
-    pub(crate) tier: u8,
+    pub(crate) tier: u32,
     pub(crate) backups_needed: bool,
 
     // TODO: this is already inside best_rpcs. Don't skip, instead make a shorter serialize
@@ -494,16 +494,13 @@ impl ConsensusFinder {
                     trace!("weighted_latencies: {}", encoded);
                 }
 
-                // TODO: get someone who is better at math to do something smarter
-                // this is not a very good use of stddev, but it works for now
-                let stddev = hist.stdev();
+                // TODO: get someone who is better at math to do something smarter. maybe involving stddev?
+                let divisor = 30f64.max(min_latency as f64 / 2.0);
 
                 for (rpc, weighted_latency_ms) in weighted_latencies.into_iter() {
-                    let tier = (weighted_latency_ms - min_latency) as f64 / stddev;
+                    let tier = (weighted_latency_ms - min_latency) as f64 / divisor;
 
-                    let tier = tier.floor() as u64;
-
-                    let tier = tier.clamp(u8::MIN.into(), u8::MAX.into()) as u8;
+                    let tier = tier.floor() as u32;
 
                     // TODO: this should be trace
                     trace!(
@@ -745,7 +742,7 @@ impl ConsensusFinder {
         None
     }
 
-    pub fn worst_tier(&self) -> Option<u8> {
+    pub fn worst_tier(&self) -> Option<u32> {
         self.rpc_heads
             .iter()
             .map(|(x, _)| x.tier.load(atomic::Ordering::Relaxed))
diff --git a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
index 6016205b..12d80f44 100644
--- a/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
+++ b/web3_proxy/src/rpcs/one.rs
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ use serde_json::json;
 use std::cmp::Reverse;
 use std::fmt;
 use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
-use std::sync::atomic::{self, AtomicU64, AtomicU8, AtomicUsize};
+use std::sync::atomic::{self, AtomicU32, AtomicU64, AtomicUsize};
 use std::{cmp::Ordering, sync::Arc};
 use tokio::select;
 use tokio::sync::watch;
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub struct Web3Rpc {
     /// peak_latency is only inside an Option so that the "Default" derive works. it will always be set.
     pub(super) peak_latency: Option<PeakEwmaLatency>,
     /// Automatically set priority
-    pub(super) tier: AtomicU8,
+    pub(super) tier: AtomicU32,
     /// Track total requests served
     /// TODO: maybe move this to graphana
     pub(super) total_requests: AtomicUsize,
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     /// TODO: tests on this!
     /// TODO: should tier or block number take priority?
     /// TODO: should this return a struct that implements sorting traits?
-    fn sort_on(&self, max_block: Option<U64>) -> (bool, u8, Reverse<U64>) {
+    fn sort_on(&self, max_block: Option<U64>) -> (bool, u32, Reverse<U64>) {
         let mut head_block = self
             .head_block
             .as_ref()
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     pub fn sort_for_load_balancing_on(
         &self,
         max_block: Option<U64>,
-    ) -> ((bool, u8, Reverse<U64>), OrderedFloat<f64>) {
+    ) -> ((bool, u32, Reverse<U64>), OrderedFloat<f64>) {
         let sort_on = self.sort_on(max_block);
 
         let weighted_peak_ewma_seconds = self.weighted_peak_ewma_seconds();
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ impl Web3Rpc {
     pub fn shuffle_for_load_balancing_on(
         &self,
         max_block: Option<U64>,
-    ) -> ((bool, u8, Reverse<U64>), u32) {
+    ) -> ((bool, u32, Reverse<U64>), u32) {
         let sort_on = self.sort_on(max_block);
 
         let mut rng = nanorand::tls_rng();