yellow and red dots on tires all over

[Northshoremb]

Ok this is something I never knew so looked up and now everything people post contradicts each other. .lmao. Does anyone here know the right answer cause I'm getting so much conflicting info and maybe most is due to steel rims vs aluminum rims.

I had 5 tires balanced and mounted 2 weeks ago and feel a pulsing vibration so think 1 might be bad or out balance so I started looking g into it. They put the weights on inside so no idea how much they needed or where they mounted but these are my dots which don't seem to follow the yellow or red dot idea near valve stem. The rims are aluminum so pretty sure that means more accurate weight than steel rims cause the aluminum can be drilled near hub mount for balance. Should I bring these back and ask them to check them again seeing as I did this on a Saturday when just younger grease monkeys in the shop which also put 57# air in the tires at first so thinking they have no knowledge about the dots. I've since dropped to 28psi to get better tread contact

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[Volt0]

Am curious about this too; I thought they were supposed to be markers for aligning with the valve stem, but mine never looked consistent for that.

 

[Gregj]

Those stamps with the letters and numbers you can ignore as they are just production code or something. The red dot and yellow dot definitely have meanings and aid in proper balance. If you know the low spot in the wheel you match it to the high spot in the tire, if you don’t know then you match the light spot in the tire to the valve stem.
Link to Toyo tire website

Gregj

 

[TheSolarWizard]

I wish you luck ive never see that tire balance right

 

[Northshoremb]

I wish you luck ive never see that tire balance right

Like the Kanati Trail Hog??

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Like the Kanati Trail Hog??

Yeah and the mud hog. They both seem to have chatter at 50-60 mph in my experience

 

[21Mojave24XR]

I always understood it as the red dot is to be lined up with the valve stem or like gregj stated if you know the high spot it is to be lined up with the yellow dot? I may be completely wrong on that but it has helped out when balancing mine and with Pats I’m usually only adding a couple ounces per tire. The most I had was 3.75 oz on one

 

[Camaroboi13]

Yellow dot should be near valve stem as it’s the lightest or softest part of the tire. Red dot is generally the lowest, heaviest, or flattest part of the tire. The rest of the numbers and colors have nothing to do with you.

 

[RobbertCole]

the guy mounting your tires doesn't know what hes doing.

 

[Rahkmalla]

the guy mounting your tires doesn't know what hes doing.

as a guy who used to mount tires almost 2 decades ago... i'm willing to bet the guy mounting OP's tires was trained exactly as much as I was.

Needless to say this thread has been eye-opening for me because I was not trained.

 

[Rusty PW]

Tires have red and yellow dots on the sidewall to help with balancing and indicate imperfections in the tire's structure:

• Yellow dot
  Marks the tire's lightest point, or where the wheel weighs the least. When mounting the tire, align the yellow dot with the valve stem, which is the heaviest part of the wheel.
• Red dot
  Marks the tire's lowest or flattest point. To minimize vibrations, align the red dot with the mark on the wheel that's across from it.
  
  
  

Because it's nearly impossible to make a perfectly round tire, these dots help identify irregularities in the tire's weight, construction, and structure. Unbalanced tires can cause poor ride quality, reduced fuel economy, and decreased braking effectiveness.

 

[Gatorized]

• 
  Marks the tire's lowest or flattest point. To minimize vibrations, align the red dot with the mark on the wheel that's across from it.

align the red dot with the mark on the wheel that is across from what?

 

[Gregj]

On a new Jeep before delivery prep there is a sticker on the wheel that the dot is lined up with. I punch marked where mine were for future reference.
Gregj

 

[Erik-L]

In my city, parking attendants put these marks on the wheels to see if the driver has moved the car since the last time they checked it. If you move it and then drive it back, the marks will not be on the ground. For example, if there is free parking for two hours.

 

[Northshoremb]

In my city, parking attendants put these marks on the wheels to see if the driver has moved the car since the last time they checked it. If you move it and then drive it back, the marks will not be on the ground. For example, if there is free parking for two hours.

Not even the same thing as we are talking about. If they used paint markers on my tires I would throat punch them

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