If the wheel has a factory dimple inside, the red dot is to align with the dimple regardless of valve stem position. Without dismounting those tires, you can not be certain they were mounted incorrectly.
@@GarageMahalLife 1) Uniformity Method When performing uniformity match-mounting, the red mark on the tire, indicating the point of maximum radial force variation, should be aligned with the wheel assembly's point of minimum radial run-out, which is generally indicated by a colored dot or a notch somewhere on the wheel assembly (consult manufacturer for details). Radial force variation is the fluctuation in the force that appears in the rotating axis of a tire when a specific load is applied and the tire rotated at a specific speed. It is necessary to minimize radial force variation to ensure trouble-free installation and operation. Not all wheel assemblies indicate the point of minimum radial run-out, rendering uniformity match-mounting sometimes impossible. If the point of minimum radial run-out is not indicated on a wheel assembly, the weight method of match-mounting should be used. www.yokohamatire.com/tires-101/advanced-information/match-mounting
Again, these tires were done at a local big brand store, with techs that had no idea how to properly mount a tire... I checked and talked to the tech... but thank you for the info. :)
Red dot indicates the highest spot on tire, to be matched with lowest spot on rim. This is the preferred method of mounting as it creates more of a perfectly round assembly. If no red dot or low spot of rim is unknown then defer to yellow dot lined up with valve stem. I used to think the red dot took preference over yellow and would go to the valve stem but that was incorrect. Red dot METHOD takes preference over yellow dot method.
Great video, Brian. Best I've seen regarding the balancing dots. Well done on getting it out there what the yellow & red dots mean. Like you, I am constantly advising friends that their new tires have been incorrectly fitted, but they do nothing about having it corrected. Over here in the UK, judging by the number of vehicles I see in parking lots with incorrectly fitted tires, bad fitting is rife over here. That is why I never ask tire advice at tire-fit shops - I do my tire research independently, decide the tire I need, have the tire shop acquire the tyres and stipulate where the red (or yellow) dot has to align. It’s abysmal that the trade has to be advised by a non-tradee!
Short cuts on tires, lead to short cuts on repairs. I believe everyone kind of forgets that. Quality in everything you do. That is what separates real tradesmen vs. laziness. Thank you, Be safe!
Thank you for the video. At first, I thought the red and yellow dots was to show that is he outside of the tire because I always see them beside each other. Now that I watched your video, it really helped. So I thank you
I've been doing tires for about 2 years lol. I'm glad I found this! I was taught to always use the yellow dot even when there is a red dot! Now I know better!
To clear things up if you're watching this today. This can be backed up by another novel of a comment here and the very few videos on this subject that go into detail, not just tell you because thats what they were told. The dots do NOT mean the same thing across all tire manufacturers, it is NOT standardized. MOST manufacturers indicate yellow as the lightest and red as the tallest point. Now for the fun part. Depending on what type of balancer is used determines how the tire is mounted on the wheel. If they use a road force balancer, the dots are more or less irrelevant and it will give you the best comfort/tire wear (combined with a properly done alignment). If they use a dynamic or static balancer refer to the following: Red is the most important point because while driving you MAY feel the high point. So this must be matched with the lowest point of the wheel if its indicated. This may still require more weights than yellow at the valve stem (more on this to follow). The goal will be a rounder surface and the weights will help reduce the weight variance. If you place the red dot at the valve stem you may be placing the highest point of the tire at the highest point of the wheel and even if that uses less weights, you may feel it while driving at speed. If there is no low spot marking on the wheel the red dot becomes irrelevant and the yellow dot (indicating the lightest part of the tire) needs to be lined up with the heaviest part of the wheel which is almost always where the valve stem is. This is because there is no way to alter the hight variance other than removing material from the tire and thats not going to happen at your local tire shop. Now for the best part: the variances indicated by the dots on the tires and the dimple on the wheel are soo small that if you even properly statically balance the tire without lining up the dots, there's a good chance you wont feel it. At the end of the day, properly balancing a tire will work 99% of the time even if you ignore the dots. Its just more money spent by the shop on weights that could've been utilized better by matching the tire and wheel. The BIGGEST thing to worry about and you will most likely feel it is improper placement of wheel weights. Counter balancing, double stacking, improper placement, improper size spindle collar while balancing, etc will more than likely be your #1 cause of vibrations. Hope this helped clear everything up.
I actually had 4 Toyo 265/70/17’s put on my ‘12 FJ Cruiser today. I noticed the different colors on a tire in the showroom and actually commented to my buddy about it. I have some vibration at about 65 mph or so. I will be getting with them tomorrow. Thanks!
Thanks for making this video.. I got new tires the other. And it's riding worse than before I got then.. After watching this, I went outside. And the dots are NOT lined up with the valve stems. I'm going back tomorrow. And they're gonna fix that shit... So thanks again and keep doing what you're doing..
Did it make a difference? I have the same thing going on now with a vibration that wasn't there before the new tires. They did line up to the yellow dot instead of the red on mine.
Wow. 71 years old. Been messing with cars since I was 16 and never knew this. Perfect timing for me as I just shelled out 2 grand for a set of tires and Ill be having them installed in a few weeks. Itl be interesting to see if my local garage knows about this. I've noticed those dots before and wondered what they were for. 👍 🇨🇦
Swing and a miss! If the red dot is the highest point on a tire, then it gets aligned with the lowest point on the rim. That is NOT automatically where the valve stem is. If the rim manufacturer took the trouble to indicate the low point on the rim, it is indicated by a dimple inside the rim. So, the red dot might actually be aligned with a dimple inside the rim that you cannot see from the outside. Another commentator pointed this out, but it apparently went right over your head.
Well now I know the tire shop I go to has been doin it wrong. You should see the size weights on my wheels, small ones on the outside, but they tried hiding the huge ones on the inside. Gonna be taking my fairly new tires back due to vibration issues, this was some good information to bring up at the shop if they try being sneaky about it. Nice to know I'm not going back blind sided... thanks.
The Yellow Dot When tyres are made, they are almost never perfectly balanced, and most manufacturers will place a yellow dot on the section of the tyre where there is least weight. When fitting a tyre, you should line up this yellow dot with the valve stem as this is the heaviest point of the wheel. By aligning the lightest spot on the tyre with the heaviest point on the wheel, the tyre/wheel balance is as close to optimal as can be. So, you won’t use as many weights around the wheel to balance out the tyre and wheel. Fewer weights make for a more balanced wheel, which then means a quieter, more comfortable ride, and a longer-lasting tyre.
Just thought I'd chime in as I am just doing tires right now on a 12' Nissan Titan, Goodyear Wranglers, E-Ply, red dots only. With the red dot lined up on one tire in specific I got 5 Oz total required on balancer. I rotated the red dot 180 degrees (opposite of the valve stem) and dropped to 2 Oz total required. Sometimes you have to try a few times to find the tire and wheels happy place...
At Firestone now. They just mounted my tires wrong. Just by seeing the yellow dot, I figured it was to line up with the value stem. But I looked on TH-cam to be sure. Thanks
@@michaelcowan6254 that means the used a balancer that was not calibrated correctly and or is broken... it is a situation called "chasing weight" I would have them re-do that wheel, likey that it can throw a weight and cause the whole tire to go out of balance.
Even if you line up the red dot or the yellow dot sometimes it is just a starting point. You may have to deflate the tire and index it to a different position on the rim to achieve a balance where there isn't a lot of weights on one spot.
Been as a kid watching my dad at work. also learn as I go back yard mechanic now that I'm kinda old to be starting. And started on a new job tire changer mechanic helper. My pos asked and said look for this video. 🤙 thanks for the lesson I'll take the time to put less weights on a rim now aloha from hawaii 💯🤙🤙
I just got brand new tires and I brought them to get Mount and balance I ask the guy specifically to line the red dot with the valve stem And he told me it doesn't matter .I checked a bunch of other trucks around his lot and looked at them and none of them were lined up correctly but I got mine lined up correctly cuz I specifically asked for it crazy don't they teach you this when you become a mechanic 😆
@@GarageMahalLife could you explain why this matters and why they would say it didn't? They said using the new Hunter balancing machines that it would do this automatically it it doesn't matter the Red Dot in the yellow. Don't mean anything .
I am woman and my dealer was having a shit fit because I asked them why they didn't line the dots on the tires correctly. Oh it really doesn't matter, we have a machine that balances them and mam, we recommend you get 4 new tires bc yours are bad. We sell tires here if you want us to do it. I said, these are brand new tires and I highly doubt that all the tires are bad. So if I ask you to balance them properly, will you do that? Mam, we checked your tires on our machines and if you buy new tires that vibration will go away. I have been in this business for 30yrs and not being ignorant or anything, I do know about tires. So I paid them the $100 dollars for the diagnostic test and left. My son went to motorcycle, small engine/parts school and the first thing he noticed were those dots were not properly aligned. He said, you need to take that truck back to that dealer and have them tires balanced properly, because I can assure you, they don't know what these dots are for because had they known, they'd be in their proper place. I wish I could go with you, because I will guarantee if I walk in there with you they will say, Yes sir! Mr Locklear. They think you were going to fall for their fear porn, and you being a woman, and the safety of your children, etc that you would have caved and bought 4 new tires when all you needed was to have them properly balanced.
@NormaPerez-tc1pw Yeah It's definitely overlooked. I pushed it and pushed it and pushed it on them to do it I. Also, never, ever buy tires at the dealership. They're terrible, and they've been sitting around forever cuz nobody buys them All tires should have a manufacturer date on them. So if you look closely it should say 2/21 or 6/23 It has the month in the year they were made so double check. Always buy Tires online and then go to town fair tire or your nearest tire center and have them mount and balance them. It's like $25 a tire or something. Never go to the dealership for anything. They are scam. You can also buy tires at town fair tire. Their good because they have high circulation that's all they do tires every day all day .
so many dont know this just had 4 tires mounted payed overprice at the mekanic and dots are just random, 1 tire is close and needed 5 gram an other needed 2 weights... wish i had a mach8ne my self
Okay I understand completely what you are saying. I just bought new tires for my truck and can mount them myself. I have alloy wheels from an excursion on my f250 and want to mount them myself so I only have to pay for a balance. I have no TPS on my truck. What dot am Iining them up with lol.
In you case... th-cam.com/video/V6Wqf0_GjDc/w-d-xo.html have a look. But I would line the red dot up with the valve stem, still the "heaviest" part of your rim.
@@GarageMahalLife thank you kindly sir. Thats what I was aiming for either way. Later today the fun begins wrestling with 285 75 16 on a harbor freight manual tire changer lol. I've done a bunch but on steel wheels I could care less about. Not my aluminum wheels other than on my quads that I dont really care about either. Lol. Thanks for replying
You stated if the tire has a red & yellow dot the red dot supersedes the yellow dot, so, why have both ? I’ve been installing tires for more than 30 years and long ago they only had a yellow dot before TPS. I’m guessing maybe the red dot is for valves with TPS and the yellow is for regular rubber valves???
Not exactly, with the advances in computerized tire machines, you know have to balance for a "high" spot on a light spot... thus the reason for the 2 dots...
Just had shop mount and balance 2 new tires on front and I noticed the red dot not aligned with valve stem on either. Looks like he had to use extra weights and the tires are really loud. Kuhmo Solus TA11. I feel very little vibration but my guess is the noise is because they aren't balanced properly?
Correct, they did a terrible balancing job... typically you can feel a bad balance around 45-55mph usually... but you can feel the vibration at all different speeds, depending on how off the balance is. I would go either have them re-do them or get your money back and go somewhere else to have them re-done.
Lately I've notice tires bought online typically have their dots worn off. As a default I usually look for the barcode on the outside wall of the bead. It is pretty close to where one of the dots should have been placed... not all the time but close. I've experimented with no dot tires and the printed bar code has produced the least amount of wheel weights needed. Thank you for watching!
So many comments of folks kinda freaking out that the dots dont line up, there are no dots, etc. etc. Bottom line is if they are on the vehicle and they dont vibrate, shimmy, shake, wobble, or bounce dont worry it. If ya still worry just go back to where you got them and have them redo them, best to check before leaving their shop and or get them redone within a week or 2 tops, after that the tires wear can throw them way off.
My spin is that excessive weight is unnecessary and techs being lazy or unproperly trained. More weight that is added, more possibly of throwing a weight. I've always been of the thought in wheel balancing that the less weight the better. But as in politics, everyone has a different thought or opinion. Thank you for the comment, be safe out there!
Correct, however the more weight you add, the more chances of those weights coming off potentially. It is just a guide to help spot a good job balancing vs. a lazy job balancing...
Thank you for the great video! I just received a winter tire and wheel package from a well known national online retailer. They mounted the tires to the rims, including TPMS, and balanced before shipping. I just have to bolt them on. I noticed the yellow dots, google'd, and your video came up quickly. All 4 tires have a yellow dot and no red dot. However, none of the yellow dots are aligned with the valve stem. Based on your video I was annoyed with the supplier, to say the least! I took photos and complained to the supplier. They have responded in quite some detail, in writing, as follows. Could you comment? In particular, the 3rd paragraph about Hunter tire balancers under load, and wheel runout. " Match mounting tires on wheels is a process where a tire's installed position on the wheel is specifically selected to help minimize the final combination's force variation and/or imbalance. One match mounting procedure aligns the tire's measured high point of radial force variation with the measured low point of the wheel's radial runout. The other simply aligns the tire's lightest spot with the wheel's heaviest spot. There was a time when the valve stem hole on standard wheels indicated the optimum place to which the tire should be match mounted. However, with the advent of styled, steel wheels and aluminum alloy wheels, the stem position evolved into an aesthetic issue rather than being a uniformity indicator. Add to this the probability of wheels retaining their original runout after thousands of miles of use and you can understand that simply mounting the tire so the colored dot is at the valve stem is no longer required practice. We have found that the only way to accurately match mount replacement tires on used original or new aftermarket wheels is to use Hunter tire balancers which have the ability to measure wheel runout and tire force variations under load before the tire and wheel are installed on the vehicle. Using these machines, a colored dot might be positioned anywhere on the wheel relative to each wheel's runout measurement. In the end, the markers have little, if any, relevance when replacement tires are installed. "
In summary... why would then the tire manufacture put the dots on in the first place if they are no longer needed? The whole run out thing is false. There is no way to measure that force properly without first mounting the tire. Finding the lightest point of the tire with the valve stem which would be the heaviest will have the tire needing less weight. If you lose a weight and it is a heavier weight due to improperly aligning the dots you could get serious road vibration of the unbalanced wheel causing a safety issue. It just sounds like they are covering up their laziness. Even for so, someone that is properly trained on mounting tires, should align the dots just out of... it looks proper and not like some kid out of high school just did his first mounting job...
@@GarageMahalLife I see your reasoning and I'm inclined to agree with you. I spoke with a regional manager of Bridgestone. He said not all wheel balancer machines are the same. The hunter balancer (as used by the supplier of my tire & wheel package) will achieve a better balance, he said. The manufacturer still puts the yellow dot on for regular balancers that most shops have. I don't know -- just conveying what I was told. There is a plausible answer there that could be confirmed. A question for you is -- do better balancing machines exist? My impression is that such machines optimize the position of the tire on the wheel. Do they deflate, reinflate, and reposition the tire until the optimum position is achieved?
I followed up with a technical rep of Hunter, the manufacturer of the balancer used by the supplier of my tire & wheel package. It's a "road force" balancer; i.e. it has a roller which applies pressure to the wheel. I have found an independent article for your review: danthetireman.com/blog/article/what-is-road-force-balance. That contains the text: "By measuring both tires and wheel, the road force balancer tells the mechanic where to move the tire around on the wheel until the tire’s effective high spot (when rolling on the car) matches the wheel’s low spot - a more sophisticated technique of match-mounting." Your question 1 (my paraphrasing): "why does Bridgestone still put the yellow dot on then?" Answer: to aid tire shops that use older/cheaper balancing machines that are not "road force"; i.e. don't have a roller to simulate load. Aligning the yellow dot with the valve stem is still recommended for less sophisticated machines like that. A question we consumers should be asking tire shops is "are you using a road force wheel balancer?" Your question 2 (my paraphrasing): "why not just align the yellow dot with the valve stem anyway then?" Answer: because a road force wheel balancer finds a better position for the tire on the wheel. The process indeed involves deflating and repositioning the tire on the wheel, as I guessed in an earlier comment. The rep I spoke to confirmed that. Your point (my paraphrasing): "more weights might fall off". I've watched some of Hunter's videos online and they are very big on minimizing weight; i.e. they agree with you. But their machine optimizes the position of the tire on the wheel first, then minimizes the weight. I've now spoken directly to the manufacturers Bridgestone and Hunter directly, and got the same consistent information. When you are seeing and getting annoyed by all the tires you see where the yellow dot is not aligned with the valve stem (the point of your video) what you may be seeing is the result of road force load balancers. Could you investigate yourself and comment please?
And here's a video by Hunter showing full detail of the procedure to position the tire on the rim: "Road Force Touch Wheel Balancer - Force Matching." th-cam.com/video/8tz4c8Ne998/w-d-xo.html.
The red dot supposed to line up with the marking on rim. This shows the highest point on rim. If you have the yellow it goes to valve stem red and yellow the red lines up with marking on rim.
Thanks for the info, but one question if possible. If the dots are installed on the inside of the rim like you showed at the end of the video, is that a issue. Shouldn't the dots be only on the outside or it doesn't matter?
@@GarageMahalLife thanks for the reply. They are toyo observe s944 and looking at them, they should be going in one direction, but there are no directional arrows on them. I am worried because on the left side they installed them with the dot on the outside and on the right side on the inside of the rim. The car felt different so i am worried if the people who installed them might have put them the wrong way around.
@@boby4509 If there are no rotational arrows... it wouldn't matter that much. I personally only put the dots on the inside based on rotational direction arrows. In your case, are the dots at least lined up with the valve stem on the otherside?
@@GarageMahalLife well, they made an effort to put them close, but not exactly at the valve. Anyways I just wanted to confirm if the installation was good. Thanks for providing clarity, as now I understand all is good and I don't have to talk to the dealer.
Wow I’m glad you made this video. I had an argument with the tire tech @ jack williams I told the guy about the dots because I was told about it. And it’s a shame that’s what these shops today hire. Because they don’t pay much so they hire a bunch of IDIOTS. Thanks for the video.
Red indicates the lowest part of the tire, usually so slight, bit it would give you a up and down motion, which your suspension would "hide" dampen in most cases, however on high end performance cars, it may need to be balance more precise, 150+ mph... yellow is the lightest, typically where you want to line up to your tire stem, where the rim will naturally be slightly heavier.
I had to go to a couple shops before finding a shop that would properly mount them this way. Like come on. They balance themselves a lot when you use it on the correct way. I had only one small weight added when I got my new OZ wheels mounted with all terrain tires. These tires are 30lbs each and they balanced nearly perfect. Only one wheel needed a weight. Just by using the dots. (Results vary of course but should heavily reduce the need for weights)
@@GarageMahalLife it takes 2 seconds to look at the dots and line them up before pressing the tire on. Most tires shops weren’t understanding what I meant about the dots. Kinda odd since it’s all they do. (But they were chains like discount soooo…)
the yellow dot is the lighest part of the tire. valve stem is not the heaviest point on the rim. u need to run the rim alone to find the heavy point n match it with the yellow. or just road force them. less weight on the wheel is best.
Used are the toughest... sometimes there are remnants of the colored dots, but rarely. I typically then resort to looking for the barcode on the outer tire bead. My experience is that is a good starting point to line up the tire valve.
i got 4 new tires installed on my 2019 audi quattro awd and each tires had red and yellow dot stamp! and valve stem was not even with any of the two colors on all 4 tires and i noticed they had removed all my wheel balance weights! and on high freewy speed even on smooth pavement i notice vibrations and wobble slight bit! is it cuz they didn't even red dot to the valve stem?
Sure does sound like it! You can still balance a wheel when the dots are not lined up, however they will use a lot more weight and this increased the chances of possibly "throwing" a weight off. It just sounds like an overall poor tire installation... How close to the Poconos are you?
so i just got back from the tire shop just now i told them there is slight viberation and wobble even on smooth pavement! and the owner raises his voice and says i been in this business 36yrs! and he said i was the very first person to complain about the color dots not lining up with valve stem! he says thats what book tells you but its unnecessary! and he took all my 4 wheels off and put them on the balance machine and he says oh yeaaa ur wheels are off balance... umm what they did they just added more damn weights on my wheel to balance and they didn't bother to line up my tires with red dot to valve stem! and they once again didn't amount them correct way of having two colors on my tires red n yellow! they just left the tire how they first amounted on my wheels and just balanced all four tires with led weights .. im just hoping weights dont fly off.. terrible lazy people
I think somebody put the red dot opposite the valve stem. Ive heard 2 sides to where the red dot goes. Adjacent to or opposite to the valve. In this case they must have believed opposite was correct.
If it was a tire with no TPMS then yes, that could be correct. But almost all newer cars have those sensors... unless they have be removed for failure.
9/10 , your chain store tire shops are rushing your tires out of the door. Tires get thrown on, weights get smacked on. Accuracy isn’t the goal nearly as much as speed (and safety to both employees and the customer we’re not animals. Just 5 guys outback expected to push 110+ units a day). When I started my tire career, I had no clue what the dots meant, it was never taught to me. It wasn’t until a buddy changed my bike tire at his job and said “I lined the dots up, so it should be a smoother ride”. Went out of my way to learn what the dots mean, and go out of my way at work to like the dots up. It might take an extra second on the changer, but always saves time on the balancer.
Then it is a guessing game. I usually mount the tire and then on the balance, if it needs a lot of weight on one side, I deflate and spin the tire 180 on the rim... this should cut the wheel weight needed down to half if not more. I have actually done this technique and then needed zero weight.
Not from that, that is for the mold tech in the manufacturing plant... the year code would be on the other side wall, in your case probably the inside tire wall.
That's why I'm having problems with my my vehicle they did the same thing my cause bouncing around every time I drive down a smooth road so basically it's off balance
I wash both sides of my rims before taking my car or rims in for a tire change. They are cleaner than the day the car was manufactured. I also remove my old weights using dental floss instead of some butcher using a screwdriver to pry them off and then clean the goo using mineral spirits.
How's it ride with no weights? That can be nerve racking. But yes, good idea if you are close to a tire shop. They are just young inexperienced or just don't care and will destroy your rims for sure.
@@GarageMahalLife and if they're not aligned with the valve stem is it still ok? I told the dealership about this, he didn't know what the red dot meant on the tire. All he said is that the first time I ever heard a customer complain about this.
@@craftman5632 The tires will be safe if balanced properly. However most auto techs will just slap a tire on and throw what ever weights the machine tells them to put on. It is just laziness and lack of quality. However some of the newer machines will balance under a load to mimic road vibration. In these case it may not matter where the align the tire. But when it comes to quality work, alignment of the red dot will reduce the amount of weight needed and shows a quality job was done and not something thrown together.
The problem with tire shops is they just hire kids for basically minimum wage to do the tire work. They don’t get any training outside of here’s the tire machine and here’s the balancer figure it out. If they get a quick demonstration it’s from another tire kid who doesn’t know any of this. I worked as a mechanic at a tire shop so I didn’t do tires. One day I was working on a car that was also getting tires. The kid brought the damn tires over with like 10 ounces of weight on them and I was like WTF! I went over with the kid and showed him how to properly mount and balance a tire. Unfortunately the turnaround was pretty high so I doubt my lesson helped anything in the long run.
why would this matter? just curious... this red and yellow gonna fade out anyway and if you pierce on through some nail and need vulcanizing on your tires then you wouldn't even know the proper line.. so I don't get the importance of this.
It is about taking care in your work, neatness, detailed. Would you sleep I. A hotel if the bed was not made? Slopiness in vehicle maintenance is potential safety issues...
@@GarageMahalLife not trying to hate or anything but im asking a real question if what are potential risk if this isn't followed? I really wanna know. Because sometime in the future this dots would fade and then when you do vulcanizing service they would remove the tire and put it back in, how would they know if they realign it properly if the dots are now faded.
Doesn't make any difference if the tyre guy has balanced the wheels after fitting the tyre though ........ I would understand if it was tyre fitment only with no wheel-balancing to follow, but in this case, the wheels have been balanced - so doesn't make any difference😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@GarageMahalLife I looked up this video just to assure myself that I wasn't crazy. I just installed a set of new wheels and tires. I had the work done at Discount Tire. The moment I picked up the car I noticed that the yellow dots weren't aligned with the valve stems, they assured me that the work was done correctly. It's never really been a smooth ride. Can this adjustment help now after driving on them? Or is this rule only for installation of new tires?
@@SureYouRight Always at new install, however it can help you balance later as the tire should wear evenly. Again just sloppy work an added weights for no reason.
@@GarageMahalLife thanks a million brother. You're correct. Too may weights were used as well. An average of 2.5oz on each wheel and still vibrating. Thanks again, I'll be fixing this issue asap. Too bad you're not in Florida. Have a great day.
Come on, unless the wheel also has markings to align the tire with there is no point to line up either dot with the valve stem. You can *assume* that if there's a TPMS sensor it would be the heaviest point on the wheel, but that's just an assumption unless you check the balance of the wheel without the tire. In that case you would line up the yellow dot with the heaviest point on the wheel. The red dot indicates the highest point radially on the tire which you would align with a marking that shows the lowest radial point on the wheel to minimize radial distortion over the whole wheel/tire assembly. There's no reason to assume it would be where the valve stem is and it's pointless to align the red dot there. If you actually care about the placement of the dot on the wheel I'd suggest checking the wheel balance first without the tire and then aligning the yellow dot to the heaviest point on the wheel. Either way, just lining up the red dot to the valve stem does nothing except maybe giving you a false sense of superiority.
Your opinions, but I've done hundreds of tires before hand and the it does make a difference and most times a major difference. But hey, do as you will 😉
I'm 70 years old and I never know this. Thank you. Now I'm going to be looking at every tire I walk by now - THANKS.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
If the wheel has a factory dimple inside, the red dot is to align with the dimple regardless of valve stem position. Without dismounting those tires, you can not be certain they were mounted incorrectly.
They were mounted at a local big chain store... certain they were mounted incorrectly. Balanced, but totally ignored the dots.
@@GarageMahalLife 1) Uniformity Method
When performing uniformity match-mounting, the red mark on the tire, indicating the point of maximum radial force variation, should be aligned with the wheel assembly's point of minimum radial run-out, which is generally indicated by a colored dot or a notch somewhere on the wheel assembly (consult manufacturer for details). Radial force variation is the fluctuation in the force that appears in the rotating axis of a tire when a specific load is applied and the tire rotated at a specific speed. It is necessary to minimize radial force variation to ensure trouble-free installation and operation. Not all wheel assemblies indicate the point of minimum radial run-out, rendering uniformity match-mounting sometimes impossible. If the point of minimum radial run-out is not indicated on a wheel assembly, the weight method of match-mounting should be used. www.yokohamatire.com/tires-101/advanced-information/match-mounting
Again, these tires were done at a local big brand store, with techs that had no idea how to properly mount a tire... I checked and talked to the tech... but thank you for the info. :)
@@GarageMahalLife Never assume !
Red dot indicates the highest spot on tire, to be matched with lowest spot on rim. This is the preferred method of mounting as it creates more of a perfectly round assembly. If no red dot or low spot of rim is unknown then defer to yellow dot lined up with valve stem.
I used to think the red dot took preference over yellow and would go to the valve stem but that was incorrect. Red dot METHOD takes preference over yellow dot method.
Some tire only have red dots...
Great video, Brian. Best I've seen regarding the balancing dots. Well done on getting it out there what the yellow & red dots mean. Like you, I am constantly advising friends that their new tires have been incorrectly fitted, but they do nothing about having it corrected.
Over here in the UK, judging by the number of vehicles I see in parking lots with incorrectly fitted tires, bad fitting is rife over here. That is why I never ask tire advice at tire-fit shops - I do my tire research independently, decide the tire I need, have the tire shop acquire the tyres and stipulate where the red (or yellow) dot has to align. It’s abysmal that the trade has to be advised by a non-tradee!
Short cuts on tires, lead to short cuts on repairs. I believe everyone kind of forgets that. Quality in everything you do. That is what separates real tradesmen vs. laziness. Thank you, Be safe!
Thank you for the video. At first, I thought the red and yellow dots was to show that is he outside of the tire because I always see them beside each other. Now that I watched your video, it really helped. So I thank you
You're welcome!
I've been doing tires for about 2 years lol. I'm glad I found this! I was taught to always use the yellow dot even when there is a red dot! Now I know better!
There you go, be safe out there! :)
To clear things up if you're watching this today. This can be backed up by another novel of a comment here and the very few videos on this subject that go into detail, not just tell you because thats what they were told.
The dots do NOT mean the same thing across all tire manufacturers, it is NOT standardized. MOST manufacturers indicate yellow as the lightest and red as the tallest point. Now for the fun part.
Depending on what type of balancer is used determines how the tire is mounted on the wheel. If they use a road force balancer, the dots are more or less irrelevant and it will give you the best comfort/tire wear (combined with a properly done alignment). If they use a dynamic or static balancer refer to the following:
Red is the most important point because while driving you MAY feel the high point. So this must be matched with the lowest point of the wheel if its indicated. This may still require more weights than yellow at the valve stem (more on this to follow). The goal will be a rounder surface and the weights will help reduce the weight variance. If you place the red dot at the valve stem you may be placing the highest point of the tire at the highest point of the wheel and even if that uses less weights, you may feel it while driving at speed. If there is no low spot marking on the wheel the red dot becomes irrelevant and the yellow dot (indicating the lightest part of the tire) needs to be lined up with the heaviest part of the wheel which is almost always where the valve stem is. This is because there is no way to alter the hight variance other than removing material from the tire and thats not going to happen at your local tire shop.
Now for the best part: the variances indicated by the dots on the tires and the dimple on the wheel are soo small that if you even properly statically balance the tire without lining up the dots, there's a good chance you wont feel it. At the end of the day, properly balancing a tire will work 99% of the time even if you ignore the dots. Its just more money spent by the shop on weights that could've been utilized better by matching the tire and wheel. The BIGGEST thing to worry about and you will most likely feel it is improper placement of wheel weights. Counter balancing, double stacking, improper placement, improper size spindle collar while balancing, etc will more than likely be your #1 cause of vibrations. Hope this helped clear everything up.
Good stuff, thanks for commenting.
I actually had 4 Toyo 265/70/17’s put on my ‘12 FJ Cruiser today. I noticed the different colors on a tire in the showroom and actually commented to my buddy about it. I have some vibration at about 65 mph or so. I will be getting with them tomorrow. Thanks!
Yes, always shows a tech that is under trained, in a rush or just lazy... be safe out there!
Thanks for making this video.. I got new tires the other. And it's riding worse than before I got then.. After watching this, I went outside. And the dots are NOT lined up with the valve stems. I'm going back tomorrow. And they're gonna fix that shit... So thanks again and keep doing what you're doing..
You are welcome and Thank you! Be safe.
Did it make a difference? I have the same thing going on now with a vibration that wasn't there before the new tires. They did line up to the yellow dot instead of the red on mine.
Wow. 71 years old.
Been messing with cars since I was 16 and never knew this.
Perfect timing for me as I just shelled out 2 grand for a set of tires and Ill be having them installed in a few weeks.
Itl be interesting to see if my local garage knows about this.
I've noticed those dots before and wondered what they were for.
👍
🇨🇦
Thank you for Watching and Commenting
Swing and a miss! If the red dot is the highest point on a tire, then it gets aligned with the lowest point on the rim. That is NOT automatically where the valve stem is. If the rim manufacturer took the trouble to indicate the low point on the rim, it is indicated by a dimple inside the rim. So, the red dot might actually be aligned with a dimple inside the rim that you cannot see from the outside. Another commentator pointed this out, but it apparently went right over your head.
Yes and no... but thanks for playing 😉
Well now I know the tire shop I go to has been doin it wrong. You should see the size weights on my wheels, small ones on the outside, but they tried hiding the huge ones on the inside. Gonna be taking my fairly new tires back due to vibration issues, this was some good information to bring up at the shop if they try being sneaky about it. Nice to know I'm not going back blind sided... thanks.
Comes down to tech laziness or poorly educated...
The Yellow Dot
When tyres are made, they are almost never perfectly balanced, and most manufacturers will place a yellow dot on the section of the tyre where there is least weight. When fitting a tyre, you should line up this yellow dot with the valve stem as this is the heaviest point of the wheel. By aligning the lightest spot on the tyre with the heaviest point on the wheel, the tyre/wheel balance is as close to optimal as can be. So, you won’t use as many weights around the wheel to balance out the tyre and wheel. Fewer weights make for a more balanced wheel, which then means a quieter, more comfortable ride, and a longer-lasting tyre.
Yes, but even rims are never close either... trial and error after thousands of tires... red dot.
so which yellow or red dot should be aligned with stem valve? @@GarageMahalLife
Just thought I'd chime in as I am just doing tires right now on a 12' Nissan Titan, Goodyear Wranglers, E-Ply, red dots only. With the red dot lined up on one tire in specific I got 5 Oz total required on balancer. I rotated the red dot 180 degrees (opposite of the valve stem) and dropped to 2 Oz total required. Sometimes you have to try a few times to find the tire and wheels happy place...
Yes you do, most shops and tire shops are just worried about their happy place and not the tires :(
At Firestone now. They just mounted my tires wrong.
Just by seeing the yellow dot, I figured it was to line up with the value stem.
But I looked on TH-cam to be sure.
Thanks
Lazy tech... way too many of them out there, you spend good money for tires, they should mount them properly and balance. Its a safety thing!
@@GarageMahalLife
Just noticed that 2 wheels have 10 weights on it. Damn.
Will call corporate to complain.
@@michaelcowan6254 that means the used a balancer that was not calibrated correctly and or is broken... it is a situation called "chasing weight" I would have them re-do that wheel, likey that it can throw a weight and cause the whole tire to go out of balance.
@@GarageMahalLife
Thanks
Going to talk to the manager
Thanks Brian, awesome video. I feel your pain. I'm gonna install mine correctly and pass on your message.
Thank you, thanks for watching and commenting
Even if you line up the red dot or the yellow dot sometimes it is just a starting point. You may have to deflate the tire and index it to a different position on the rim to achieve a balance where there isn't a lot of weights on one spot.
Right, just being helpful
Been as a kid watching my dad at work. also learn as I go back yard mechanic now that I'm kinda old to be starting. And started on a new job tire changer mechanic helper. My pos asked and said look for this video. 🤙 thanks for the lesson I'll take the time to put less weights on a rim now aloha from hawaii 💯🤙🤙
Aloha, Thank you for watching and commenting, be safe out there! Thank your pos for me.
My mantra that I always say is Red Rules..
Good mantra 😀
I just got brand new tires and I brought them to get Mount and balance I ask the guy specifically to line the red dot with the valve stem And he told me it doesn't matter .I checked a bunch of other trucks around his lot and looked at them and none of them were lined up correctly but I got mine lined up correctly cuz I specifically asked for it crazy don't they teach you this when you become a mechanic 😆
It is more laziness and lack of caring... the choice of a new generation
@@GarageMahalLife could you explain why this matters and why they would say it didn't? They said using the new Hunter balancing machines that it would do this automatically it it doesn't matter the Red Dot in the yellow. Don't mean anything .
I am woman and my dealer was having a shit fit because I asked them why they didn't line the dots on the tires correctly. Oh it really doesn't matter, we have a machine that balances them and mam, we recommend you get 4 new tires bc yours are bad. We sell tires here if you want us to do it. I said, these are brand new tires and I highly doubt that all the tires are bad. So if I ask you to balance them properly, will you do that? Mam, we checked your tires on our machines and if you buy new tires that vibration will go away. I have been in this business for 30yrs and not being ignorant or anything, I do know about tires. So I paid them the $100 dollars for the diagnostic test and left. My son went to motorcycle, small engine/parts school and the first thing he noticed were those dots were not properly aligned. He said, you need to take that truck back to that dealer and have them tires balanced properly, because I can assure you, they don't know what these dots are for because had they known, they'd be in their proper place. I wish I could go with you, because I will guarantee if I walk in there with you they will say, Yes sir! Mr Locklear. They think you were going to fall for their fear porn, and you being a woman, and the safety of your children, etc that you would have caved and bought 4 new tires when all you needed was to have them properly balanced.
@NormaPerez-tc1pw Yeah It's definitely overlooked. I pushed it and pushed it and pushed it on them to do it I. Also, never, ever buy tires at the dealership. They're terrible, and they've been sitting around forever cuz nobody buys them All tires should have a manufacturer date on them. So if you look closely it should say 2/21 or 6/23 It has the month in the year they were made so double check. Always buy Tires online and then go to town fair tire or your nearest tire center and have them mount and balance them. It's like $25 a tire or something. Never go to the dealership for anything. They are scam. You can also buy tires at town fair tire. Their good because they have high circulation that's all they do tires every day all day .
so many dont know this just had 4 tires mounted payed overprice at the mekanic and dots are just random, 1 tire is close and needed 5 gram an other needed 2 weights... wish i had a mach8ne my self
Those aren't mechanics...they are butchers...
Red Dot supersedes the Yellow Dot.....when they mount truck tires incorrectly, they simply cant balance them!
Right... Crazy world out there.
I just had some knuckleheads do this to me at a tire shop. It's all good because I'll never go there again. Thanks for your advise.
Yeah, some good people that care what they do and others... not so much.
Okay I understand completely what you are saying. I just bought new tires for my truck and can mount them myself. I have alloy wheels from an excursion on my f250 and want to mount them myself so I only have to pay for a balance. I have no TPS on my truck. What dot am Iining them up with lol.
In you case... th-cam.com/video/V6Wqf0_GjDc/w-d-xo.html have a look. But I would line the red dot up with the valve stem, still the "heaviest" part of your rim.
@@GarageMahalLife thank you kindly sir. Thats what I was aiming for either way. Later today the fun begins wrestling with 285 75 16 on a harbor freight manual tire changer lol. I've done a bunch but on steel wheels I could care less about. Not my aluminum wheels other than on my quads that I dont really care about either. Lol. Thanks for replying
@@roguepowersports3576 Sounds fun :P be safe and keep the profanity PG ;)
yellow dot should be aligned with the valve stem.
If there is a yellow dot...
You stated if the tire has a red & yellow dot the red dot supersedes the yellow dot, so, why have both ? I’ve been installing tires for more than 30 years and long ago they only had a yellow dot before TPS. I’m guessing maybe the red dot is for valves with TPS and the yellow is for regular rubber valves???
Not exactly, with the advances in computerized tire machines, you know have to balance for a "high" spot on a light spot... thus the reason for the 2 dots...
Just had shop mount and balance 2 new tires on front and I noticed the red dot not aligned with valve stem on either. Looks like he had to use extra weights and the tires are really loud. Kuhmo Solus TA11. I feel very little vibration but my guess is the noise is because they aren't balanced properly?
Correct, they did a terrible balancing job... typically you can feel a bad balance around 45-55mph usually... but you can feel the vibration at all different speeds, depending on how off the balance is. I would go either have them re-do them or get your money back and go somewhere else to have them re-done.
I bought 4 new tires, only two of them have a yellow dot and none have a red dot. What does no dot mean?
Lately I've notice tires bought online typically have their dots worn off. As a default I usually look for the barcode on the outside wall of the bead. It is pretty close to where one of the dots should have been placed... not all the time but close. I've experimented with no dot tires and the printed bar code has produced the least amount of wheel weights needed. Thank you for watching!
So many comments of folks kinda freaking out that the dots dont line up, there are no dots, etc. etc. Bottom line is if they are on the vehicle and they dont vibrate, shimmy, shake, wobble, or bounce dont worry it. If ya still worry just go back to where you got them and have them redo them, best to check before leaving their shop and or get them redone within a week or 2 tops, after that the tires wear can throw them way off.
My spin is that excessive weight is unnecessary and techs being lazy or unproperly trained. More weight that is added, more possibly of throwing a weight. I've always been of the thought in wheel balancing that the less weight the better. But as in politics, everyone has a different thought or opinion. Thank you for the comment, be safe out there!
Interesting that half the techs say the colors have opposite meanings. Most ignore them anyway because of this.
Right...
You can still balance tires if the dots don't match up with the valve stem, you just need more weights
Correct, however the more weight you add, the more chances of those weights coming off potentially. It is just a guide to help spot a good job balancing vs. a lazy job balancing...
I've seen tires with a Valve stem printed in the sidewalls.
That's neat! Take a picture next time you see it & email it to me, brian.niskala@cnjrail.com :)
Thank you for the great video! I just received a winter tire and wheel package from a well known national online retailer. They mounted the tires to the rims, including TPMS, and balanced before shipping. I just have to bolt them on. I noticed the yellow dots, google'd, and your video came up quickly. All 4 tires have a yellow dot and no red dot. However, none of the yellow dots are aligned with the valve stem. Based on your video I was annoyed with the supplier, to say the least! I took photos and complained to the supplier. They have responded in quite some detail, in writing, as follows. Could you comment? In particular, the 3rd paragraph about Hunter tire balancers under load, and wheel runout.
" Match mounting tires on wheels is a process where a tire's installed position on the wheel is specifically selected to help minimize the final combination's force variation and/or imbalance. One match mounting procedure aligns the tire's measured high point of radial force variation with the measured low point of the wheel's radial runout. The other simply aligns the tire's lightest spot with the wheel's heaviest spot.
There was a time when the valve stem hole on standard wheels indicated the optimum place to which the tire should be match mounted. However, with the advent of styled, steel wheels and aluminum alloy wheels, the stem position evolved into an aesthetic issue rather than being a uniformity indicator. Add to this the probability of wheels retaining their original runout after thousands of miles of use and you can understand that simply mounting the tire so the colored dot is at the valve stem is no longer required practice.
We have found that the only way to accurately match mount replacement tires on used original or new aftermarket wheels is to use Hunter tire balancers which have the ability to measure wheel runout and tire force variations under load before the tire and wheel are installed on the vehicle. Using these machines, a colored dot might be positioned anywhere on the wheel relative to each wheel's runout measurement. In the end, the markers have little, if any, relevance when replacement tires are installed. "
In summary... why would then the tire manufacture put the dots on in the first place if they are no longer needed? The whole run out thing is false. There is no way to measure that force properly without first mounting the tire. Finding the lightest point of the tire with the valve stem which would be the heaviest will have the tire needing less weight. If you lose a weight and it is a heavier weight due to improperly aligning the dots you could get serious road vibration of the unbalanced wheel causing a safety issue. It just sounds like they are covering up their laziness. Even for so, someone that is properly trained on mounting tires, should align the dots just out of... it looks proper and not like some kid out of high school just did his first mounting job...
@@GarageMahalLife I see your reasoning and I'm inclined to agree with you. I spoke with a regional manager of Bridgestone. He said not all wheel balancer machines are the same. The hunter balancer (as used by the supplier of my tire & wheel package) will achieve a better balance, he said. The manufacturer still puts the yellow dot on for regular balancers that most shops have. I don't know -- just conveying what I was told. There is a plausible answer there that could be confirmed. A question for you is -- do better balancing machines exist? My impression is that such machines optimize the position of the tire on the wheel. Do they deflate, reinflate, and reposition the tire until the optimum position is achieved?
I followed up with a technical rep of Hunter, the manufacturer of the balancer used by the supplier of my tire & wheel package. It's a "road force" balancer; i.e. it has a roller which applies pressure to the wheel. I have found an independent article for your review: danthetireman.com/blog/article/what-is-road-force-balance. That contains the text: "By measuring both tires and wheel, the road force balancer tells the mechanic where to move the tire around on the wheel until the tire’s effective high spot (when rolling on the car) matches the wheel’s low spot - a more sophisticated technique of match-mounting."
Your question 1 (my paraphrasing): "why does Bridgestone still put the yellow dot on then?" Answer: to aid tire shops that use older/cheaper balancing machines that are not "road force"; i.e. don't have a roller to simulate load. Aligning the yellow dot with the valve stem is still recommended for less sophisticated machines like that. A question we consumers should be asking tire shops is "are you using a road force wheel balancer?"
Your question 2 (my paraphrasing): "why not just align the yellow dot with the valve stem anyway then?" Answer: because a road force wheel balancer finds a better position for the tire on the wheel. The process indeed involves deflating and repositioning the tire on the wheel, as I guessed in an earlier comment. The rep I spoke to confirmed that.
Your point (my paraphrasing): "more weights might fall off". I've watched some of Hunter's videos online and they are very big on minimizing weight; i.e. they agree with you. But their machine optimizes the position of the tire on the wheel first, then minimizes the weight.
I've now spoken directly to the manufacturers Bridgestone and Hunter directly, and got the same consistent information.
When you are seeing and getting annoyed by all the tires you see where the yellow dot is not aligned with the valve stem (the point of your video) what you may be seeing is the result of road force load balancers.
Could you investigate yourself and comment please?
And here's a video by Hunter showing full detail of the procedure to position the tire on the rim: "Road Force Touch Wheel Balancer - Force Matching." th-cam.com/video/8tz4c8Ne998/w-d-xo.html.
Matt Feel free to email me at brian.niskala@cnjrail.com and we can chat further.
The red dot supposed to line up with the marking on rim. This shows the highest point on rim. If you have the yellow it goes to valve stem red and yellow the red lines up with marking on rim.
If you still have dots on the rim... 😉
Is it okay to align the valve stem on yellow dot even if you have red and yellow? Some of the garage doing like that.
Red is always 1st... but yellow as a 2nd option is okay too...
@@GarageMahalLife so if you have a red and yellow dot you should put the Red Dot at the valve stem?
Thanks for the info, but one question if possible. If the dots are installed on the inside of the rim like you showed at the end of the video, is that a issue. Shouldn't the dots be only on the outside or it doesn't matter?
If they are directional tires with rotation arrows, you would have to have the dots on the inside, so it is okay. Great question, Thanks for watching!
@@GarageMahalLife thanks for the reply. They are toyo observe s944 and looking at them, they should be going in one direction, but there are no directional arrows on them. I am worried because on the left side they installed them with the dot on the outside and on the right side on the inside of the rim. The car felt different so i am worried if the people who installed them might have put them the wrong way around.
@@boby4509 If there are no rotational arrows... it wouldn't matter that much. I personally only put the dots on the inside based on rotational direction arrows. In your case, are the dots at least lined up with the valve stem on the otherside?
@@GarageMahalLife well, they made an effort to put them close, but not exactly at the valve. Anyways I just wanted to confirm if the installation was good.
Thanks for providing clarity, as now I understand all is good and I don't have to talk to the dealer.
@@boby4509 Glad I could help, be safe!
Wow I’m glad you made this video. I had an argument with the tire tech @ jack williams I told the guy about the dots because I was told about it. And it’s a shame that’s what these shops today hire. Because they don’t pay much so they hire a bunch of IDIOTS. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for watching! Be safe out there!
Why do they put a yellow mark if the red one always supersedes the yellow?
Red indicates the lowest part of the tire, usually so slight, bit it would give you a up and down motion, which your suspension would "hide" dampen in most cases, however on high end performance cars, it may need to be balance more precise, 150+ mph... yellow is the lightest, typically where you want to line up to your tire stem, where the rim will naturally be slightly heavier.
so if there's both color dots then the red dot is no longer the high point of radial runout and becomes the light side of the tire ?
Not exactly, the red would not become the lightest side of the tire if yellow is present.
I thought the red dot gets lined up with the rims mark
Which mark on what rims?
You said it!
Thank you
Thanks man.
You are welcome, thank you for watching and leaving a comment 😊
What about different color lines on trade
Can you be more specific?
@@GarageMahalLife he must mean different color lines on the treads
@@bobabooie6389 probably the manufacturer lines...
I had to go to a couple shops before finding a shop that would properly mount them this way. Like come on. They balance themselves a lot when you use it on the correct way. I had only one small weight added when I got my new OZ wheels mounted with all terrain tires. These tires are 30lbs each and they balanced nearly perfect. Only one wheel needed a weight. Just by using the dots. (Results vary of course but should heavily reduce the need for weights)
Right... it's laziness not to.
@@GarageMahalLife it takes 2 seconds to look at the dots and line them up before pressing the tire on. Most tires shops weren’t understanding what I meant about the dots. Kinda odd since it’s all they do. (But they were chains like discount soooo…)
the yellow dot is the lighest part of the tire. valve stem is not the heaviest point on the rim. u need to run the rim alone to find the heavy point n match it with the yellow. or just road force them. less weight on the wheel is best.
Yes
interesting is was done twice wrong. I'll try another shop.
Usually laziness or lack of awareness.
Would it be bad to use yellow over red?
If that us all you have or can see if the red wore off during shipping...
What about when putting on used tires. How do you identify where the red dot is at? Great info. Thanks
Used are the toughest... sometimes there are remnants of the colored dots, but rarely. I typically then resort to looking for the barcode on the outer tire bead. My experience is that is a good starting point to line up the tire valve.
@@GarageMahalLife okay thanks
i got 4 new tires installed on my 2019 audi quattro awd and each tires had red and yellow dot stamp! and valve stem was not even with any of the two colors on all 4 tires and i noticed they had removed all my wheel balance weights! and on high freewy speed even on smooth pavement i notice vibrations and wobble slight bit! is it cuz they didn't even red dot to the valve stem?
Sure does sound like it! You can still balance a wheel when the dots are not lined up, however they will use a lot more weight and this increased the chances of possibly "throwing" a weight off. It just sounds like an overall poor tire installation... How close to the Poconos are you?
so i just got back from the tire shop just now i told them there is slight viberation and wobble even on smooth pavement! and the owner raises his voice and says i been in this business 36yrs! and he said i was the very first person to complain about the color dots not lining up with valve stem! he says thats what book tells you but its unnecessary! and he took all my 4 wheels off and put them on the balance machine and he says oh yeaaa ur wheels are off balance... umm what they did they just added more damn weights on my wheel to balance and they didn't bother to line up my tires with red dot to valve stem! and they once again didn't amount them correct way of having two colors on my tires red n yellow! they just left the tire how they first amounted on my wheels and just balanced all four tires with led weights .. im just hoping weights dont fly off.. terrible lazy people
I think somebody put the red dot opposite the valve stem. Ive heard 2 sides to where the red dot goes. Adjacent to or opposite to the valve. In this case they must have believed opposite was correct.
If it was a tire with no TPMS then yes, that could be correct. But almost all newer cars have those sensors... unless they have be removed for failure.
Why 2color dot so what the best using at the valve stem
Always use the red dot, lined up with the valve stem...
@@GarageMahalLife thanks for the great info,keep it up for more videos you will share.thanks and have a nice day brother 👍
I would like to see the difference when one is corrected.
Usually significant
9/10 , your chain store tire shops are rushing your tires out of the door. Tires get thrown on, weights get smacked on. Accuracy isn’t the goal nearly as much as speed (and safety to both employees and the customer we’re not animals. Just 5 guys outback expected to push 110+ units a day).
When I started my tire career, I had no clue what the dots meant, it was never taught to me. It wasn’t until a buddy changed my bike tire at his job and said “I lined the dots up, so it should be a smoother ride”. Went out of my way to learn what the dots mean, and go out of my way at work to like the dots up. It might take an extra second on the changer, but always saves time on the balancer.
It is a shame, people are in such a hurry, quality is becoming a forgotten thing again...
How about tires that dont have the yellow and red dots?
Then it is a guessing game. I usually mount the tire and then on the balance, if it needs a lot of weight on one side, I deflate and spin the tire 180 on the rim... this should cut the wheel weight needed down to half if not more. I have actually done this technique and then needed zero weight.
i learned when i was being educated mecanik for many years ago. if it have a dot mark mount that at the valve
Can anyone explain this even I have on my tyre DOT 4WL3 what is the manufacturing date
Not from that, that is for the mold tech in the manufacturing plant... the year code would be on the other side wall, in your case probably the inside tire wall.
That's why I'm having problems with my my vehicle they did the same thing my cause bouncing around every time I drive down a smooth road so basically it's off balance
Sure could be, short cutting tire guys...
I wash both sides of my rims before taking my car or rims in for a tire change. They are cleaner than the day the car was manufactured. I also remove my old weights using dental floss instead of some butcher using a screwdriver to pry them off and then clean the goo using mineral spirits.
How's it ride with no weights? That can be nerve racking. But yes, good idea if you are close to a tire shop. They are just young inexperienced or just don't care and will destroy your rims for sure.
I only have a red dot and it is a new car.. what should I do?
Some tires only come with red dots... as long as it is aligned with the valve stem, they should be okay.
@@GarageMahalLife and if they're not aligned with the valve stem is it still ok? I told the dealership about this, he didn't know what the red dot meant on the tire. All he said is that the first time I ever heard a customer complain about this.
@@craftman5632 The tires will be safe if balanced properly. However most auto techs will just slap a tire on and throw what ever weights the machine tells them to put on. It is just laziness and lack of quality. However some of the newer machines will balance under a load to mimic road vibration. In these case it may not matter where the align the tire. But when it comes to quality work, alignment of the red dot will reduce the amount of weight needed and shows a quality job was done and not something thrown together.
The problem with tire shops is they just hire kids for basically minimum wage to do the tire work. They don’t get any training outside of here’s the tire machine and here’s the balancer figure it out. If they get a quick demonstration it’s from another tire kid who doesn’t know any of this. I worked as a mechanic at a tire shop so I didn’t do tires. One day I was working on a car that was also getting tires. The kid brought the damn tires over with like 10 ounces of weight on them and I was like WTF! I went over with the kid and showed him how to properly mount and balance a tire. Unfortunately the turnaround was pretty high so I doubt my lesson helped anything in the long run.
That's what it is, no training, and don't care... anyway I'm here just helping as I can.
why would this matter? just curious... this red and yellow gonna fade out anyway and if you pierce on through some nail and need vulcanizing on your tires then you wouldn't even know the proper line.. so I don't get the importance of this.
It is about taking care in your work, neatness, detailed. Would you sleep I. A hotel if the bed was not made? Slopiness in vehicle maintenance is potential safety issues...
@@GarageMahalLife not trying to hate or anything but im asking a real question if what are potential risk if this isn't followed? I really wanna know.
Because sometime in the future this dots would fade and then when you do vulcanizing service they would remove the tire and put it back in, how would they know if they realign it properly if the dots are now faded.
Put the dots on the back side so they don’t see it and put a bag of balance beads in the tire. Done!
I kind of like the balance beads actually, however had to add almost 2 pounds of beads on my Hummer tires
1:28 he explains
Yes
I'll go even further: 95% of the tire shops in the US didn't know about yellow dot or proper install
I agree
Great info!! from Pakistan (Y)
Thank you for watching!
Lol discount tires just completely did not aligned it the right way.
Yup
Yup have to take my tires back to get rebalanced the right way🤬
Your tires will thank you
Doesn't make any difference if the tyre guy has balanced the wheels after fitting the tyre though ........ I would understand if it was tyre fitment only with no wheel-balancing to follow, but in this case, the wheels have been balanced - so doesn't make any difference😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Just sloppiness... you are paying foe a service, it is about safety, if they are short cutting this, what else are they not giving quality work to?
Typical of today's mechanic shops.
Right! Thank you for watching and commenting
@@GarageMahalLife I looked up this video just to assure myself that I wasn't crazy.
I just installed a set of new wheels and tires. I had the work done at Discount Tire.
The moment I picked up the car I noticed that the yellow dots weren't aligned with the valve stems, they assured me that the work was done correctly. It's never really been a smooth ride.
Can this adjustment help now after driving on them? Or is this rule only for installation of new tires?
@@SureYouRight Always at new install, however it can help you balance later as the tire should wear evenly. Again just sloppy work an added weights for no reason.
@@GarageMahalLife thanks a million brother. You're correct. Too may weights were used as well. An average of 2.5oz on each wheel and still vibrating. Thanks again, I'll be fixing this issue asap. Too bad you're not in Florida. Have a great day.
@@SureYouRight Be Safe Out there!
The guy who fitted them needs to retire 😂
Yes
Come on, unless the wheel also has markings to align the tire with there is no point to line up either dot with the valve stem. You can *assume* that if there's a TPMS sensor it would be the heaviest point on the wheel, but that's just an assumption unless you check the balance of the wheel without the tire. In that case you would line up the yellow dot with the heaviest point on the wheel. The red dot indicates the highest point radially on the tire which you would align with a marking that shows the lowest radial point on the wheel to minimize radial distortion over the whole wheel/tire assembly. There's no reason to assume it would be where the valve stem is and it's pointless to align the red dot there. If you actually care about the placement of the dot on the wheel I'd suggest checking the wheel balance first without the tire and then aligning the yellow dot to the heaviest point on the wheel. Either way, just lining up the red dot to the valve stem does nothing except maybe giving you a false sense of superiority.
Your opinions, but I've done hundreds of tires before hand and the it does make a difference and most times a major difference. But hey, do as you will 😉
C
Yes
Drives me nuts you proved nothing just complaining
Proved awareness...