Just received my new winter wheels and tires (Dunlop M3 Winter Sports).

I was always under the impression that those yellow or red spots on a tire indicated that that was a heavy or light spot (can't recall which) and should be lined up with the valve stem (or opposite it. Again, can't recall which) to achieve the best results using the least amount of weights.

The last two sets of tires I've purchased were mounted without regard to the spots on the tires. Is this a non issue, not worth paying attention to, or just simply neglected by the installers due to lack of knowledge, or for tthe sake of expediency?

 

The Tire makers put the dots at the opposite side of the main tread splice. The basic tire mounting should put the valve stem at the dot, but.... The new tire installation machines, like the "Hunter Road Force or simular" actually measure the eggshape of the tire and the eggshape of the wheel and position them to counter their effect too make the assembly as round as possible. Tire Rack has a very complete discription of the process.

I hate wheel vibrations! Hope this helps.

 

The latest set came from Tire Rack so I'm confident they knew what they were doing. But when I get motorcyle tires, the place I get them installed doesn't have the necessary equipment to balance them, so I always insist they line up the dots with the valves

 

Tire Rack does use the Hunter Road Force to balance all their tire/wheel pkgs. If the tires do not vibrate or pull to one side, you are going to be fine.

 

ive never had issues with wheel packages from tirerack.

 

Colors vary by manufacture -both high force variation and light point can both be denoted.

Agreed the GSP9700 supercedes the need for these dots.

Alex