red dot on tyres

[ingenieur]

I found out the other day when browsing another forum (sorry) that the red dot you see on the tyre wall on some tyres actually means something.

Short story is: it goes next to the valve as the tyre is measured by the manufacturer and the red dot is the lightest part of the tyre so should be fitted to the heaviest part of the wheel.

So start perving at other peoples tyres, look where the red dot is and have a think about how many professional tyre fitters even know about this!

Google if you don't believe me. The yellow dot also means something.

[MDMA .]

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

[pills]

Red dot - high point on tyre (they're not perfectly round).

Yellow dot - lightest part of tyre.

https://www.tyrebaydirect.com/tyres-explained-red-...

[ingenieur]

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

[Garvin]

ingenieur said:

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

[mk2 24v]

And certain tyres are an utter to line the dots up with anything when fitting them

[bmwmike]

Garvin said:

ingenieur said:

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

In fairness that's probably why they are tyre fitters. Don't think I've ever had one fitted properly.

[ingenieur]

bmwmike said:

Garvin said:

ingenieur said:

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

In fairness that's probably why they are tyre fitters. Don't think I've ever had one fitted properly.

True to an extent. Some very intelligent people use their intelligence to help them realise that living a hard and fast life at the very crest of their powers all the time can be unhealthy and an unsatisfactory way to live. Instead they take an easy job and have a relaxing low stress life.

[bmwmike]

ingenieur said:

bmwmike said:

Garvin said:

ingenieur said:

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

In fairness that's probably why they are tyre fitters. Don't think I've ever had one fitted properly.

True to an extent. Some very intelligent people use their intelligence to help them realise that living a hard and fast life at the very crest of their powers all the time can be unhealthy and an unsatisfactory way to live. Instead they take an easy job and have a relaxing low stress life.

You might be right, though I can think of a lot of jobs which are not as strenuous, noisy, or as repetitive as tyre fitting. Its a simple thing, so i just don't see why its something that gets missed so often - laziness? Simply couldn't GaF? Ignorance?

[Sheepshanks]

Garvin said:

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

Costco guys told me it doesn't matter as the balancer takes care of the difference.

I think the the dots mean different things to different tyre manufacturers.

I used to work in a car factory and, while I can't put exact numbers on this and obviously we got through a lot of tyres, there was always a pretty big pile of tyres that had been rejected by the auto-tyre fitting machine as being out of balance spec.

The only time I've ever noticed all the red dots being spot-on in line with the valves was in a Honda showroom.

[Garvin]

Sheepshanks said:

Garvin said:

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

Costco guys told me it doesn't matter as the balancer takes care of the difference.

I think the the dots mean different things to different tyre manufacturers.

I used to work in a car factory and, while I can't put exact numbers on this and obviously we got through a lot of tyres, there was always a pretty big pile of tyres that had been rejected by the auto-tyre fitting machine as being out of balance spec.

The only time I've ever noticed all the red dots being spot-on in line with the valves was in a Honda showroom.

You can always balance the wheel tyre combination but it takes a lot more weights which:

For the customer can mean a plethora of not so nice looking balance weights on their nice shiny handsome wheels.

For the tyre fitting company more expense than is strictly necessary.

[ingenieur]

bmwmike said:

ingenieur said:

bmwmike said:

Garvin said:

ingenieur said:

MDMA . said:

They’ve only been putting them for 15-20 years and you’ve only just found out?

Yep. And think of it as a public service for the others who've not already learned this. The vast majority of us aren't born with the entirety of all knowledge of all mankind so have to go through this long and inconvenient process of learning new information. And believe it or not, when it comes to boring stuff like tyres I tend to let that information come to me rather than seeking it out.

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

In fairness that's probably why they are tyre fitters. Don't think I've ever had one fitted properly.

True to an extent. Some very intelligent people use their intelligence to help them realise that living a hard and fast life at the very crest of their powers all the time can be unhealthy and an unsatisfactory way to live. Instead they take an easy job and have a relaxing low stress life.

You might be right, though I can think of a lot of jobs which are not as strenuous, noisy, or as repetitive as tyre fitting. Its a simple thing, so i just don't see why its something that gets missed so often - laziness? Simply couldn't GaF? Ignorance?

I have often wondered about getting a more active job to try and preserve some physical fitness into middle age. Sitting at a desk all day can be pretty unhealthy so I can see some advantages. I'm not into 'working out' but getting something done while getting exercise is okay.

[ingenieur]

Garvin said:

Sheepshanks said:

Garvin said:

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

Costco guys told me it doesn't matter as the balancer takes care of the difference.

I think the the dots mean different things to different tyre manufacturers.

I used to work in a car factory and, while I can't put exact numbers on this and obviously we got through a lot of tyres, there was always a pretty big pile of tyres that had been rejected by the auto-tyre fitting machine as being out of balance spec.

The only time I've ever noticed all the red dots being spot-on in line with the valves was in a Honda showroom.

You can always balance the wheel tyre combination but it takes a lot more weights which:

For the customer can mean a plethora of not so nice looking balance weights on their nice shiny handsome wheels.

For the tyre fitting company more expense than is strictly necessary.

Weights can fall off as well. I'd say the disadvantage of ignoring the dot and putting on more weights than you'd otherwise have to is introducing vibrations to cancel them out. If you just don't put the vibrations into the equation in the first instance surely that has advantages?

[Garvin]

ingenieur said:

Garvin said:

Sheepshanks said:

Garvin said:

Unfortunately, a lot of tyre fitters still don’t know and have to be ‘reminded’ when they fit your tyres!

Costco guys told me it doesn't matter as the balancer takes care of the difference.

I think the the dots mean different things to different tyre manufacturers.

I used to work in a car factory and, while I can't put exact numbers on this and obviously we got through a lot of tyres, there was always a pretty big pile of tyres that had been rejected by the auto-tyre fitting machine as being out of balance spec.

The only time I've ever noticed all the red dots being spot-on in line with the valves was in a Honda showroom.

You can always balance the wheel tyre combination but it takes a lot more weights which:

For the customer can mean a plethora of not so nice looking balance weights on their nice shiny handsome wheels.

For the tyre fitting company more expense than is strictly necessary.

Weights can fall off as well. I'd say the disadvantage of ignoring the dot and putting on more weights than you'd otherwise have to is introducing vibrations to cancel them out. If you just don't put the vibrations into the equation in the first instance surely that has advantages?

Very true. The real professionals will also hide the weights behind the spokes so they are out of sight which is good for those who like their pretty wheels unblemished. Even if they have to split them into smaller weights behind two spokes if the balance point is actually between the spokes and would be very visible.