I'm installing new tires on my '27 touring with original style 21" wire wheels. Do the dots mark the heavier or the lighter side of the tires?
Thanks
Robert
The dots should align with the valve stems.
Thanks Mike, that's what I thought.
Robert
My TT has 21" wood wheels on the front. About 10 years ago I put two new Garfield 4.40/4.50-21 tires on it. What dots?
Henry Newer tires have a white or yellow dot on the sidewall that is supposed to align with the valve stem to make balancing easier
They are small dots, usually yellow but sometimes red painted near the bead of the tire. Two of my old tires are Garfields and I don't see dots on them but I think they may disappear over time.
Yellow dots get aligned to the valve stems. The red dots on steel wheels were aligned to dimples in the rims. The yellow dot is the light area of the tire and the red dot was the high point of the tire. The valve stem area is the heavy spot and the dimple on certain steel rims was the low spot. This works out to Match Mounting tires for less balance and out of round issues. I'm surprised that the 21" tires are marked.
Balance? Out of round? It's a TT!
Thanks for the replies. I didn't notice dots when I installed the tires and if they were there they're gone now. Oh well. At a usual maximum speed of about 25 MPH and with plenty of other distractions I've never had a problem.
Not to be facetious, but what does a blue dot mean, Kenny? The tires I buy have a blue dot on the sidewall.
Blue dot means that the yellow dot is cold
Dennis, you've missed your calling!!