Must the yellow dot on the tire be aligned with the valve stem?
2 Answers
It must be aligned. Below is an introduction to the yellow and red dots on tires: 1. Introduction to the yellow dot: The hollow yellow dot is the light point mark of the tire, indicating that this position is the lightest part of the tire. A car wheel is composed of three parts: the tire, the rim, and the valve stem. The valve stem is installed on the rim and corresponds to the heaviest point on the rim. When assembling the tire, aligning the yellow mark on the tire with the heaviest point on the rim can achieve better dynamic balance. 2. Introduction to the red dot: The solid red dot represents the point of maximum longitudinal rigidity of the tire. Simply put, the position marked with the red dot is the point with the greatest vibration on the tire. When the vehicle rotates once on the surface, each position inside the tire will bear different compressive forces, which will indirectly affect driving comfort.
As someone who often works on my own car, I find this question quite interesting. The yellow dot on the tire actually indicates the lightest point of the tire, while the valve stem area is usually the heaviest part of the rim. Aligning them helps reduce imbalance. Last time I changed tires, I didn't pay much attention to this, and ended up feeling steering wheel vibrations while driving. It was only resolved after getting the wheels rebalanced at the shop. Professionals generally recommend aligning them, as it reduces the need for balancing weights and makes installation easier. But honestly, it's not a strict requirement - if they're not aligned during installation, technicians can still balance it out. The key is achieving overall wheel balance, otherwise long-term uneven tire wear can occur, affecting lifespan and driving comfort. For safety's sake, it's better to follow this practice, but don't worry too much - it's not that rigid.
