When examining new tires, one may notice colored dots on the sidewall or tread. These dots, typically red or yellow, play an important role in the installation process of the tire. They are ...

If you've got both, though, the red dot takes precedence. It's easier to make up a weight offset with some tacked-on grams than it is to counteract a physical bump in the tire. Yellow dots are ...

Yellow dots mark where a tire's weight is the most minimal, and red dots indicate where the wheel is lowest, helping tire technicians properly balance things to account for irregularities.