Purpose of Colorful Dots and Stripes on a Tire
If you are here right now, the chances are that you ordered new tyres and when you looked at the complete set, you found those weird but interesting colourful stripes and dots on the tires. For someone who never saw these stripes and dots before, things can get a little confusing and fascinating all at the same time.
However, do not worry because after reading this article, you will not be questioning these stripes and dots because we are now going to explain it all to you in detail. The motivation for this article comes from questions several of our customers had asked us. A few of our customers called us to complain that their brand-new tyres had markings on them.
Likewise, a few customers called to ask why the markings on their tires had disappeared after a few days of driving. They were worried that the tires were being damaged. To allay the fears of our customers and to answer their questions, PitStopArabia has decided to author this article. We hope that it answers all your queries satisfactorily.
What Are Those Markings For?
By now, one thing that we all know is that professionalism is a must to adopt when it comes to tyre production. No matter how reputable a tyre manufacturer is, it is imperative for them to upgrade their systems and provide the latest technology products to its users. Every day, hundreds and thousands of tires are manufactured.
Now, as these tyre factories have to work on thousands of tread sheets every single day, it became essential for them to come up with some marking system so that they do not make any costly mistakes. Already, tire manufacturers have had to recall several of their products over the years. It results in loss of customers and affects their brand image.
Speaking of a marking system, the stripes and the dots you often see on these new tyres are nothing, but a technique used by the manufacturers to indicate irregularities in the tire. Please note that it is impossible to create a perfect round tire or a tire without any abnormalities. This is where the dots and stripes come into play.
Moreover, these dots and lines play different roles. The dots let the tire installers to know how to install the tyre correctly. The stripes help in manufacturing the tire correctly. In simpler words, these colourful stripes and dots do not concern the users; in fact, they just concern the production plant and installers. Therefore, you should leave it to them. Nevertheless, PitStopArabia acknowledges that people today are quite curious.
Therefore, we will let you know what roles these stripes and dots play in the whole manufacturing process.
What are the Dots for?
Now, let us talk about the dots that people often see on the tyres that they order. The meaning of these dots is quite variable, and it is different for different manufacturers so you cannot clearly tell what they represent and why they are there in the first place. Mostly, a yellow dot is used to represent a point in the tread, which is lighter than the rest.
When a tire installer sees this dot, they try to align the yellow dot with the valve stem on your wheel and tyre combo. It reduces the amount of weight which will otherwise be required to balance the tire perfectly. If your tire has a red dot, it represents the high point. Another colour might be used to describe a low point. Again, it does not concern you and is there only for the tire installer. Therefore, to avoid being confused, let us leave it at that!
What are the Stripes for?
Like the dots, the stripes do not the concern the end customer. They concern only the tire manufacturers. Think of the lines are bar codes. It helps manufacturers know that they are using the correct tire tread for manufacturing the tire. Moreover, some manufacturers also use the stripes to label out tire size, type or any other classification.
There is no uniform rule, and each manufacturer uses the stripes for varied purposes. At times, the markings help the manufacturers to ensure that all the components of the tire are fitted correctly.
Final Thoughts
There is nothing to worry about with these stripes and dots. All that should matter to you is the company that you are buying the tyres from and who manufactured them. Tyres are expensive, and it is an investment that you should make carefully. We often tell people that they should not rush the decision of buying tyres from a particular company.
Moreover, what they should do is that they should study the market correctly, try different brands, read their online reviews and then make a final purchase. Let us know what you think about the information we have provided you and leave your suggestions. Thank You!