It’s still on store shelves. Possibly been there for decades.
I still use it on the black walls and wheels. Never thought about not using it. Spray on, brush, hose off. Quick, easy.
Wow, the amount of misinformation in this post is staggering. The colored Lines are used for tracking the tread during the manufacturing process. The tread rubber is extruded through a die and cut to size. In order to tract the tread through manufacturing, colored lines are painted in the the rubber. For the guys at the plant, they can look at the colors and know the size and type of tire being made.
The following video should help:
As for the colored dots. These only apply to OEM applications. Tires and wheels,(rims), are not perfectly round. A fraction of a millimeter is difference can lead to a vibration after mounting. For vehicle manufactures, colored dots are placed on the tires and a notch on the wheels to help match mount the tires to minimize vibration. Since using the wheels will change its uniformity over time, using the dots to help match mount the tires would no longer apply. Although there are tons in old mechanics tales and a few 2nd tire manufacturers suggesting it, using the dots in the mounting process is not applicable outside the OEM process. Just note, this is one use of the dots, like the colored lines in the tread, the exact use will vary by plant or OEM contract.
Well, I buy Yokohama tires. They have two colored dots. Their purpose is described in the following quoted paragraph and the link below. These are not OEM tires. So at least one tire manufacturer refutes your beliefs. Fortunately, I found a local installer that understands what these marks are for and uses them properly when installing my new tires. The result is far fewer weights used and a noticeably better balancing job.
To facilitate proper balancing, Yokohama places red and yellow marks on the sidewalls of its tires to enable the best possible match-mounting of the tire/wheel assembly. There are two methods of match-mounting Yokohama tires to wheel assemblies using these red or yellow marks:
- Uniformity (red mark)
- Weight (yellow mark)
1) UNIFORMITY METHOD
When performing uniformity match-mounting, the red mark on the tire, indicating the point of maximum radial force variation, should be aligned with the wheel assembly’s point of minimum radial run-out, which is generally indicated by a colored dot or a notch somewhere on the wheel assembly (consult manufacturer for details). Radial force variation is the fluctuation in the force that appears in the rotating axis of a tire when a specific load is applied and the tire rotated at a specific speed. It is necessary to minimize radial force variation to ensure trouble-free installation and operation. Not all wheel assemblies indicate the point of minimum radial run-out, rendering uniformity match-mounting sometimes impossible. If the point of minimum radial run-out is not indicated on a wheel assembly, the weight method of match-mounting should be used.
2) WEIGHT METHOD
When performing weight match-mounting, the yellow mark on the tire, indicating the point of lightest weight, should be aligned with the valve stem on the wheel assembly, which represents the heaviest weight point of the wheel assembly. After match-mounting by either of the above methods, the tire/wheel assembly can be balanced.
Regardless of the match mounting method, proper lubrication is a must. Lubricate both top and bottom beads with an approved tire lubricant. If the beads do not seat at 40 psi, break the entire assembly down and lubricate the bead areas again.
Read it directly here: https://www.yokohamatire.com/tires-101/advanced-information/match-mounting
At any rate, I thought VDC’s comments concerning the original start of this conversation, needs to be read again.
Could this be the last one… Word?
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