While all tires are marked and stamped with obvious information regarding tire size, weight and manufacturer info, other information is sometimes unclear to the average person. In this blog we’ll explain one of the most commonly seen markings on tires that aren’t easily identified or understood, but play an important role in your safety and the ride quality of your vehicle. 

Imperfections and Irregularities

It’s an impossible task for tire manufacturers to produce a perfectly round and perfectly balanced tire. Because of this, slight imperfections and small irregularities are marked on the tires to ensure the tire is properly aligned and balanced when mounted onto a wheel. The way these imperfections and irregularities are marked are with two different colored dots, yellow and red.

Yellow Dots 

Yellow dots signify the lightest point on your tire or where the wheel weighs the least. The valve stem section of your wheels is the heaviest part, so placing the lightest part of the tire on the heaviest part of the wheel significantly reduces the amount of weight your wheel will need when it comes time to add weight and balance.

Red Dots

The Red dot signifies the flattest part or lowest point on your tires. The lowest point of the tire should always be adjacent to the highest part of the wheel which is usually indicated by some sort of marking on the wheel.

If there is only a yellow dot on your tire, you should line up the yellow dot with the valve stem of the wheel when mounting. If there are both red and yellow dots, the red dot should be lined up with the valve stem. The lowest point of the tire takes precedence over the lightest point of the tire in this case.

Proper Balancing 

Properly aligning the red or yellow dots with the valve stem is important for a number of reasons. Most notably, the proper amount of weight added to your wheels will prevent your vehicle from experiencing that annoying rumble or shaky feeling when traveling at a higher rate of speed. If improperly balanced, your vehicle handling and stopping distance can be negatively affected. Unbalanced tires can also cause excessive wear and tear and uneven spots on your tires, making the vehicle unsafe for travel.

Preventative Maintenance

If you happen to notice a vibration at any point while driving after ensuring these markings are properly lined up, it could be that a wheel weight has fallen off or that your wheel may be bent or damaged. In any case, it’s a smart move to head over to your local tire shop and get your tires checked out. Getting your tires checked, rotated and rebalanced may not only keep you safe while driving, but save you money in the long run. General rule of thumb is to have your tires rotated and checked as regularly as you get your oil changed. 

We hope this information was helpful whether you’re new to the service industry or just a curious auto enthusiast eager to learn the little details about the markings you see on your tires.

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The post Identifying Tire Markings: Red and Yellow Dots first appeared on Factory Reproductions.

What is a staggered setup? 

When it comes time to start upgrading parts on your vehicle, choosing the right wheels is imperative. You want to be sure that the fitment is correct and that your choice achieves the aesthetic that you want. Many people choose to run a staggered wheel setup. A staggered setup or fitment means running wider or larger wheels and tires on the rear of your vehicle than the ones on the front. For example, running 18×8.5 wheels up front and 19×10 on the rear. This is common with many rear wheel drive vehicles such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Mustang, BMW, Mercedes, Dodge and others.

What is a square setup? 

A square setup means that the tires are equal at all 4 corners of the vehicle and that there is no difference in tire width between the front and rear axles. While most vehicles, performance and non-performance come stock with a square setup, many who decide to upgrade to aftermarket wheels choose to keep a square setup to optimize the lifespan of their tires.

Photo provided by @indigo_sxt on Instagram.

Benefits vs Downfalls

Staggered wheel setups are more commonly associated with personal handling preferences/driving style, and are intended to accommodate performance vehicles. The wider tires provide balancing and handling characteristics while also providing adequate traction for high horsepower vehicles. 

One issue you may encounter while running a staggered setup if using the car for performance purposes, is understeer. Understeer is a vehicle’s tendency to “push” through a corner, which becomes negatively affected when running smaller width tires up front. Having less control and handling leads some drivers to prefer to go from a staggered setup to a square setup in order to reduce the odds of understeering in harsh driving conditions.

The second issue would be the inability to rotate your tires. Because you are running wider tires in the rear than the front, you’re unable to rotate your back tires to the front and vice versa. Due to this, the longevity of your tires may dramatically decrease, especially in a racing environment where burnouts and cornering cause major wear. You’ll be spending a pretty penny on tires if you like to burn rubber.

Fender Flares and Wide Body Kits

Many that choose to upgrade their wheel and tire setup are willing to go the extra mile to change the entire look of the vehicle. This includes adding fender flares or for some, a full widebody kit that dramatically changes the vehicle’s appearance. Both choices allow for wider wheels and tires to fit and look great.

Photo provided by @urfavrt on Instagram.

Your Move

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to a square or staggered set up. If your vehicle application allows you to install a wider setup, it will definitely look more aggressive and will perform better under most circumstances. In some cases trimming and modifications are needed. Yes, wider tires are heavier, understeer is a possibility and tire rotation is an issue, but for some, the aggressive look makes it all worth it. Keeping a square setup may be the way to go if you’re looking for a more neutral setting for your vehicle, in addition to maintaining  the ability to rotate your tires.

What is your ideal setup? Connect with us on social media with the links provided below and let us know. We’d love to hear from you!

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The post Standard vs. Staggered Setup: Which Suits Your Vehicle? first appeared on Factory Reproductions.