I am new to tire markings, and have been reading what they mean. However, there is not one clear source of information what to do when there is no white dot/dimple on the rim (marking the rim's lowest point).
There are two camps of thought:
Camp 1: Ignore the red dot, align yellow dot
How to balance a tire properly: use the yellow and red dots
Yellow and Red Dot: The red always takes priority if the rim has a white dot or dimple; in such case align red to white. The white dot indicates the low point for radial runout/radial force variation of the rim.
If there is no white dot or dimple forget the red dot and align the yellow dot to the valve stem.
Camp 2: Align red dot with valve stem
Do you know what those colored dots on the sides of new tires are for?
align the red dot with the mark on the wheel
...
Now, if you have both red and yellow dots on your tire and you don't have any dots or marks on your wheel, red takes precedence over yellow and you should align the red dot with the valve stem.
Are you seeing dots? Those color-coded sidewall markings serve a purpose
whenever you see a red spot, match this up with the valve stem-unless you happen to have a steel wheel that has a dimple on the exterior side of the rim area
WHAT RED AND YELLOW DOT MEANS ON TIRES WHERE TO PUT RED DOT ON WHEEL (video)
Re-stating Question
Thank you for reading.
What is the correct camp of thought?
Bonus!
Here is a question I can't find an article addressing.
If the tire only has a red dot (no yellow dot), what should one do?
