Why do they put a dab of paint on new tires?
Why do they (and who are "they?") put a big ugly dot of paint on new tires? I have purchased many tires before, and most of the time, they have a 1 inch or so dot of white paint that is very hard to remove. Why do they do this? Especially on $200 performance tires. If I spend more than $100 on a tire, I probably am going to care that it looks good on my vehicle. And who does the painting? The tire wholesaler or the tire shop I get it from?
I have read not to use solvents because anything harsh enough to break up the paint is likely to do the same damage to the rubber. Are we talking paint thinner solvent or dawn dish soap?