Tire blowout !!!

[artlk]

It's my friend's R8 and when the right rear tire blewout I was sitting beside him...Too scary! However,now we still don't get the reason. So just keep an eye on your tires!

[rmicroys]

So, no TPMS warning? Just a complete sudden failure and de-lamination of the tire?

[SteveR]

Lets see the left rear tire.

[the_buch]

What brand was he running?

[sapien]

Probably Pirellis


Nitrogen filled tires reduce risk of blowouts?

[drifting]

I did this 2 weeks ago in my 200 sx it looked like a bomb went off on the side of the car.

Its amazing how much damage it does do.

[rmicroys]

Probably Pirellis


Nitrogen filled tires reduce risk of blowouts?

No. Just the proper air pressure. Air is 80/20 Nitrogen/Oxygen basically, with a bit of water vapour mixed in. Nitrogen only really provides more stable/predictable thermal expansion characteristics (because it's dry in comparison with air) A lot of people tout 'tire degradation', oxidation (from the inside, and other such non-sense. I've run normal air in all my tires on every car, motorcycle, trailer, I've ever owned - even in the racecar because I'm too lazy to lug around a Nitrogen tank. Never had any issues.

Running too low a tire pressure will cause extreme heat buildup in the tread, and can cause a delamination of the tread and sudden failure - properly maintained tires shouldn't really have that happen to them.

[AJR8]

BIG BOOM!!! You were lucky not to crash...it happened to a friend of mine that was driving in front of me on the highway...blewout the same wheel as you guys did...but he roll and crash several times against the traffic wall ...brand new Alfa Romeo 159 destroyed...not injuries at least!

[sapien]

No. Just the proper air pressure. Air is 80/20 Nitrogen/Oxygen basically, with a bit of water vapour mixed in. Nitrogen only really provides more stable/predictable thermal expansion characteristics (because it's dry in comparison with air)

but that 20% oxygen is enough to cause problems?

[rmicroys]

but that 20% oxygen is enough to cause problems?

Actually the water vapor is what they want to eliminate when they use Nitrogen. From what I know it's actually cheaper to make Nitrogen than it is to make 'dry air'. Again, the small amount of oxygen in your wheels isn't going to cause them to corrode from the 'inside out'. There's just as much surface area on the outside exposed to moisture laden air that will cause issues. And aluminum, once it oxidizes doesn't get any worse because the surface layer of aluminum oxide is basically protects it from further oxidation, unless the aluminum is basically kept in constant contact with water. Though there is a small amount of galvanic corrosion which will occur at the interface between the steel rotor had and the rim. Nothing to concern yourself with for most people unless you drive your R8 in the snow all time.