<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <wontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]>******** classid="clsid:38481807-CA0E-42D2-BF39-B33AF135CC4D" id=ieooui>*********> <style> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }st2\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } </style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> I think my comment was made "light hearted", emphasized with the smiley.

I didn't say I didn't like the idea of science. This is nothing more then facts, Dalton's Law and a bit of Boyle's law. I’m not science major by any means, but have used the two laws with gas mix blending for SCUBA diving for quite a few years (partial pressure blending)

If you look around enough you will find the nitrogen proponents tend to agree you need no more then about 93% to do the job.
Without sitting down with a calculator and Dalton's Law I am going to guess that 93% comes close to the practical limit of filling tires in a less then 100% environment.

In a solid container you could a least pull a vacuum and evacuate all of the air and added impurities (water vapor being a key item) and then refill with pure nitrogen

But you can’t pull a vacuum on a mounted tire-wheel combo.

All of the tire manufacturers have issued statements ranging from helpful, to not harmful to no benefit seen.

For the person who never checks their tires there may be some benefit, but, if you are a regular “pressure checker” there is no real benefit.

The theory that the oxygen is degrading the tire from within may be valid, especially since it is at a higher partial pressure then the air surrounding the outside of the tire.
Although on the outside you have UV working against you.

How long does it take for a higher PP of O2 to damage a tire? Haven’t found that yet, but most tire manufacturers recommend a limited lifespan for tires anyway whether they are on a vehicle or sitting on a tire rack.

And in the real world, the person that doesn’t check his tires on a regular basis will be even less likely too, thinking that a nitrogen filled tire will keep the pressure up longer.

Remember, opinions are just that, everyone has one.

And IMHO a quality tire gauge is a better investment then depending on some tire jockey filling my tires correctly. Especially considering I am changing tire pressures based on load (trailer or no trailer).

 

Perhaps the approach was direct, but the message is essentially accurate: Nitrogen-filled tires aren't filled w/100% nitrogen, because you don't normally try to seal out the atmosphere prior to seating the bead, etc. Whether filling w/N brings the average up from 78% to 80, 85, 90, 95, or what I don't know, though (never tried to measure )

Getting the oxygen out is really the main thing re: rubber degradation. Maybe you could seat the beads w/an ignited shot of ether? That'd get rid of the free oxygen, too!