Any of you using Nitrogen in your tyres?
Nitrogen fill
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Sure! about 80% N2 in air ![[Razz]](images/icons/tongue.gif)
It is a nice inert & stable gas for tire inflation purposes. Argon is even better, but more $$.
G/luck
Joel
[ June 10, 2004, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: JTK ]
It is a nice inert & stable gas for tire inflation purposes. Argon is even better, but more $$.
G/luck
Joel
[ June 10, 2004, 11:48 PM: Message edited by: JTK ]I've used it for a yr and more tyre dealers getting it in all the time. Is it the same in NA?
What are the benefits?
driven2services
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COMPLETE waste of money unless you own a nascar.
quote:Claim: Longer tire life because N2 is a nearly inert gas so the tire doesn't deteriorate from the inside. Probably true, but AFAIK, Irrelivant. I have never had a tire die because of deterioration from the inside. Claim: Slower loss of tire pressure because N2 molecules are bigger than O2 molecules. Maybe so, but air is already about 80% N2, so the effect would be small. I also don't consider the pressure loss rates in my tires an issue. Claim: Runs cooler. Lacking solid scietific data, or a scientific explanation, I'm sceptical Claim: Less pressure change with Temperature. See above for Runs cooler.
Originally posted by mikep:quote:Ditto.
Originally posted by mountainhouse: What are the benefits?
driven2services
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The ONLY benefit worth thinking about is the fact that it doesn't expand very much when warm. Whoop de do. That's not a problem in street tires. When was the last time you thought "god, my tires are getting too hot!"? In race cars it's a real issue, but when you're driving your Honda down to the store, no, it's not something that will help you. It might give you slightly better gas mileage because your wallet will be lighter.
In a racing car you need to be able to control hot and cold tire temps and pressures very closely. It's difficult to do that with "shop air" since you can't well control the humidity or makeup of it. Nitrogen being a bottled pure gas will allow you that repeatability. It's a logical extension of using it in suspension components that's been going on for years...
I have a small tire inflator that uses CO2 cartidges to fill tires. I'm thinking this would be a good emergency inflator as well as something for a day at the track. One could drop the pressure at the track and then raise it with the CO2 for the drive home.
Anyone see any downside to this?
-T
nitrogen is also dry so as mentioned the tire pressure remains constant. Any A.P."s chime in I think nitrogen is used in aircraft .
quote:The no pressure change is common misperception. Nitrogen pressure is in a tire is directly proportional to absolute temperature of the tire. Nitrogen behaves very closely to an ideal gas at tire temperatures.
Originally posted by Steve S: nitrogen is also dry so as mentioned the tire pressure remains constant. Any A.P."s chime in I think nitrogen is used in aircraft .
Its worh five bucks a tyre just for them not going down all the time (I hate having to regularly check them and visit the servo to pump em up). And running cooler on a trip is easy to check yourself. I won't be going back to air in a hurry as any top ups are free after initial fill.
ZmOz, you might take into consideration that climates other than yours can cause real problems with tires. It is no joke on a heavy vehicle, or on a tractor trailer, it is, in fact a requirement of a professional driver to attend to any tires too hot. I've seen it in winter in Iowa, and certainly along any stretch of I-10 in summer.
One of the best points of the tires bought for our Jeep (KUMHO Ecsta STZ) was that, when towing or, really, at too high speed in 105F weather, I detected no hot spots on tires at fuel stops. This would not -- and has not, in my experience -- have been true of every tire, (on any vehicle at any given time in any number of cases).
High traction ratings are great, and so are high temperature ratings. (Given that pressures are corrected with load and experience.)
If indeed, nitrogen can be shown to alleviate pressure rise -- and keep condensation to a minimum -- then it would be worth trying.
Sounds like the only time it might possibly be worth it, for me personally, would be at open track days. While up at Pocono Raceway in June the pressure in my tires rose 5 psi after the first 30 minute run and that was on an overcast 60 degree day. It could makes trying to figure a good pressure starting point a lot less dicey if you don't have the luxury of a practice run.
The other 95% of the time it sounds like a waste of money for the average motoring consumer. Just another way for a shop/tire dealer to build a few extra bucks into a sale.
Kestas
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I can vouch for nitrogen being used in aircraft tires. I'm not sure why. It may have something to do with its inertness or pressure characteristics. It's the pressure characteristics that make nitrogen popular for use in gas-charged shocks.
It's inert and moisture free.
Bob Jane T Marts is where I get Nitrogen. Probably Australia's largest tyre dealer and usually the cheapest.
quote:our c-130's get compressed air in the tires. the struts get nitrogen. i think the main benefit is that it is clean and dry. from what i have heard it is the moisture in the gas that makes it expand more.
nitrogen is also dry so as mentioned the tire pressure remains constant. Any A.P."s chime in I think nitrogen is used in aircraft .
quote:The main reason for using nitrogen in struts is that their is no oxygen in it to oxidise the oil and seals. Otherwise, dry air would work very nearly as well.
Originally posted by tom slick: [QUOTE]our c-130's get compressed air in the tires. the struts get nitrogen. i think the main benefit is that it is clean and dry.
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