Nitrogen filled tires - any real world experience?

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Originally Posted By: sprintman
Used nitrogen in our cars tyres for many years. I get them to throw it in free for tyre purchase and free tire fills for the life of the tyres. I hate checking tyre pressures and nitrogen fixes that. No brainer really

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For the reasonable price of free I would get my tires inflated with nitrogen, but I wouldn't cross a busy street for it and I would still check my pressures once in while...
I think a better strategy is just to put in 4-6 extra psi, you won't notice any difference in ride or wear and if you don't check your tires more than once a year you are still fine...
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Edit: Sorry, but your CR chart violated their copyright. BITOG has received complaints from CR before.

If you can summarize the chart or have a link to it, please post it. It was an informative chart.
 
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Originally Posted By: stranger706
Im calling [censored] on this whole nitrogen thing. Its just the latest and greatest scam of the tire industry. Its frustrating how easily people are fooled into paying for stuff.

Nitrogen tires are for racing and aviation. They serve no purpose in car tires.

You will never get more than 95% nitrogen inside a car tire.

Even if you had access to a TRUE 100% nitrogen machine (I doubt it, these are very rare and $$$) you would never get more than 95% nitrogen in your tires. Why? Because even when your tires have no psi, they still have atmospheric air pressure in them. So unless you fill your tires up inside a vacuum chamber, you will never get all the "regular" air out in the first place.

So, considering that regular air is already 80% nitrogen, and you will never be able to get more than 95% nitrogen in your tires, your paying how much money for 15% more nitrogen?

Like I said hardly anything. I mean maybe $6 for 3000lbs of 100% nitrogen. Big deal. Call whoever you want and call it whatever you want.Bottom line is I do it for the moisture and level tire temps.
 
Well, I'd say 95% of the time my tires just sit outside too...
Explain the physics of why it would matter if the tire is driven or not?
I guess its good you are that interested in your tires, better than being totally ignorant of them.
For me, they are probably the most idiot proof part of my car, I set them at 38-40 psi cold and check them once in a while. Usually every oil change.
Ian
 
Huh? Who said it made any difference? It is a question. Maybe in Canada they phrase questions with a secret "mark" of some kind that I missed. I dunno. I ask a question and you ask for me to explain physics. Maybe I missed something. Enlighten me oh wise one.
 
Gee Whiz -- I had no idea I'd stir up such a lively debate.

If I buy my next batch of tires (or tyres if you will), I'll get the nitrogen treatment. I won't pay extra for it, though.

Thanks again for all the great comments!
 
Originally Posted By: GrampsintheSand
Huh? Who said it made any difference? It is a question. Maybe in Canada they phrase questions with a secret "mark" of some kind that I missed. I dunno. I ask a question and you ask for me to explain physics. Maybe I missed something. Enlighten me oh wise one.

I assumed you did read the article and were going to poke holes in their methodology. But I guess not.
Enjoy your nitrogen filled tires.
 
Originally Posted By: Arbuckle
Gee Whiz -- I had no idea I'd stir up such a lively debate.

If I buy my next batch of tires (or tyres if you will), I'll get the nitrogen treatment. I won't pay extra for it, though.

Thanks again for all the great comments!

For real! Somebody had a bad dream and a nitrogen tank was chasing them with a butcher knife I guess. I may have $45 invested in my nitrogen filling station with a few thousand pounds of nitrogen at the ready. Do the math I agree I wouldn't pay anything like $5 bucks per tire...but you can setup a simple/safe and very inexpensive home nitrogen filling station...or many places around here fill your tires with nitrogen for free. It is better than air/water no doubt. I think the "nitrogen hater" is saying he wouldn't pay for it....not that it isn't better because it simply is better for your tires in the long run that the air/water tire fill mix.
 
I guess I am the nitrogen hater... My main point is that I feel its unnecessary to fill your tires with nitrogen. The very minor reductions in the variation of tire pressure for a street driven car are insignificant IMHO. F1 cars or NASCAR sure, .5psi is important. Its also been shown nitrogen filled tires still leak significantly too.
I think there might be an advantage to having no humidity in the air in the tires just so the possibility of corrosion of the rims is reduced but even that is a stretch... My 15 year old rims driven in 100% salt solutions every winter don't have rust on the bead causing an air leak.
So for me its a waste of money and time, and I think it is for most people but if $45 keeps Gramps happy with his tires, its probably money well spent for him.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
... I think there might be an advantage to having no humidity in the air in the tires just so the possibility of corrosion of the rims is reduced but even that is a stretch...

Aren't all tires mounted with a water solution? Considering how much water is used, I don't get too excited over the dryness of the nitrogen.

Originally Posted By: IndyIan
... My 15 year old rims driven in 100% salt solutions every winter don't have rust on the bead causing an air leak.

Take a look at them with the tire dismounted. You'd be surprised at how much corrosion is at the bead seat. Since I started mounting my own tires I've routinely found and dealt with corrosion before it becomes a problem. A gritblaster is your friend.
 
The reason race teams use nitrogen is because the gas is pressurized at what, 3000 psi, right there in the tank. They can wheel it around and air up tires all day. Can't do that necessarily with regular compressed air.

The reason aircraft use nitrogen is because of the low flammability. Fires on aircraft are bad news.

If you're worried about moisture, you can get a desiccant for your shop air system. Nitrogen is not needed for that. As stated before, the "nitrogen" in the tires isn't pure nitrogen anyway, and whatever you do add, desiccated or not, is already 78% nitrogen.
 
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
snip
Explain the physics of why it would matter if the tire is driven or not? snip


My guess is that in driving, you occasionally get a slight amount of bead separation from the rim increasing the pressure loss. Thus, more pressure loss no matter what is in the tire.

I think we have the material for a cow chip throwing contest on nitrogen in tires.
 
Originally Posted By: Jason Adcock
The reason race teams use nitrogen is because the gas is pressurized at what, 3000 psi, right there in the tank. They can wheel it around and air up tires all day. Can't do that necessarily with regular compressed air.


I thought I heard most of the F1 teams were using CO2? I know at least one team figured out a refrigerant mix that would move heat from the tread to the wheel.
 
Originally Posted By: labman
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
snip
Explain the physics of why it would matter if the tire is driven or not? snip


My guess is that in driving, you occasionally get a slight amount of bead separation from the rim increasing the pressure loss. Thus, more pressure loss no matter what is in the tire.

I think we have the material for a cow chip throwing contest on nitrogen in tires.


One of the reasons that undriven bicycle tyres lose pressure faster has to do with the crosslinking of the rubber forming a "net" to hold the air molecules.

Working the rubber keeps it "fluffed up" (like VI Improver ?), while allowing it to relax increases the size of the holes in the net.
 
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