Nitrogen in tires?

[ultramegabob]

does anyone on here use nitrogen in their service truck tires? have you noticed any real difference in how they maintain tire pressure? do you feel it is worth the money? 5 dollars per tire here.

[Rewire]

plain old straight from the compressor is 78% nitrogen and I get it free.

[ultramegabob]

the reason is where I live the temperature changes drastically alot, and I have to watch my tire pressure constantly, if it makes a difference 20 bucks is worth it to me not to have to mess with my tires constantly.

[Rockyd]

I'm game, what exactly are the benefits of riding on nitro in the tires? I know if you put in the intake, you can get to a service call quicker than anyone on the block!

Wow! Been reading my mail? answer quicker than I could ask!

[ultramegabob]

I'm game, what exactly are the benefits of riding on nitro in the tires? I know if you put in the intake, you can get to a service call quicker than anyone on the block!

Wow! Been reading my mail? answer quicker than I could ask!

I think you are thinking about nitrous oxide, pure nitrogen would snuff out the combustion in your engine.

[petersonra]

the reason is where I live the temperature changes drastically alot, and I have to watch my tire pressure constantly, if it makes a difference 20 bucks is worth it to me not to have to mess with my tires constantly.


nitrogen reacts the same way to temeprature changes as does regular air.

supposedly, the nitrogen is less reactive to the rubber then air is and thus you get more life out of your tires. I am skeptical.

[cadpoint]

A few tire installers are now into this! With a free refill at one installer!

I beleive it, have been using it!

Worth it? Well average tire lost is 1Lb per month!

The saving comes from that nitrogen has bigger Molcules structure and reduces the heat to the tires, by its own structure theres less mass to heat verses oxygen.

[iwire]

Is it better to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of air? (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2694/is-it-better-to-fill-your-tires-with-nitrogen-instead-of-air)

[ultramegabob]

the reasoning I have been told, is that the molecules are larger and less prone to leak out of the porous rubber tire as it heats and cools.

[Rewire]

I am filling the tires with nitrogen on the van I use to install power factor correction devices

[Mr.Sparkle]

Is it better to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of air? (http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2694/is-it-better-to-fill-your-tires-with-nitrogen-instead-of-air)

Does anyone remember The Straight Dope TV Show? They had a short run on Discovery I think, it was a great program.

[cadpoint]

just a part of what was linked:

However, we're talking about a weight difference of less than 4 percent of the gas in the tire - in other words, a difference of less than an ounce for most vehicles. A possibly more realistic benefit is that nitrogen is largely inert chemically at low (i.e., normal) temperatures, so it won't attack the rubber in your tires like oxygen does.

Overall, filling up with nitrogen won't hurt and may provide some minimal benefit. Is it worth it? If you go to some place like Costco that does it for free with new tires, sure, why not? Elsewhere, though, I've seen prices quoted as high as $10 per tire, which is way more than I'd pay. Rather than shell out for nitrogen, you'd be better off just checking and adjusting your tire pressure regularly, something the NHTSA says less than 60 percent of U.S. motorists actually do.

[growler]

I think you are thinking about nitrous oxide,


That's the stuff, that's what I fill my tires with ( N2O, commonly called laughing gas). It doesn't help with the air pressure very much but it's much more fun to fix a flat, you know, if it's still leaking a bit. :D

[Fulthrotl]

does anyone on here use nitrogen in their service truck tires? have you noticed any real difference in how they maintain tire pressure? do you feel it is worth the money? 5 dollars per tire here.

it's used in racing for both tires and shocks, one of the principle reasons is
that when you increase temperature, straight nitrogen expands less than
normal atmosphere. so when you heat up the tires, the pressure doesn't
increase as much. with shocks, the same thing applies, but if you are using
dry nitrogen, you won't have any corrosion from moisture inside the shock
or reservoir. i used to use it in my forks, shocks, and tires when i raced
offroad.

for a light truck? i wouldn't bother. one of the things i have on one of my
cars is realtime pressure and temperature tire monitoring. it works, and works
well. the canadian company that makes it, quit doing it for anything other
than 18 wheelers, which is why i don't have it on my work truck. it was only
a couple hundred bucks, and i mourn it's passing, for safety reasons... losing
a tire on a heavy van at speed isn't a fun day.

for that matter, if you are just looking for a dry inert gas to fill tires with,
argon would work quite well, and can be had at any welding supply.

that would be even more spiffy than nitrogen... until someone finds a
way to fill tires with unobtanium, and that would be even better....

[ohmhead]

Well i just thought electricians used nitrogen inside new transformers on the job well i guess ill be filling up my tires now .take care thats a new one

[e57]

until someone finds a
way to fill tires with unobtanium, and that would be even better....
Unobtainium - Thats that junk they use in speaker cables - I swear I can't tell the difference.

[Fulthrotl]

Unobtainium - Thats that junk they use in speaker cables - I swear I can't tell the difference.

yep, it's the same stuff.... i get my supply on ebay.

[Rockyd]

Guess the vehicle will have to just suffer and use air...

[electricmanscott]

nitrogen reacts the same way to temeprature changes as does regular air.

supposedly, the nitrogen is less reactive to the rubber then air is and thus you get more life out of your tires. I am skeptical.

Funny thing about this argument is the fact that the tires are surrounded by........air!

Save your money it is a waste.

This is like electricians conning people into going with all #12 wire where #14 is more than adequate. ;)

[cadpoint]

Funny thing about this argument is the fact that the tires are surrounded by........air!

Save your money it is a waste.

This is like electricians conning people into going with all #12 wire where #14 is more than adequate. ;)


what our climate is made up of is + - 80% nitrogen
Well to each there own, the chemical properties have been presented !

In reference to another thread, it might be something that you might have to deal with or it might not be!

Don't exculude yourself from the obvious, don't condone the obvious! Why waste the time! Much like here!

[djohns6]

I think the benefits are minimal at best for the average Joe . Nitrogen is dirt cheap . It's another way for shops to make a profit . Kinda like when they started adding " shop supplies " to their invoices . Six to eight bucks for a couple of rags and a squirt of WD-40 . :grin:

[norcal]

When I needed tires for my Dodge 2500, they had Michelin 10 ply on em, decided to get another set for them & in pricing them at various shops, found Costco had the best price, and to make a long story short, they use nitrogen to fill their tires & had banners to hype the news....

If it's better or not, I dunno.....

[petersonra]

it's used in racing for both tires and shocks, one of the principle reasons is that when you increase temperature, straight nitrogen expands less than normal atmosphere. so when you heat up the tires, the pressure doesn't increase as much.

I think you should google universal or ideal gas law.

N2 and air expand at exactly the same rate, or at least so close that you can't tell the difference.

[quogueelectric]

I carry portable air/Co2 tanks on my truck for portable air. I have tire valve chucks/Air tool chucks/ Oil fitting chucks/ blown air chucks, Tire repair plugs and glue with the kit. I wonder how co2 reacts to the rubber. I know it will drive nails or any other air tool all day long with a little tank strapped on my tool belt and a 6'air hose. I love it. It delivers 120+ out of the regulator.

[wptski]

How does such a non-eletrical thread such as this get to three pages long when "some" others make only to a few posts??:rolleyes:

[Fulthrotl]

I think you should google universal or ideal gas law.

N2 and air expand at exactly the same rate, or at least so close that you can't tell the difference.

drat. you mean i've been lied to all these years?:mad:
if that is so, and i'll take it on faith that it is,
then why are all these people doing, and have been
doing this, for thirty years? cooperative hallucination?

[Fulthrotl]

How does such a non-eletrical thread such as this get to three pages long when "some" others make only to a few posts??:rolleyes:

somebody went out to play on sunday??:smile:

[George Stolz]

How does such a non-eletrical thread such as this get to three pages long...
I was sitting here thinking the same thing...

Now I'm off to start a new electrically related thread, "Do chicks really dig dudes with money, who happen to be electricians?" :D