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Nitrogen in Tires

A

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member
I think I will be using Nitrogen in my tires instead of just Air, it's better all around for the tire and gas millage.
what do you think ?
 
We used it in the race car, but only because it doesn't expand as much with heat, so the tire pressures were more stable. Gets expensive.
 
I used it in a set of tires once because it was included when I purchased the tires.

Seemed to work OK but I noticed no difference in any regard.

Dean
 
Great idea. Won't lighten up back end like helium, less expensive, doesn't freeze, won't rot out rims, and non-polluting. Just be sure your axles don't get the bends from nitrogen narcosis.
 
It will keep your tire pressure consistent throughout temperature changes so it will save you a little gas. Course a tire guage will do the same thing if you bother to use it. I must not mind the guage too much since there's alway's a tank of nitro in my truck & never any in my tires.lol The thing is nito is dirt cheap in the tank but not in tire stores.
 
Me too, 80% nitrogen and about 20% oxygen, but like you say, it's free if you pump your own from the supply.
 
got to be one of the biggest scams ever, gotta give credit to the person that came up with this one.
 
How does 100% nitrogen hold pressure any better than 78% nitrogen from your shop compressor? Nitrogen is just a cheap surplus gas left over from extracting oxygen , CO2 and argon. Dry atmospheric air is just as good. Now if you are filling tires on the space shuttle or F15 fighters. Having zero oxygen to support combustion inside the tires can be a consideration.
 
We use it all the time at work to service tires up to 150psi. It would be dangerous for the public to use,if they had to fill per bottle. Hook up something wrong and it will blow the tire and rim clean off the car. We use about 10 -15 large bottles a week. I saw a while back where you could buy a commpressor for about $1500 and don't see anyway you could justify it.
 
80% Nitrogen and 20% Oxygen is pretty close to regular air. Why go to a big bother for something that is not there?
 
The claims of better fuel mileage are GREATLY exaggerated.

Yes, you get better mileage, but it's only like .00000001% better.

If the tire shop offers you free nitrogen fill-ups, take it.
 
Larger molecules of N don't pass through the tires as easily as the smaller O. Also more stable at higher temps for summer driving maintain stable PSI and stabilize tread wear.Enough to justify setting yourself up to inflate your own tires? No. But I usually but my tires at Costco and they are set up to do it.
 
Why is N used in shocks? I suspect it is necessary and more stable than air. Apparently it goes into a lot of tires also.
 
The only advantage is the nitrogen is not flamable. Some of the large mining truck manufacturers are starting to recommend it. There was a security camera footage of lighting striking a parked haul truck. This set the interior of the tire on fire, and the pressure build up from the heat, caused the tire to blow a minute or so later. The same would occur if you welded or heated on a rim with the tire mounted, (even deflated is not safe)the rubber and air support combustion, and a minute or so later, explosion.
Haul Truck Tire explosion investigations
 
When it first came out, studies showed, if it costs you anything to fill, the only way you can justify it is to drive 150000 to 200000 miles per year.
 
I buy my tires at the Tire Barn and they fill with nitrogen at no cost to the costomer. That said, when they begin to add nitrogen, there is still a mixture of regular air at 1 atm. inside the tire. So, adding 30 psi of nitrogen, 2 atm. will still give you a 2:1 mix of nitrogen to regular air. SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
 
Large molecules of Nitrogen? Compared to Oxygen? They're both diatomic gas molecules, and the nitrogen has a molecular wt of about 28 compared to the oxygen at 32. I don't see how nitrogen molecules would be larger. And both act as ideal gases, and the mixture of the two acts as an ideal gas. Neither will be anywhere near their liquid state even at the highest pressures and lowest temperatures you're likely to see, so temperature stability is going to be identical. Other than the nitrogen being dry, I don't see any advantage, and I haven't seen any great problems due to the humidity in my tires in my 40 years of driving.
 
I'm running compressed smog out of Dallas, Tx at the moment. Seems to hold up as long as the tire doesn't have a hole in it.
 
The only tires that really benefit from nitrogen are those that go on pressurized aircraft that fly at freezing altitudes. The nitro dosen't hold moisture like regular air does so the tire can't form ice on the inside. It also helps on high speed/heavy weight landings for tire stability.
 
use nitrogen in race car tires...the heat biuld up in rubber doen't affect the nitrogen so the dia. of tire dosen't expand affecting handling.
 
Regardless of what everyone says, Im going to give my REAL WORLD experience with it: Had new tires put on my dually back in 07, December 18 to be exact. (I know because it was my sons birthday) Since it was a dually, and we know how hard they "can" be to check the inners, I fell for what the counter guy was selling. Well, a month later, I checked the pressures, like i usually do once a month, and guess what, the pressure was the same, next month, same, next month down 1 pound on 2 tires, other two same. To shorten it up, after the 6 months I had those tires, and the truck, I only lost a total of 4 pounds in 4 tires, combined. About the middle of May, for giggles my buddy and I, who also had the same dually as me, took one of those trigger pe temp type temp readers and checked his tires and my tires, my tires were average 9 degrees cooler than his, going the same distance. (I know thats not a good comparison, but mine were cooler that his) Now, I had it put in my new truck at the first rotation, this truck has the TPMS, which its suppose to safe for, but I had one repalced shortly after the nitrogen was put in, the other monitors kept setting the Low Air in tires alert on the dash, and wouldnt stay constant on the pressures, by the trucks TMPS display on the dash. Getting new tires in the morning, no nitrogen.....
 
I have approx. 25,000 miles on a set of Michelin Hydro Edge tires with nitrogen in them. I have a 2006 Impala 3.9L and have lost over 1mpg since changing from the OEM tires. Nitrogen sounds cool but I check the pressures with my TPM and it does fluctuate with temperatures.

One thing I don't like is that you can't top the tires off yourself. Local tire guy charges only $3.00 but it's a hassle going over there, trying to squeeze in, and so forth.

If I hadn't gotten the nitrogen free with the new tires I wouldn't have done it and based on what I know now I wouldn't do it again.
 
I think you'll be old, dead and buried before you save enough money on fuel to pay for one nitrogen inflation...

Rod
 
Too many variables for an accurate test and comparason. Try inflating the drivers side with N2 and the passengers side with air.
 
I would just use compressed air. I did service-writing for a time when younger, and the nitrogen tire fill option was a nice money maker when it first came out. All the car geeks totally bucked up for it. I made alot on commissions for "upselling" it. As a theory, it makes sense, but it is not a real-world need for a passenger car/light truck.

Unless you are flying (and landing) an airplane, or racing a vehicle, I do not think it is worth it, or even necessary. Just my opinion.

Good luck!
 
If you have a chevy, take it to any particitating GM dealership and they will fill them with nitrogen for free. I did it in my 2004 silverado and my wifes 2010 malibu.
 
The air we breath is 78% nitrogen. The nitro-fill machines at the tire stores get the nitrogen content up to about 95% at best. I think regular air is good enough. Just my view.
 
It works great in the airplane and will work as good in your car if you go from 120 degrees (on the ramp, summer) to 70 below zero (at 37000) and back again....several times a day.

The real hot tip is to fill your tires with helium! Car gets "lighter" so mileage goes up, no?
 
I bought a special air compressor that will fill your tires with 78% nitrogen. Studies say you get the same gas mileage as 100% nitrogen filled tires. Either of these are way better than regular air in your tires.

If you interested, I am selling this air compressor for $1000 plus shipping.

Rick
 
We use it in our helicopter tires, but only because the pressure is 140-170 psi and we don't have a compressor that goes that high. We always have nitrogen bottles available for filling our emergency float and raft inflation and gear blow-down cylinders, so use nitrogen in the tires too.
Some of our float systems use 5000 psi helium in cylinders, but we send them off for servicing.
 
For other applications such as shock absorbers or even a plasma torch, nitrogen is also dry and doesn't pick up moisture.
 
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