Nitrogen in you tires.

[SCUMFROG]

I've heard that this is the new thing to have your tires filled up with nitro. Any one hear of this? What would be the benefits?

[lawdog]

NASCAR teams do this, but I've not heard of any street vehicles doing it. Its not as sensitive to heat/cold and changes in pressure. I can't see any reason you'd need it in a street car...

[Jeremy airjer W]

Its an Excellent Idea especially if you live in Minnesota. With nitrogen you don't have the extreme pressure changes in your tires in the spring and fall. As soon as the temps start dipping below freezing tires can loose up 12+ psi. Likewise in the spring your tires can be overinflated by 8+ psi.

If you check your pressure regularily and are aware of the pressure differences with the temp, than there is no need. If your the other 99% of motorvehicle drivers it makes perfect sence.

[lawdog]

How much does it cost though Airjer? I agree there can be big temp swings (although I sure wouldn't have guessed that high a number on pressure swings) but can't you just throw a little air in when its cold and let a little out when its hot? That's why I always do...

[Jeremy airjer W]

Thats my point! If your one of those people who knows to add when it gets cold and take out when it gets warm than you really don't need it.

Goodyear charges $5.00 per tire.Is it worth it, if you never check them than yes it is!

I see low tires from late fall/early winter. I see over inflated tires in the early/mid spring. Aluminum wheels seem to be the worst. It is not uncommon to see all for tires at 20 psi when they get there first oil change of the winter.

[Macgyver55]

Several places around here are starting to offer it. Good idea in theory I guess. There may be some minimal return in tire life by keeping tire temperatures more consistent and rim life because it doesnt hold moisture. But I rotate and check my tires often enough that there would be nearly zero payback on the expense for me.

[hydro]

I once told my girlfriend to go the station and ask to have "winter Air" put in the tires. It got a good look by the guy there.

[End of the Line]

It's what they've used in commercial aircraft for years for the reasons mentioned above.

[JohnMickish]

The major drawback to running nitrogen in your tires is that the tires DO lose air pressure, but for a different reason. Molecularly, nitrogen is smaller than oxygen, and therefore will leak out of holes that are to small for oxygen to leak out of. I ran the tire shop at the Minot AFB for two years so I have been all down this road. The reason that they use it in aircraft tires is the rapid change in temperature when the tires hit the tarmack. With just regular air you get a large pressure buildup from the moisture boiling off and run the risk of a blowout. Believe it or not it will leak out thru the rubber in the sidewall. It leaks out VERY slowly but it does leak out, and at $5 a fill I don't see where one would save anything. Do yourself a favor and just keep taps on them and fill up with the free air at the gas station.

[Jeremy airjer W]

Hmmm! I was under the impression that it leaked out slower. Either way the amount of leakeage from either oxygen or nitrogen is insignificant campared to the other bennifits (yes oxygen will permiate through a tire as well).

1. A tire filled with nitrogen will keep a more uniform pressure.

2. A more uniform pressure will result in a cooler running tire. Underinflated tires will run hotter increasing the chancee for failure.

3. A consitantly inflated tire will provide greater fuel economy.

4. a consitantly inflated tire will wear longer/better. Saving you more money.

Can you accomplish this buy checking your tire pressure often? Yes! But it is also estimated that up to 54% of the vehicles on the road are driving on underinflated tires.

Underinflated tires can reduce your gas mileage. Lets say the average vehicle gets 20mpg. low tire pressure can result in a 5% decrease in fuel economy so now that vehicle is getting 19mpg. If you drive that car with low tires for 100,000 miles you just wasted 263 gallons of gas. At a reasonable $2.00 a gallon that adds up to $526.

Lets think about the amount of cars we have in the metro area. I would ruffly guess that number to be 300,000. if half of those cars are driving around with under inflated tires than we just wasted about 40,000,000 gallons of gas over a hundred thousand miles of driving.

Its late so my numbers may be off but its something to think about. Its the little things that we do that can make the biggest differences.

[Surface Tension]

This isn't something I'd consider using but I can see where some folks might.

I saw a report on the news about converting and I thought it was quite a bit more then 5 bucks a tire.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Keep in mind that the earth's atmosphere is about 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen.

[IFallsRon]

... and that Nitrogen typically will contain as much as 10% ambient air impurities because many processors don't have enough quality control to make a 99.999999 conversion.

[blgoose]

Off the subject, What psi do u fill your tires with. The tires r 285x75x16 reads cold,55 psi. The tires on the truck were 245x75x15 door reads 55 psi front and 80 psi back. So question is What do I fill the tires with. psi on the tire or what the door reads

[Ralph Wiggum]

Go with what the door says.

[SCUMFROG]

Do not go over what the tire is rated at. If the tire says 55psi max then that is what the max is, no matter the door says.

[Whoaru99]

Quote:

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Off the subject, What psi do u fill your tires with. The tires r 285x75x16 reads cold,55 psi. The tires on the truck were 245x75x15 door reads 55 psi front and 80 psi back. So question is What do I fill the tires with. psi on the tire or what the door reads

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The door sticker ONLY applies if the exact same tire size and load rating as described on the sticker are actually what's on the vehicle.

Since the size you have mentioned is different than the sticker size (and likely load rating too), the sticker means nothing.

Once you deviate from the stock configuration, the most proper way to inflate the tire would be to know the weight carried on each tire and then reference the tire manufacturer's load vs. pressure chart. How many people do that though?

[blgoose]

Thanks, This all came about last weekend, I have always had the dealer do all my service work!Well I couldnt get in, so a fast oil change service asked? what I wanted my tire psi at. Well looks like the dealer went with what was on the door 55 psi front and 80 psi rear. I was wondering why I was having such a ruff ride. The tires r now at 55 psi what the tire says. Thanks Goose