Nitrogen in tires

[Scott Stein]

I crossed the scale it was 4000 lbs lighter

[fishing tech]

Now thats funny right there, I don't care who you are.

[Shack]

Nitrogen (IMO) is good when given free with buying four tires

Here is some info on Nitrogen in your tires:

Why Nitrogen?

Nitrogen is all around us. When used to replace oxygen and other

gases in tire inflation, it enhances handling, improves fuel efficiency, extends tire life, protects the Earth and,

most importantly, keeps you safer on the road.

If you are one of the 85% of Americans who

don't regularly check tire pressure, you need

nitrogen.

We take in nitrogen with every breath. Air is composed of:

*1% Water Vapor and Other Gases – Escapes up to 250 times faster than Nitrogen

*21% Oxygen – Escapes 3-4 times faster than Nitrogen

*78% Nitrogen – The largest molecule in

air, dry, non-flammable.

Because of their large size, nitrogen molecules are the least permeable and stay in your tire longer.

It's not about the nitrogen. It's about reducing oxygen, water vapor and other gases.

By reducing the percentage of oxygen, water vapor and other gases in your tires from 22% to 7% or lower, your tires will maintain proper pressure longer than if you use “plain old air.” For example, with 95% nitrogen in your tires, they retain optimal pressure three to four times longer.

Proper tire pressure is a big deal.

Maintain it with nitrogen, and you'll see

these three primary benefits:

*Increased Fuel Efficiency – Correct tire pressure keeps the manufacturer's recommended “contact patch” on the road. This lessens the rolling resistance and maximizes fuel efficiency. Read On...

*Longer Tire Life – When it comes in contact with other materials, oxygen causes oxidation. Oxidation can make rubber brittle and cause it to lose tensile strength. In addition, at high temperatures and pressures, oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not. Read On...

*Increased Safety – Under-inflated tires cause 90% of blowouts. Nitrogen provides more reliable pressure for reduced blowout potential. Read On...

Other benefits:

*Improved TPMS Performance – If you have a new car, you likely are plagued by a flashing light telling you your tire pressure is low. For example, one woman's light was going off every four to five weeks. After inflating with nitrogen, her light didn't reappear for 53 weeks!

*More Predictable Pressure Fluctuation – NASCAR teams use nitrogen so they can more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Regular compressed air can fluctuate considerably when water vapor is present. Read On...

*Longer Rim Life – Rim rust caused by condensation from water vapor and other gases can get caught in valves and create slow leaks in tires. Nitrogen is completely dry, so it eliminates the potential for condensation.

Why not eliminate all oxygen and water vapor?

What's right for me – 95% or 98%?

Numerous studies have proven that nitrogen in tires reduces the volume of gases that escape more quickly and cause damaging oxidation. However, research also has shown that nitrogen purity beyond a certain point does not provide additional benefits. In fact, with a nitrogen purity above 93.4%? in passenger tires, oxygen actually begins to migrate back into the tire. You can get all the benefits of nitrogen with a purity level between 93-98%.

Bridgestone/Firestone researchers say that 93-95% nitrogen is all you need. Read On...

According to Ford Motor Co., there is no difference between 96% and 99% nitrogen purity. Read On...

Who Else Is Using Nitrogen?

NASCAR - NASCAR teams use nitrogen because it allows them to more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Nitrogen fluctuates with temperature change, but it does so less than when water vapor is present. Read On... In addition, higher nitrogen levels eliminate the explosive properties of oxygen (oxygen loses its explosive properties at around 9% or less) Read On... NASCAR uses bottled nitrogen for portability. The bottles are delivered to the track by Praxair. Read On...

Commercial Airlines – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires nitrogen in all commercial aircraft tires to eliminate the potential for water vapor (inherent in normal compressed air) from freezing at high altitudes. In addition, aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing use nitrogen membranes in their On-Board Inert Gas Generation Systems (OBIGGS) to "top" fuel tanks with nitrogen - an inert gas that does not support combustion.

U.S. Government – NASA and the U.S. military use nitrogen for many of the same reasons it used in commercial aircraft.

Food Processors and Packagers – Oxygen hastens both the chemical breakdown and microbial spoilage of many foods. Think meat, potato chips, cookies, etc. To help preserve foods longer, processors and packagers often use modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP) that replaces some or all of the oxygen in the air inside the

package with nitrogen.

How is nitrogen separated from other gases in air?

Membranes are the heart of any nitrogen system. Just like a tire, the membranes are permeable. When thousands of these permeable tubes are filled with air at high pressures, smaller molecules leak out while the larger nitrogen molecules travel through the tubes into a holding tank to fill your tires or

for other uses.

The air we breathe

The air that's in your tires

A tire filled with "plain old air"

can lose 1.5 psi in less than a month

With nitrogen, it can take up to six months to lose 1.5psi.

Oxygen reacts and damages inner tire liners and belt packages; nitrogen does not.

Draining water from your air lines every day helps, but unless you have a really efficient air dryer, chances are there's a lot of water in your compressed air.

The air around us is full of water vapor. It's called "humidity".

Compressing air concentrates

the water in it.

Small bits of corrosion from wheels can prevent valves from seating properly, leading to loss

of air pressure.

NASCAR and IndyCar teams use nitrogen because it allows them to

more accurately predict

tire pressure fluctuation.

[Whoaru99]

Huh....

I'd have thought with the big tire failure hoopla not all that long ago, there would be more emphasis on checking tire pressures, not finding ways to insinuate it's OK to check it less often.

To me, all this nitrogen in the tires business has a potentially misleading and dangerous veiled message. I get the feeling that people putting nitrogen in their tires are somehow under the impression they have less responsbility/ownership to check/maintain tire pressure because nitrogen theoretically doesn't leak out as fast.

[Jeremy airjer W]

I still have issues with how the tires are inflated, the availability when the tires are low, and now the false sense of security!

I am fast becoming a believer in the failure of TPMS also. I can't believe the number of vehicles we get in for service that have the tire lights on. I guarantee you that they didn't come on when the owners pulled into our lot!!