Pure Nitrogen for tires
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1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 7
Pure Nitrogen for tires
Anyone uses pure Nitrogen for your tires?
There are quite a lot of talk in the internet talking about the benefits of fuel saving and better safety. Anyone tried this? What is your experience?
There are quite a lot of talk in the internet talking about the benefits of fuel saving and better safety. Anyone tried this? What is your experience?
3rd Gear
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,980
From: Northern California
Be aware... Benefit of nitrogen in your tire is insignificant for road cars. Also you aren't suppose to mix nitrogen and compressed air, meaning you can simply use gas station air when your tires are low.
1st Gear
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 23
From: Royal Oak, MI
Unless you are getting the stuff for free I think there are better things you can spend you money on.
Air is 78% Nitrogen as it is. In theory is the extra 22% going to help?
Sure, nitrogen is a denser molecule than oxygen so it will not leak out as fast...supposedly some reports claim nitrogen will leak out 3 times slower than air. But if you are not racing around a race track I do not see the benefit for the average consumer.
Another benefit in theory is with the removal of oxygen you have no moisture/oxidizing potential and therefore you will not degrade your rubber, steel belts, valves and wheels. However I can't recall ever needed new tires/wheels for any of those reasons...mine simply wear out from driving.
If someone is telling you that you can't mix nitrogen with air that's likely the nitrogen guy who wants to sell you another 20 bucks worth. Again air is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the last 1% is a bunch of other junk. So if a tire can survive on 100% nitrogen and 78% nitrogen it can survive on 82%, 87%, or whatever the resulting percentage you would get if you mixed.
But anyway there are some benefits if you want to pay for it but I think there are better bangs for the buck...or just go buy more beer with the money you'll be saving.
Air is 78% Nitrogen as it is. In theory is the extra 22% going to help?
Sure, nitrogen is a denser molecule than oxygen so it will not leak out as fast...supposedly some reports claim nitrogen will leak out 3 times slower than air. But if you are not racing around a race track I do not see the benefit for the average consumer.
Another benefit in theory is with the removal of oxygen you have no moisture/oxidizing potential and therefore you will not degrade your rubber, steel belts, valves and wheels. However I can't recall ever needed new tires/wheels for any of those reasons...mine simply wear out from driving.
If someone is telling you that you can't mix nitrogen with air that's likely the nitrogen guy who wants to sell you another 20 bucks worth. Again air is 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and the last 1% is a bunch of other junk. So if a tire can survive on 100% nitrogen and 78% nitrogen it can survive on 82%, 87%, or whatever the resulting percentage you would get if you mixed.
But anyway there are some benefits if you want to pay for it but I think there are better bangs for the buck...or just go buy more beer with the money you'll be saving.
1st Gear
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 437
From: Fort Wayne, IN
^^--what he said, lol.
as far as nitrogen goes, i've run it in both my cobra and my audi before and have never really felt any noticeable difference. not to say that there wasn't any difference, but i definitely could not tell from driving the car.
also, why wouldn't you be able to mix compressed air and nitrogen? since air is mostly nitrogen anyways, what would adding some air to that actually do other than lower the concentration of nitrogen by a tiny percentage?
as far as nitrogen goes, i've run it in both my cobra and my audi before and have never really felt any noticeable difference. not to say that there wasn't any difference, but i definitely could not tell from driving the car.
also, why wouldn't you be able to mix compressed air and nitrogen? since air is mostly nitrogen anyways, what would adding some air to that actually do other than lower the concentration of nitrogen by a tiny percentage?
1st Gear
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 437
From: near Boston, MA
One of the major benefits of nitrogen is that there is little variance in pressure with changes in temperature, so when the tires heat up, the pressure does not change as much, so much more consistent pressure regardless of temperature swings.
However, for normal street use, the benefits of having nitrogen int he tries is not that significant. You can just check your air pressure every other week and be fine. No need to spend any $$ on air.
However, for normal street use, the benefits of having nitrogen int he tries is not that significant. You can just check your air pressure every other week and be fine. No need to spend any $$ on air.
3rd Gear
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,371
From: Newfields NH
LOL LOL LOL I can't keep out of this one....
Yes air is 78.085% Nitrogen, 20.946% Oxygen, 0.934% Argon, 0.038% Carbon Dioxide, and 0.000055% Hydrogen.
The reason racers use nitrogen in their tires is that normal compressed air contains water vapor and oils unless it has expensive dryers and seperators. Nitrogen from a bottle is very clean and dry so racers use it.
The major culpret to pressure changes with temperature is water vapor but temperature still has a big affect on the pressure of nitrogen. The general gas laws apply where there is a direct relationship between temperature, pressure and volume thru something called a gas constant that is the same for most gasses.
Just look at the NASCAR guys -- it takes a few laps to get heat in their nitrogen filled tires to get them up to operating temps. This affects the size more than the softness. I have pictures of a Modified with cold tires that almost look flat, but after a few warm up laps they look OK.
PS - Hydrogen isn't a good gas for tires because the molecule is so small it can can leak right thru the rubber...
Yes air is 78.085% Nitrogen, 20.946% Oxygen, 0.934% Argon, 0.038% Carbon Dioxide, and 0.000055% Hydrogen.
The reason racers use nitrogen in their tires is that normal compressed air contains water vapor and oils unless it has expensive dryers and seperators. Nitrogen from a bottle is very clean and dry so racers use it.
The major culpret to pressure changes with temperature is water vapor but temperature still has a big affect on the pressure of nitrogen. The general gas laws apply where there is a direct relationship between temperature, pressure and volume thru something called a gas constant that is the same for most gasses.
Just look at the NASCAR guys -- it takes a few laps to get heat in their nitrogen filled tires to get them up to operating temps. This affects the size more than the softness. I have pictures of a Modified with cold tires that almost look flat, but after a few warm up laps they look OK.
PS - Hydrogen isn't a good gas for tires because the molecule is so small it can can leak right thru the rubber...
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