Nitrogen Inflation?
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Joined: Oct 2003
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From: Heart of Dixie
Nitrogen Inflation?
Anybody heard anything about this new concept of inflating your tires with gaseous nitrogen? They claim it gives you better gas mileage, handling, and longer tire life. I dont see how that would work. What do yall know about it?
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Sounds bogus to me. The only thing it might do is cut down on the effects of oxygen on the tire's rubber lining. The rubber lining is a special material designed to resist the oxygen etc so I would not worry about it.
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From: fremont ohio
i know you can get more precise psi's with nitrogen, racers fill their tires with it. i guess the tire will hold the psi longer than with air too i think. i dont see how this helps tire life or any of the other stuff though, other than not having to check the pressure as often
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The precision of your tire gauge will determine how "precise" the pressure is. Gas pressure is gas pressure... The moisture in the compressed air and dew point could affect tire pressure. The nitrogen would be dry.
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From: Stephenville, TX
Nitrogen expands less when the tires get hot. You notice when you check your tire pressure the manual tells you to check the psi when the tires are cold. That is becuase when your tires heat up, so does the air inside. When the air gets hot, it expands, giving you more psi (although not much.) This is why nascar guys use nitrogen, becuae 1 or 2 psi can make a dramatic difference in handling.
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Hmmm, If I remember right there are differences in expansion rates but over the range of temps we see in tires the difference is negligible. You could not measure it on a tire gauge. It would take some very fine lab equipment to detect. Air is mostly nitrogen anyway. The moisture in a tire is a gas also.
Tires are checked cold as a reference pressure only. There is no way for the average person to determine what the temperature of the gas in the tire is so corrections could be calculated.
Tires are checked cold as a reference pressure only. There is no way for the average person to determine what the temperature of the gas in the tire is so corrections could be calculated.
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From: Canyon Lake Texas
Remember that air is 78% Nitrogen to start with, so you aren't getting a wholesale difference. I can see the difference in humidity being more important, but do they purge all moisture from the tire before final fill?...I doubt it, so I think its just a fad gimmick right now..
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From: S/C Texas
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From: Missouri
as far as i knew, NASCAR uses nitrogen because they dont want 43 air compressors on pit lane, lol
they use pre-filled nitrogen bottles, and I think each team is allowed two per race, not including practices...somebody has to know more about it...
they use pre-filled nitrogen bottles, and I think each team is allowed two per race, not including practices...somebody has to know more about it...
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From: S/C Texas
Bottled Nitrogen has no moisture. Therfore less expansion increaseing stability in handling. Indy, NASCAR types are about the only vehicles to benefit from the gas.
Aircraft use Nitrogen....also because no moisture. Moisture in aircraft tires...such as airliners is no good.....nothing like ice in the tires.
I figure as long as I change out the winter air for summer air, and then summer air for winter air...I should be okay. Gotta have the right air for the right season. If ya time it right.....the tire places run good deals on the seasonal air down here.
Aircraft use Nitrogen....also because no moisture. Moisture in aircraft tires...such as airliners is no good.....nothing like ice in the tires.
I figure as long as I change out the winter air for summer air, and then summer air for winter air...I should be okay. Gotta have the right air for the right season. If ya time it right.....the tire places run good deals on the seasonal air down here.
Last edited by peppy; Sep 13, 2004 at 01:05 AM.
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From: S/C Texas
Posting Legend
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That article does explain the source of the problem, -moisture. So it seems any inert gas or CO2 would work. The tire would have to be purged of air when filling. I can see it now, compressors pumping a vacuum on the tire for 24 hours to purge the moisture like an AC system...
Even with all of this the difference is still negligible, especially for a passenger vehicle tire. Seems that it would be kind of a useless fad.
Forget the helium or hydrogen. Fill them with pure oxygen!
Even with all of this the difference is still negligible, especially for a passenger vehicle tire. Seems that it would be kind of a useless fad.
Forget the helium or hydrogen. Fill them with pure oxygen!