Nitrogen for your tyres - Benefits ???
Discussion
Been reading a magazine(1) and it was advocating the use of nitrogen to blow up your tyres.
Obviously this has peaked my interest in the benefits of using pure nitrogen as opposed to the normal stuff that comes out of a compressor, 78% odd Nitrogen and 20% odd Oxygen.
Is it trully worth paying a quid per tyre to have oxygen removed, or is it just another way to con money out of people.
(1) I'll reveal the magazine later
Obviously this has peaked my interest in the benefits of using pure nitrogen as opposed to the normal stuff that comes out of a compressor, 78% odd Nitrogen and 20% odd Oxygen.
Is it trully worth paying a quid per tyre to have oxygen removed, or is it just another way to con money out of people.
(1) I'll reveal the magazine later
Been reading a magazine(1) and it was advocating the use of nitrogen to blow up your tyres.
Obviously this has peaked my interest in the benefits of using pure nitrogen as opposed to the normal stuff that comes out of a compressor, 78% odd Nitrogen and 20% odd Oxygen.
Is it trully worth paying a quid per tyre to have oxygen removed, or is it just another way to con money out of people.
(1) I'll reveal the magazine later
Hi,
Nitrogen has been used for more than 20 years to inflate tires on commercial and military aircraft, including Air Force 1 and the space shuttle; earthmoving and mining equipment; high-performance race cars; and other applications where optimum tire performance is demanded.
The US Navy has inflated it's aircraft tires with Nitrogen for more than 40 years. This is mainly to reduce the risk of fire should a tire burst during a recovery, which happens frequently. Fire + Carrier = Very Bad!
Auto Museums have used Nitrogen for many years to reduce rotting on old vintage tires and to lessen the likelyhood of leaks.
Inflating your tires with Nitrogen can help you realize performance, safety, cost, and environmental benefits. According to the federal Department of Transportation, roughly 80 percent of the vehicles in the United States have underinflated tires. Generally, motorists are able to maintain properly inflated tires for a longer period of time, because the lack of reactivity reduces corrosion along the seal between the tire and the rim, thus extending tire life and improving fuel consumption and road handling.
Inflating with Nitrogen also positively impacts the environment. Nitrogen is a clean, moisture-free gas, it significantly reduces internal tire oxidation and wheel corrosion. Tires that are inflated from traditional compressed air systems are typically filled with oily, wet air, which accelerates tire wear. An improvement of only five percent in tire life for vehicles on the road today would result in at least 10 million fewer tires to dispose of each year in the U.S.
In addition, drivers can get better fuel economy with properly inflated tires, which roll more efficiently than underinflated ones, reducing fuel consumption by up to 10 percent and decreasing vehicle emissions. Tires filled with Nitrogen could significantly reduce the two million gallons of gasoline that the U.S. Department of Energy reports are lost every day due to low tire pressure. Maybe more information than you wanted to know...but you asked. Happy Motoring! Jim'85TE
lotusguy said:
Inflating with Nitrogen also positively impacts the environment. Nitrogen is a clean, moisture-free gas, it significantly reduces internal tire oxidation and wheel corrosion. Tires that are inflated from traditional compressed air systems are typically filled with oily, wet air, which accelerates tire wear. An improvement of only five percent in tire life for vehicles on the road today would result in at least 10 million fewer tires to dispose of each year in the U.S.
Ah, of course! The number of times I've had to change tyres because of internal wear and 'oxidation' due to me foolishly using old fashioned 'air'.....
In addition, drivers can get better fuel economy with properly inflated tires, which roll more efficiently than underinflated ones, reducing fuel consumption by up to 10 percent and decreasing vehicle emissions. Tires filled with Nitrogen could significantly reduce the two million gallons of gasoline that the U.S. Department of Energy reports are lost every day due to low tire pressure.
Nitrogen, for people too lazy to check tyre pressures.
I thought nitrogen was used in race tyres because it was less susceptible to pressure fluctuations due to tyre temperature change.
Mark Benson said:
I thought nitrogen was used in race tyres because it was less susceptible to pressure fluctuations due to tyre temperature change.
Nitrogen doesn't expand as much, and what expansion there is a lot more uniform than compressed air. Pretty pointless for road cars though.
Just as another point of useless info but shock absorbers/dampers are filled with nitrogen cos its inert (sort of) and is dry and oil free thus does not corrode the internals of the damper. Many motorbike dampers have remote oil/nitrogen reservoirs.
Lotus guy is right though nitrogen would be better for the inside area of your wheels. I think the benifit to your tyres would be minimal in terms of corrosion though. But if you've got steel wheels then if might be worth looking into if you plan to keep the car for ages. For alloy wheels, well, who can say? They are more resetant to corrosion anyway.
Andy
Lotus guy is right though nitrogen would be better for the inside area of your wheels. I think the benifit to your tyres would be minimal in terms of corrosion though. But if you've got steel wheels then if might be worth looking into if you plan to keep the car for ages. For alloy wheels, well, who can say? They are more resetant to corrosion anyway.
Andy
MilnerR said:
Mark Benson said:
I thought nitrogen was used in race tyres because it was less susceptible to pressure fluctuations due to tyre temperature change.
Nitrogen doesn't expand as much, and what expansion there is a lot more uniform than compressed air. Pretty pointless for road cars though.
Hold on, being a science type I was always taught that 1 mole of any gas at room temperture would occupy 24 litres of space. Universal gas laws are pretty much that aren't they i.e. they are more or less true for all gasses. Since air is 78% nitrogen surely this 'expansion' thing is a load of ol' bobbins... isn't it?
>> Edited by pss1 on Friday 28th February 11:35
The expansion thing is to do with the fact that the gas is dry rather than containing water vapour.
This is kinda were my understanding runs out, but I guess its to do with either a) different specific heat capacities of water vapour and air or b) the possibility of water condensing out of air at pressure creating hot/cool spots inside the tyre.
This is kinda were my understanding runs out, but I guess its to do with either a) different specific heat capacities of water vapour and air or b) the possibility of water condensing out of air at pressure creating hot/cool spots inside the tyre.
The only point i see for Nitrogen filled tyres is to remove the moisture content from the air, As the moisture is the only thing that can change the pressure of the tyre. normal tyre 30psi +/- 3psi with air, and aound 30psi +/- 0.5psi with nitrogen its only worth it for high performance cars where you are traveling at high speeds for relatively long periods of time.
Its easier to buy yourself a decent tyre pressure gauge and check before any major journey and correct pressure occordingally
Cheers
Steve
Its easier to buy yourself a decent tyre pressure gauge and check before any major journey and correct pressure occordingally
Cheers
Steve
stc_bennett said: The only point i see for Nitrogen filled tyres is to remove the moisture content from the air, As the moisture is the only thing that can change the pressure of the tyre. normal tyre 30psi +/- 3psi with air, and aound 30psi +/- 0.5psi with nitrogen its only worth it for high performance cars where you are traveling at high speeds for relatively long periods of time.
Its easier to buy yourself a decent tyre pressure gauge and check before any major journey and correct pressure occordingally
Cheers
Steve
So if you have a TVR, Porsche, Ferrari, Ultima etc etc. and you are regularly maxing your car and doing the odd track day a refill of the tyre with Nitrogen would be a very useful exercise. Less chance of your pressures changing and your tyres going off.
This would also hold true if you had steel wheels (as I have on my 106 Rallye) as it stops corrosion. Only thing is having had it for 4 half years its a bit late.
I'll reveal my magazine source as well - Its this weeks Commercial Motor (sad I know), but the thought of charging GBP1 per tyre for inflation is probably just a step too far, for those truckers. Although I guess with tyre pressures upto 160psi it might be worth it not to have a blowout.
As has been said the expansion difference can only be due to water vapour, and it is only going to be noticeable if you have big swings in tyre temperature. Even if you thrash a car pretty hard on the roads you don't heat the tyres up that much ... at least not in my experience. They get warm to the touch, no more. Compare to a racing tyre where the surface is all but molten ...
Don't know about it making your tires last longer but it is mainly used in racing as it is more inert then just the normal mix that comes out of the compressor. We see a 3-4psi rise in tire pressure cold to hot on my race car. With nitrogen you stick in 25psi or whatever and thats what it stays at.
Well I'm glad my rims will last longer!
..now about the rest of the car...
I mean come on! If your tyres die of "old age" rather than being worn out could you really describe yourself as a driving enthusiast? and unless damaged, don't most steel wheels outlive the car anyway?
Almost every old tyre I've ever seen looks better on the inside than the outside. I thought the most (non-use-inflicted) harm done to tyres was due to ultraviolet light and ozone. Am I missing something?
..now about the rest of the car...
I mean come on! If your tyres die of "old age" rather than being worn out could you really describe yourself as a driving enthusiast? and unless damaged, don't most steel wheels outlive the car anyway?
Almost every old tyre I've ever seen looks better on the inside than the outside. I thought the most (non-use-inflicted) harm done to tyres was due to ultraviolet light and ozone. Am I missing something?
Mark Benson said:I thought nitrogen was used in race tyres because it was less susceptible to pressure fluctuations due to tyre temperature change.
That is the ONLY reason why.
hot air expands, nitrogen doesnt.
and unless your running Formula 1
the oddd track day, or street rodder wont notice, feel or get any benefit, except for a lighter load in his wallet
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