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Nitrogen instead of air in tires?

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Old 10-14-2013, 09:25 PM
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bevo_87
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Default Nitrogen instead of air in tires?

are most of you putting nitrogen in tires instead of air? What are the benefits and do you do it yourself or dealer? What is the process to get it done right? I just heard that nitrogen supposedly gets you more life of tires but not sure if it is bs. Thanks
Old 10-14-2013, 09:27 PM
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Glen e
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Nitrogen is dealer scam for what you pay..just say no...
Old 10-14-2013, 09:28 PM
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BeaZt
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http://www.popularmechanics.com/_mob...stions/4302788. But I have no problem with using plain air.
Old 10-14-2013, 09:37 PM
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b4i4getit
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The air in your tires now is 78% nitrogen. No real advantage for most of us to use pure nitrogen but if your dealer is putting it in at no extra charge just leave it.
Old 10-14-2013, 09:57 PM
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There are countless threads already existing on the controversial subject. I am convinced that all new threads started about it are troll posts.
Old 10-14-2013, 10:05 PM
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1986C4Z51
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If you were racing and had extra money in your budget, sure. If you're worried about the life of your tires, protect them from the sun.
Old 10-14-2013, 10:27 PM
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sweetcharity
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Here is the benefit...it is dry, air is not. It does not heat up and expand as humid air does in your tire thereby increasing the pressure as temps rise giving you more stable and consistant tire pressures. It should be provided free at your dealership...if not, I would never pay for it!!
Old 10-14-2013, 10:40 PM
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michaelinmech
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I use 100% helium - reduces the un-sprung weight
Old 10-14-2013, 10:41 PM
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HummelS
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Originally Posted by sweetcharity
Here is the benefit...it is dry, air is not. It does not heat up and expand as humid air does in your tire thereby increasing the pressure as temps rise giving you more stable and consistant tire pressures. It should be provided free at your dealership...if not, I would never pay for it!!
Our "air" is mostly nitrogen. I don't get the hype.
Old 10-14-2013, 10:42 PM
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BeaZt
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Originally Posted by michaelinmech
I use 100% helium - reduces the un-sprung weight
You're riding high!
Old 10-14-2013, 11:07 PM
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Zymurgy
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If they do it free, fine. Otherwise don't bother. Our Cadillac dealer (wife's SRX) provides Nitrogen fill at no charge.
Old 10-15-2013, 02:07 AM
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fdxpilot
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Originally Posted by sweetcharity
Here is the benefit...it is dry, air is not. It does not heat up and expand as humid air does in your tire thereby increasing the pressure as temps rise giving you more stable and consistant tire pressures. It should be provided free at your dealership...if not, I would never pay for it!!
Two questions:

1: Short of mounting your tires in a vacuum chamber, how does the dealer or service garage get the air that was in the tire when installed out?

2: how does nitrogen repeal the ideal gas law which says given a constant volume (the interior of a mounted tire/wheel combo) as temperature increases, so does pressure? I know the nitrogen in accumulators on my airplane vary in pressure as temperature changes. The specs call for a certain pressure at a nominal temperature (usually 70 F) and then give a +/- for different temps.
Old 10-15-2013, 10:31 AM
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Racer X
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Originally Posted by michaelinmech
I use 100% helium - reduces the un-sprung weight
The problem with Helium is that you have to refill more often. Helium has a higher migration rate through the tire than nitrogen or oxygen.
Old 10-15-2013, 11:02 AM
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Larry/car
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Nitrogen is used in aircraft tires because it is dry and moisture will not condense as the aircraft climbs into the colder air. In severe cases this condensation could collect and freeze causing the tire to be out of balance on landing. Imagine a tire out of balance at 130 knots.
Old 10-15-2013, 12:04 PM
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Originally Posted by fdxpilot
Two questions:

1: Short of mounting your tires in a vacuum chamber, how does the dealer or service garage get the air that was in the tire when installed out?

2: how does nitrogen repeal the ideal gas law which says given a constant volume (the interior of a mounted tire/wheel combo) as temperature increases, so does pressure? I know the nitrogen in accumulators on my airplane vary in pressure as temperature changes. The specs call for a certain pressure at a nominal temperature (usually 70 F) and then give a +/- for different temps.
Sweetcharity is trying, he just doesn't understand the physics.

Last edited by ByByBMW; 10-15-2013 at 09:46 PM. Reason: Clarification
Old 10-15-2013, 12:04 PM
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Earths atmosphere is ~78% Nitrogren. . . just saying. . .
Old 10-15-2013, 12:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Racer X
The problem with Helium is that you have to refill more often. Helium has a higher migration rate through the tire than nitrogen or oxygen.

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Old 10-15-2013, 12:37 PM
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michaelinmech
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Originally Posted by michaelinmech
I use 100% helium - reduces the un-sprung weight
Originally Posted by Racer X
The problem with Helium is that you have to refill more often. Helium has a higher migration rate through the tire than nitrogen or oxygen.

^ And I thought I was having to refill often because of folks always inhaling the helium out of my valve stems at parties . . . . . .
Old 10-15-2013, 12:50 PM
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MitchAlsup
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Originally Posted by fdxpilot
1: Short of mounting your tires in a vacuum chamber, how does the dealer or service garage get the air that was in the tire when installed out?
Fill, empty with strap around tire, fill, empty will strap around tire, fill.

2: how does nitrogen repeal the ideal gas law which says given a constant volume (the interior of a mounted tire/wheel combo) as temperature increases, so does pressure?
The water vapor in the air you pumped into your tires does not expand like the ideal gas law indicates. As you tires go from 160dF to 200dF, instead of getting a 2 PSI increase, you can get as much as 4 PSI increase from th added pressure of water climging to the rubber and wheel begoming a gas at temp.

Look up the vapor pressure of water from Wikipedeia.
Old 10-15-2013, 03:11 PM
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robvuk
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Nitrogen is used in aircraft because it is not flammable. They could just as easily dehydrate regular air if you think moisture is the problem. The Ideal Gas Law still applies.

Now if you're putting water in the tire and the temperatures reach boiling point, that's a different story. But the boiling point of water in a pressurized tire is far greater than 212dF

http://www.csun.edu/~jeloranta/CHEM351/example2.pdf

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