nitrogen in tires - cool
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 349
Likes: 1
From: Smith Tenn
nitrogen in tires - cool
Maybe some of you have tried nitrogen in your tires. I was scepticle at first but after a couple of months without having to air up my tires I am sold. The idea is that nitrogen molocules are much larger than oxygen and so they can't leak through the rubber nearly as fast. Also easier on the rubber internally. My tires have kept at 30 pounds for two months so far. Only cost $10 at Costco.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 124,359
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From: .... NJ
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05 thru '19
Originally Posted by csmith46
Maybe some of you have tried nitrogen in your tires. I was scepticle at first but after a couple of months without having to air up my tires I am sold. The idea is that nitrogen molocules are much larger than oxygen and so they can't leak through the rubber nearly as fast. Also easier on the rubber internally. My tires have kept at 30 pounds for two months so far. Only cost $10 at Costco.
Everyone already has 78% nitrogen in their tires because that is what the atmosphere comprised of. Nitrogen and Oxygen behave the same according the ideal gas law. High school science 101. The only thing about them using nitrogen like that is that it is dry. You can get the same benefit from using a dryer on the compressor to inflate the tires. N2 and O2 are almost the same size and N2 is lighter than O2 (28 g/mol vs 32 g/mol) so if either gas were to effuse out of the tire, nitrogen would do it more quickly. 
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 922
Likes: 2
From: Resume Speed Tennessee
One place in my little town is doing nitrogen fills, and I've been wondering about it. Is your tire pressure down now that it's colder? With air, my tire pressure usually increases by 4 pounds as the tires warm up. How much do they go up with the nitrogen?
Thanks,
Thanks,
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,222
Likes: 0
From: Norfolk VA
basiclly what they are saying is you got ripped off, last time I added air to my tires it was free. The only people who need N2 in thier tires are professional/very experienced racers since the N2 doesn't have any h2o in it, it doesn't expand as much when you heat them up to track temps so the tire pressure is much more stable, but that's only because 1/2lb. could mean the difference between winning and losing. Of course that won't make any difference at street temps, so you just got ripped.
BTW, did you at least drain all of the O2 our of your tires? because if not, you've still got all of the moisture in there totally negating any possible benefit.
BTW, did you at least drain all of the O2 our of your tires? because if not, you've still got all of the moisture in there totally negating any possible benefit.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 275
Likes: 21
From: North Carolina
Using Nitrogen in your tires is something that NASCAR has been doing with great results. When you are dealing with 1/2 lb of pressure making or breaking your cars handling Nitrogen works. In my area the shops are still charging way too much to put Nitrogen in. I go by the old standard and still use a compressor.
1 lb of pressure = 10dg F.
In other words, when you put 30 lbs in your tires at 70 dg. F. it will be 29 lbs at 60 dg. F.
1 lb of pressure = 10dg F.
In other words, when you put 30 lbs in your tires at 70 dg. F. it will be 29 lbs at 60 dg. F.
Last edited by nmbsun; Nov 25, 2005 at 06:18 PM.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 842
Likes: 0
From: Chicago il
Originally Posted by Lancer033
BTW, did you at least drain all of the O2 our of your tires? because if not, you've still got all of the moisture in there totally negating any possible benefit.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 275
Likes: 21
From: North Carolina
Originally Posted by Goonie
hehe good point... not even nascar could deflate the tires to a negative pressure, it would break the tires... water is usually last to come out.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 4,653
Likes: 6
From: North Royalton, OH
St. Jude Donor '06-'07
Well, I'm OK with it... I'm getting new tires from Costco next week for my '71, and it's a car that sits for long periods of time, unfortunately. Since the current tires were new, I have constantly had to air them up after a month of no action. I even had the tires remounted to see if there was a leak somewhere (on all 4 tires) but that didn't change anything. Maybe I got 4 tires with small holes in them??? Anyway, when you get new tires at Costco they automatically fill them with nitrogen. I'll be able to make a pretty good comparison, I believe, in the longevity of a fill with compressed air and a fill with nitrogen. I think it's a good idea until I'm proven wrong. Not sure that I would pay 10 bucks for the changeover, but you never know. It's annoying to fire up the '04 on a cool morning and get the Low Tire Pressure warning on the DIC... if that didn't happen anymore, I guess the $10 would be worth it to me!
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 16,795
Likes: 62
From: Lake Havasu City, AZ
Goonie... as a chemist you should also have shared that Nitrogen is an inert gas and as such using it in tires will reduce the oxidation of the rubber on the inner side of the tire
in theory, it is as inert as our "air."
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,515
Likes: 17
From: Keller, TX
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by rws.1
Goonie... as a chemist you should also have shared that Nitrogen is an inert gas and as such using it in tires will reduce the oxidation of the rubber on the inner side of the tire
Racer
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: Sterling Heights MI
This one has been here before. It's a complete waste of money for most of us on the road. Do a search, you'll find a lot. There is even links to the technical junk behind it. Give this one up already before we start marking some people with a big "N" on their head.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,829
Likes: 45
From: Las Vegas Nevada
I am of the understanding that n2 is MUCH better for the life of
the tire and the inhternal surfaces of the wheel.
However, the expense and hassle of evacuating the o2 out and
replacing with n2 seems to be
the tire and the inhternal surfaces of the wheel.
However, the expense and hassle of evacuating the o2 out and
replacing with n2 seems to be
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 349
Likes: 1
From: Smith Tenn
Interesting conversation guys. In spite of some comments about being ripped off here are the facts for my car.
First, they did remove all the air, first one half then a fill up with nitro, then removed 75% and then filled again.
Second, I had to top off my tires about every 2 to three weeks to maintain a cold 30 psi. at start up every morning. As I said, it's been 2 months now and its been spot on 30 pounds every morning. So from my point of view I think it was well worth the money. It is drier and does not leak as before. If you think that is a bad deal that's up to you. Maybe you'd just rather beat your horse instead.
Thanks for all your thoughts.
First, they did remove all the air, first one half then a fill up with nitro, then removed 75% and then filled again.
Second, I had to top off my tires about every 2 to three weeks to maintain a cold 30 psi. at start up every morning. As I said, it's been 2 months now and its been spot on 30 pounds every morning. So from my point of view I think it was well worth the money. It is drier and does not leak as before. If you think that is a bad deal that's up to you. Maybe you'd just rather beat your horse instead.
Thanks for all your thoughts.