Nitrogen
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2018 Grand Sport
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 755
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From: Tarpon Springs Florida
Nitrogen
Just put nitrogen in the tires today....Is there any great advantages other than it cuts down on the fluctuation in tire pressure during hot summer days and the Winter cold freezing days? It was free with the purchase of my new tires and wheels.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,643
Likes: 167
No such thing as free. You paid for it in the price of the new tires and wheels you bought. If you don't believe me, ask the store to put some of that "free" nitrogen in all the tires of your other vehicles and see what they say then. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 4
From: Rockford Illinois
[QUOTE=sprk33;1558863903]Just put nitrogen in the tires today....Is there any great advantages other than it cuts down on the fluctuation in tire pressure during hot summer days and the Winter cold freezing days? It was free with the purchase of my new tires and wheels.
The only thing that it si good for is what you said, you wont have tire pressure flucuation like you would with normal air. Otherwise I myself wont wast the money for it, I would rather check my tire pressure regularly.
The only thing that it si good for is what you said, you wont have tire pressure flucuation like you would with normal air. Otherwise I myself wont wast the money for it, I would rather check my tire pressure regularly.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Rockwall Texas
Nitrogen filled tires won't have the water content that air filled tires do. Most aircraft use N2 in their tires for this reason. I've heard crazy stories of almost half a gallon of water held in a tire after being filled.
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St. Jude Donor '07
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From: Redacted
I own a plane and use nitrogen under high pressure in the landing gear struts, so I keep a cylinder in the garage.
Just for grins, I filled two of my tires with air from a Walmart 12v air compressor/tire filler. The other two I purged three times and filled to pressure with pure nitrogen from my cylinder.
Net result?
I challenge anyone to identify which two tires are nitrogen and which two are plain old walmart air.
They behave exactly the same WRT to temperature and pressure. No difference whatsoever.
The reason that aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen are two fold:
1. Aircraft tires are filled to much higher pressures and present a safety hazzard if a brake catches fire. (they do sometimes). Nitrogen doesn't support combustion.
2. Water etnrained in aircraft tires can freeze at the far below 0 temperatures found at high altitude.
Since my plane doesn't pose a fire hazzard or fly at jet altitudes, the only reason I have for putting nitrogen in them is because it is more convenient than lugging a compressor around.
Just for grins, I filled two of my tires with air from a Walmart 12v air compressor/tire filler. The other two I purged three times and filled to pressure with pure nitrogen from my cylinder.
Net result?
I challenge anyone to identify which two tires are nitrogen and which two are plain old walmart air.
They behave exactly the same WRT to temperature and pressure. No difference whatsoever.
The reason that aircraft tires are filled with nitrogen are two fold:
1. Aircraft tires are filled to much higher pressures and present a safety hazzard if a brake catches fire. (they do sometimes). Nitrogen doesn't support combustion.
2. Water etnrained in aircraft tires can freeze at the far below 0 temperatures found at high altitude.
Since my plane doesn't pose a fire hazzard or fly at jet altitudes, the only reason I have for putting nitrogen in them is because it is more convenient than lugging a compressor around.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 5,708
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From: Bedford NH
Cruise-In II Veteran
That is the reason I use it. In a race tire, the DRY nitrogen (dry air would be the same) supposedly has less thermal expansion but it is a very minor effect if at all. I need a 150-250 PSI source for my Penske shocks so I have a small N2 bottle. I put it on a cheap dolly with tie-downs so now I don't need a compressor in my trailer at the track. Since I use my cordless impact wrench all of the time, the compressor is unneeded. Heck, since the N2 bottle on wheels is so convienent, I use it for my lawn tractor tires and my wife's Accord.
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You described the benefit that it gives. Nice looking set of wheels BTW.
Race Director
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From: I speak the truth. Harsh but accurate. The Woodlands Texas
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It also has to do with the tires expanding at high altitude(or so I have been told by the pilots).