Nitrogen
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
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From: Austin TX
oh, and it's call your friend, unless your doctor is your 'friend'....... 
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 53
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From: Minnetonka MN
Pressure will still increase as the tires heat up.
Nitrogen may be a good alternative for storage, but it will still expand as the temperature inside the tires rise causing an increase in pressure. PV=nRT where P is pressure, and T is temperature, the others will stay constant for this situation. When you drive temperature increases which means pressure will also increase.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 35
From: Folsom Lake CA
Nitrogen may be a good alternative for storage, but it will still expand as the temperature inside the tires rise causing an increase in pressure. PV=nRT where P is pressure, and T is temperature, the others will stay constant for this situation. When you drive temperature increases which means pressure will also increase.
I'm thinking about draining my tires of the nitrogen and using regular air instead. I'm just wondering if I'll need to jack the car up first to take pressure of the tires, lest I damage something by letting ALL the air out.
Anybody know?
Former Vendor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 516
Likes: 0
From: Mechanicsville Va
Heres my experience with the nitrogen in the tires theory>>>
3 weeks ago I got new tires (Michelins)on one of my vehicles at Costco. Costco now uses nitrogen exclusively in tires. I was told that I could keep 30 psi and even after driving on the highway in the summer that it would not expand...I have tested the tire psi for the last 3 weeks many times and cold it reads 30...then I go driving for an hour or so in 85-95 degree temp on the highway and city driving mixed and then take the reading and everytime I have tested it this way the hot reading shows 34.5 psi...I tested it with 3 different good guages...same reading.
So in conclusion after "scientifically" testing cold then hot Costcos information that the nitrogen in the tires does not expand is pure BULLCHITT
As far as I can tell it is a gimmic to sell more tires.....but this is just a semi-educated guess on my part
NOTE:...Buyer of the "Nitrogen being way better than regular air "theory beware
P.S.>>>the Michelins ride Great!
3 weeks ago I got new tires (Michelins)on one of my vehicles at Costco. Costco now uses nitrogen exclusively in tires. I was told that I could keep 30 psi and even after driving on the highway in the summer that it would not expand...I have tested the tire psi for the last 3 weeks many times and cold it reads 30...then I go driving for an hour or so in 85-95 degree temp on the highway and city driving mixed and then take the reading and everytime I have tested it this way the hot reading shows 34.5 psi...I tested it with 3 different good guages...same reading.
So in conclusion after "scientifically" testing cold then hot Costcos information that the nitrogen in the tires does not expand is pure BULLCHITT
As far as I can tell it is a gimmic to sell more tires.....but this is just a semi-educated guess on my part
NOTE:...Buyer of the "Nitrogen being way better than regular air "theory beware
P.S.>>>the Michelins ride Great!
Careful, we use Nitrogen on our UH-60's for that very reason. (see red89gt's post) The science behind it is proven, but the advantages you see are for hi-pressure tires going up in altitude and in different temps. Now whether or not it makes a difference on a 30psi tire that pretty much stays in the general temp most of the time is probably not even worth trying to calculate. But its not pure crap
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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Careful, we use Nitrogen on our UH-60's for that very reason. (see red89gt's post) The science behind it is proven, but the advantages you see are for hi-pressure tires going up in altitude and in different temps. Now whether or not it makes a difference on a 30psi tire that pretty much stays in the general temp most of the time is probably not even worth trying to calculate. But its not pure crap
Dry nitrogen does have some advantages. The only real thing that keeps me from using it is availability. If I could get it all the time anywhere, I would have changed over a long time ago. Being tied to specific locations to get it just doesn't make it practical.
Former Vendor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 516
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From: Mechanicsville Va
yeah, having to secure a landing gear wheel/tire in a steel cage before servicing it always makes me feel a little uneasy.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3,447
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From: Los Angeles
I caught a radio ad for a local tire shop on the way to work today that was claiming "an increase of 5mpg with nitrogen filled tires... a $40 dollar value free with tire service!"
Couldn't help but laugh... but they wouldn't market it so much if people were not falling for it.
Couldn't help but laugh... but they wouldn't market it so much if people were not falling for it.
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Race Director
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From: ~The DARKSIDE Group~
Well, found a local outfit that sells Nitrogen. Went by at lunch today to get the runflats filled. Lol! My lowered C5 would not fit the 12 inch hi ramps! U shoulda seen the looks on the faces of the techs, lol! They wanted to know what I did to my car, "cause it sure sits nice." lol!
The search continues!
The search continues!
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Chicago Heights ILLINOIS
I work for a compressed gas company that sells an Ultra High Purity Nitrogen gas used for research. I've been putting it in my tires for years. I can't tell you it does anything,but I certainly don't have to add gas very much.It is very dry and NASCAR,IRL and NHRA pro classes use it for tires and there "air tools"
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You can run the nitrogen in the tires with no problems.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Virginia
St. Jude Donor '11
Careful, we use Nitrogen on our UH-60's for that very reason. (see red89gt's post) The science behind it is proven, but the advantages you see are for hi-pressure tires going up in altitude and in different temps. Now whether or not it makes a difference on a 30psi tire that pretty much stays in the general temp most of the time is probably not even worth trying to calculate. But its not pure crap
...hey wait a minute...if you go back and read my post, I said "pure BULLCHITT"...not "pure crap" ......ok then...I would like to change my opinion to "mostly BULLCHITT"
Last edited by Yello95; Sep 13, 2007 at 01:49 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 25,061
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From: Virginia
St. Jude Donor '11
We all know that pressure increases when the tires heat up, but what I'm noticing is the nitrogen filled tires' pressures are increasing MORE than they would increase with regular oxygen.
I'm thinking about draining my tires of the nitrogen and using regular air instead. I'm just wondering if I'll need to jack the car up first to take pressure of the tires, lest I damage something by letting ALL the air out.
Anybody know?
I'm thinking about draining my tires of the nitrogen and using regular air instead. I'm just wondering if I'll need to jack the car up first to take pressure of the tires, lest I damage something by letting ALL the air out.
Anybody know?
I'm with ya buddy, I'm taking that "mostly" crap nitrogen out and refilling it with regular air..and yes I will jack each tire up and let the air out down to 3 psi then refill with regular air whch is already 78+ % nitrogen
Former Vendor
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 516
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From: Mechanicsville Va
. All that is, is someone taking something they heard and saying, hmmm lets apply this for cars and charge extra because its "better". Anything to get more green I guess.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2006
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From: Staten Island New York
The air we breath is approximately 78% Nitrogen, 20% Oxygen, 2% other gases. 100% Nitrogen is less active than air and in layman's terms it will have less of a corosive effect on the inside of the tires. When gases get hot they expand so, expect an increase in tire pressure when driving and especially in hotter weather. If it's free do it, otherwise check your pressures regularly and fill up where it's free.
Team Owner
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From: Virginia
St. Jude Donor '11
