and free too.
Nitrogen?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 5,118
Likes: 122
From: Madison (Huntsville) Alabama
CI 6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
Nitrogen?
Is there really any utility to it in a street car? I know it's supposed to run cooler, and the expansion with heat/contraction with cold isn't nearly as dramatic with air (which is an issue for winter/summer tire pressures in our wide tires), but does it really do any noticeable good? The Space Shuttle had nitrogen in its tires (probably where the fad got started), but since it operated in a vacuum with extreme temperature differentials, it was necessary.
We just bought a '13 Cadillac ATS and nitrogen was a dealer "installed" option for $85. I declined it. The ATS is a great car, BTW ... stays on the road at least as good as the Vette. And the 3.6 V6 is 321 HP ... not bad for a family car that only weighs a couple hundred pounds more than a Vette.
This has no doubt been discussed here before, but I've only been back in the fold for a couple of weeks.
We just bought a '13 Cadillac ATS and nitrogen was a dealer "installed" option for $85. I declined it. The ATS is a great car, BTW ... stays on the road at least as good as the Vette. And the 3.6 V6 is 321 HP ... not bad for a family car that only weighs a couple hundred pounds more than a Vette.
This has no doubt been discussed here before, but I've only been back in the fold for a couple of weeks.
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 226
Likes: 47
From: Ontario
The real culprit is water vapour not the gas. Both oxygen and nitrogen behave as "ideal" gasses and the difference in molecule size is trivial.
If the shop that fills the tires has a decent air dryer on their compressor this should be virtually as good as nitrogen from a bottle which completely dry.
If you live in a humid area and fill the tires from a compressor without an air dryer you will get a fair amount of water vapour in the tire. When the tire cools some of the vapour will condense occupying a significantly smaller volume and causing a significant drop in pressure.
If the shop that fills the tires has a decent air dryer on their compressor this should be virtually as good as nitrogen from a bottle which completely dry.
If you live in a humid area and fill the tires from a compressor without an air dryer you will get a fair amount of water vapour in the tire. When the tire cools some of the vapour will condense occupying a significantly smaller volume and causing a significant drop in pressure.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
Yes, it gets discussed here every now and then. 
I've never used nitrogen in the tires and have never lost any air from the tires in almost 9 years of C6 ownership.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-nitrogen.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...for-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...our-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eir-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2107673
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2104186
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2043592
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
I've never used nitrogen in the tires and have never lost any air from the tires in almost 9 years of C6 ownership.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-nitrogen.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...for-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...-in-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...our-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c6-c...eir-tires.html
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2107673
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2104186
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2043592
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...light=nitrogen
Last edited by Vette_DD; Jul 1, 2013 at 10:32 AM.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Safety Car
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 4,257
Likes: 628
From: Tempe Arizona
St. Jude Donor '22-'23-'24
There are many threads on this topic and they end up getting quite long with no definitive conclusion. The guys who use Nitrogen will tell you about all the benefits of the larger molecules, etc... The guys who don't use it will say it's all just snake-oil and a waste of money.
The bottom line is you should do what you think is best. Many people spend thousands of dollars trying to maximize the performance of these cars. Some modifications or "improvements" work, others do not.
I for one, put the Nitrogen in my tires. I think it costs me about $40 when I had my tires mounted. Did I waste that money? Maybe. Do I feel a little better knowing its in there? Yes. But I look at it this way, if there is even the slightest chance it is better, hell, I can afford $40. I have this in the same book as a decal or maybe chrome valve-stem caps that someone puts on their car because they like it.
If you can afford a Corvette, chances are you can spend, $20, $40 or $80 to have your tires filed with Nitrogen. Bottom line, do what you think is best for you and your car.
Good Luck!
The bottom line is you should do what you think is best. Many people spend thousands of dollars trying to maximize the performance of these cars. Some modifications or "improvements" work, others do not.
I for one, put the Nitrogen in my tires. I think it costs me about $40 when I had my tires mounted. Did I waste that money? Maybe. Do I feel a little better knowing its in there? Yes. But I look at it this way, if there is even the slightest chance it is better, hell, I can afford $40. I have this in the same book as a decal or maybe chrome valve-stem caps that someone puts on their car because they like it.
If you can afford a Corvette, chances are you can spend, $20, $40 or $80 to have your tires filed with Nitrogen. Bottom line, do what you think is best for you and your car.
Good Luck!
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 49,212
Likes: 3,896
From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
The real culprit is water vapour not the gas. Both oxygen and nitrogen behave as "ideal" gasses and the difference in molecule size is trivial.
If the shop that fills the tires has a decent air dryer on their compressor this should be virtually as good as nitrogen from a bottle which completely dry.
If you live in a humid area and fill the tires from a compressor without an air dryer you will get a fair amount of water vapour in the tire. When the tire cools some of the vapour will condense occupying a significantly smaller volume and causing a significant drop in pressure.
If the shop that fills the tires has a decent air dryer on their compressor this should be virtually as good as nitrogen from a bottle which completely dry.
If you live in a humid area and fill the tires from a compressor without an air dryer you will get a fair amount of water vapour in the tire. When the tire cools some of the vapour will condense occupying a significantly smaller volume and causing a significant drop in pressure.
Ambient air is ~80% nitrogen anyway. If anyone really thinks removing the 20% that's oxygen, which is almost the same size atom as nitrogen, is doing any good is being scammed. And, unless the tire shop pulls a vacuum on the tire after it's mounted and before it's filled with nitrogen (they don't), it doesn't just have nitrogen in it anyway.
Pro
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 700
Likes: 2
From: SC
OK so lets see. Normal air is about 21%O2 and 78% N. The O2 leaks out but the N does not due to atom size. So when I drive for awhile the O2 leaks out leaving only N. so I drop my tire pressure and now head to the local air pump or use the one in my garage. So close to 100% of what is in my tire is now N (because the O2 has leaked out). I now top off the tire with compressed air so now the O2 is about 4%now in my tire (the nitrogen stayed in the O2 leaked out. I go through this again and now I top up arain and see the O2 is less then 1% of the total tire volume. I do it one more time and I find I have a trace amount. Same as the bottle the dealer sold me. Air for me I dont mind pumping 3 times, and If I ever do go low with 98% nitrogen and am on a long road trip im in trouble if it matters to me.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 82,175
Likes: 1,319
From: McKinney TX
St. Jude Donor '21-'22-'23-'24
How many places are there near you that have nitrogen that you can refill with when you need it?
How many places are there near you that have air that you can refill with when you need it?
Convenience means a lot to some folks.
How many places are there near you that have air that you can refill with when you need it?
Convenience means a lot to some folks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,036
Likes: 331
From: Long Island New York
Is there really any utility to it in a street car? I know it's supposed to run cooler, and the expansion with heat/contraction with cold isn't nearly as dramatic with air (which is an issue for winter/summer tire pressures in our wide tires), but does it really do any noticeable good? The Space Shuttle had nitrogen in its tires (probably where the fad got started), but since it operated in a vacuum with extreme temperature differentials, it was necessary.
We just bought a '13 Cadillac ATS and nitrogen was a dealer "installed" option for $85. I declined it. The ATS is a great car, BTW ... stays on the road at least as good as the Vette. And the 3.6 V6 is 321 HP ... not bad for a family car that only weighs a couple hundred pounds more than a Vette.
This has no doubt been discussed here before, but I've only been back in the fold for a couple of weeks.
We just bought a '13 Cadillac ATS and nitrogen was a dealer "installed" option for $85. I declined it. The ATS is a great car, BTW ... stays on the road at least as good as the Vette. And the 3.6 V6 is 321 HP ... not bad for a family car that only weighs a couple hundred pounds more than a Vette.
This has no doubt been discussed here before, but I've only been back in the fold for a couple of weeks.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 662
Likes: 111
From: Carmel, NY & Bradenton, FL
No cost at all if you buy tires at Costco.
Here's a Popular Mechanics review on the subject. My conclusion: It's better than using straight air but probably not worth the cost if you have to buy it.
Here's a Popular Mechanics review on the subject. My conclusion: It's better than using straight air but probably not worth the cost if you have to buy it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,220
Likes: 16
From: Sugarhill Ga
it's ONLY TRUE BENEFIT is that is it drier. It will not cause chrome wheels to pit internally and cause crazy slow leaks. but once again it HAS TO BE PURE NITROGEN or it does NOTHING AT ALL.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 1,527
Likes: 34
"I've never used nitrogen in the tires and have never lost any air from the tires in almost 9 years of C6 ownership."
That has to be the best one from the Naysayers!
----
Another one to the Naysayers: Have you ever used Nitrogen in car tires?
That has to be the best one from the Naysayers!
----
Another one to the Naysayers: Have you ever used Nitrogen in car tires?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 49,212
Likes: 3,896
From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
