Are any of you guys running Nitrogen in your tires? These are the benefits:

1. It has more mass, so it migrates through the tire three to four times slower. The result: Tires hold their psi longer.

2. It runs about 20% cooler. Less heat results in less tire degradation.

3. It drastically reduces oxidation on the rim and inner-liner (nitrogen systems almost totally eliminate oxygen -- the cause of oxidation -- from the mix).

4. It is environmentally safe.

If not now, would you pay an extra $1.99 per tire when buying new or, say $14.99 to change to Nitrogen in your existing tires?

Comments/Opinions please.

 

Well the big benefit to running nitrogen is the tire pressure changes. With nitrogen the tire pressure change due to heat is smaller. But this is not exactly the nitrogen doing this, (nitrogen is a gas, when it heats it expands just like breathing air, no way to stop that), but what nitrogen does is have less moisture than the atmosphere. This is what keeps the pressure from rising as much. When I ran a GT3 cup team we saw about a 3-40% change in tire pressure whereas with just air it was 40-55% changes (the changes varied a lot due to different tracks and track conditions of course)

 

Jamie: You have a few of things confused.

1. Nitrogen is in fact smaller (has less mass) than Oxygen and so would theoretically diffuse faster through the tire than Oxygen but the effect is negligible.

2. It doesn't really run cooler as air is 78% nitrogen anyway. What you will see, is the change in temps from cold to hot is less because of the moisture in air, not because of the Nitrogen itself. It so happens Nitrogen has no water so it doesn't expand as much. Tom is correct.

3. This is negligible again, air has 21% oxygen so removing it will do very little to stop oxidation, and I have not ever seen serious oxidation on the inside of any rim.

4. Ummm air is 78% Nitrogen, it better be safe.

One of the problems in using Nitrogen is that to add more air, you need to use Nitrogen and can’t just stop at the gas station if you want to maintain the benefits of running Nitrogen.

 

Tim is right u can't mix Oxygen & Nitrogen. so in order to add air u'll need to carry a extra tank of Nitrogen with u all the time or let it out completely before u add Oxygen. we have the Nitrogen machine in the shop & offer it free for guys that go to track often.

 

Why not just fill your tires with NOS and have a rolling party wherever you go?

 

I'm thinking of adding it, but I wouldn;t give it away. I'd price it less than the branded tire stores. It doesn't sound like you guys are sold on it for your daily drivers...

Tim, thanks for the info, I got that information from one of the trade rags.

 

yes i should but don't want to sell something will give people hassle down the road. i was just surprised that N2 is not common here in the states. it is fairly common in some countries where refill is not a problem.

 

Costco here in VA use the nitrogen on all tire changes included in the price of the job. Sears is looking to add it as well.

 

Please explain!!!!! What do you think starts in the tire before you add the nitrogen? Unless you have a special seeled room that you mount your tires in, that is filled with nitrogen instead of breathing air.

Many people mix nitrogen and air, you just don't get all the benefits of the nitrogen when doing this.

Tom

 

Tom, it's not the Oxygen that is the problem, it is water moisture. What is normally done, it to fill the trie with nitrogen, release it, fill again, etc. to remove substantially all the moisture. It happens to remove Oxygen as well but that doesn't matter.

 

Tom,
sorry i shouldn't say u can't but pointless doing so.

 

I believe costco has nitrogen hookups

 

Why don't you shot for helium this way you can lighten your load?

-Eli

 

if you get a flat your tire doesnt "blow out" unsafely as in oxygen filled tires.

 

PCH ... you're completely wrong. Sorry. There is absolutely no difference in a blow out situation.