I ran the tire shop where we did overnights for air Midwest. And I put nitrogen in the tires. Why? Heck if I know. When they taught me how to do it, they said put a hundred pounds of nitrogen in the tires.


Okay.

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I always take precautions

There are four kinds of lies in the world: Big Lies, Little Lies, statistics and everything that any salesman says.

Well, if someone runs you off the road into water, then shoots at you, you’re screwed if you’ve got nitrogen in your tires. Give me good old air anytime.

Didn’t you guys learn anything from James Bond? Sheesh!

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USS Brewton FF1086
SWCA#3597

I bet you can tell the difference when the tire needs to have it's pressure increased! Nitrogen refills are not FREE while air is free.

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Bill

I remember watching them put nitrogen in SR-71 tires.

I’m sure it made a difference at 80,000 feet. But here on the ground? Total BS.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Thanks for this - you saved me at least a couple puns. I may be able to source some peanut brittle.

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50 Years of DSOTM

....to call BS on nitrogen filled tires.

If there are any advantages in automobile tires, they are miniscule, probably due to the N2 being drier than ambient air. However, the weathering and oxidation comes mainly from the OUTSIDE of the tires so big whup. Air is already 78% nitrogen.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

I swear I was told or read when I joined this fine forum, “no math would be required.” Now I am being faced with a calculus equation! Now my head hurts. The moderators must be taking the day off.

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Possum—The other white meat!

Oh.... I'm here

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

I didn't read the whole thread. I realize the OP and probably a lot of others have a preconceived notion. Thus, nothing would sway them. And because the thread was opened in the first place, there are probably a lot of naysayers. Opinion means nothing to me. Give me facts from real world data.

You know, auto racers for the most part use N2. I don't know if that matters or not.

When I bought my first new set of tires that were filled by N2 by the dealer, I thought, Oh well, it was free, no extra charge. It can't hurt.

Being a nosy individual I looked at the gas properties in the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Old book, had it in the University, hardly read any of it.....LOL.

The specs for air and N2 are so similar that my thought was this whole thing now is merely hype to sell tires.

I was wrong.

My usual method was to fill tires in the winter and summer to keep the right pressure. Tires always use air over time so it's a never-ending task. I do my own oil, so no dealer to do all that **** for me.

Pressure summer to winter stays the same. Never have to add air. No more tire maintenance. Hot to cold pressure is more constant.

That's my finding. And my opinion. Take it or leave it.

If I have to buy new tires and the dealer wants to put air in, I'll shop elsewhere.

It's like beating a dead horse, but the main argument in favor of using nitrogen instead of air seems to focus mainly on permeability differences of nitrogen and air through rubber. It is claimed that oxygen in air is more permeable through rubber than nitrogen because oxygen in air has a slightly greater "kinetic permeability" than nitrogen. In other words, a tire loses more pressure over time when filled with air due to greater oxygen permeability through rubber. Consumer Reports did an actual year long test using a number of different tire brands filled with both air and nitrogen and found that indeed, tires filled with air do lose more internal pressure than tires filled with air. But the difference over a one year period was only about 2 psi more on average, ie, the air-filled tire lost 2 psi more pressure than an identical nitrogen-filled tire. Hardly anything worth losing sleep over. Otherwise, no difference. Regarding oxygen degradation of rubber, that is a pointless consideration because any significant tire oxidation damage from using air as a filler would take far longer to occur than the expected service life of the tire. Firestone put out a statement to the effect that as long as the tire is maintained at the recommended inflation pressure, it makes no difference what it filled with. In summary, if you don't mind the extra expense of filling your tires with nitrogen and it makes you feel more secure, go ahead and use it. But don't expect it to result in any meaningful improvement of tire performance or tire life.

Personally, I usually check my tire pressures a couple of times per year. If any need pressured up, I plug my portable air pump into the cigarette lighter socket and blow them up. Maybe 15 minutes each time.