Tires have nitrogen in them. If pressure is a few lbs. lower than it should be can you just add "air" rather than nitrogen
That has always cracked me up.dsulli37 said:Air is 78.09% nitrogen
You are correct....Also a benefit is wear on tires due to the mentioned factors you talked about. I would never pay for nitrogen on my personal car, the benefits are rarely seen for your daily uses, if you wish go ahead, no harm done, but little gain. In FL the very huimid climate, adds moisture into your tires. If the local place you are getting air from has water flowing out of all the hoses, connections and the drip legs if they have them (or strainer)...I would pay for the nitrogen. If you can get properly "dryed" air from your local shop (using air dryers on the compressor system with a properly designed setup), your not going to see much of a benefit vs +95% nitrogen. I cannot tell you have many times I've seen this at shops, you do not want the water/oil into your tiresgearhead said:I was under the impression that nitrogen filled tires weren't as prone to variances in pressure due to ambient temperature changes, or heat from road friction, as regular air filled tires are?
i.e. they maintain their pressure year round so you don't have to pump them up in winter or let air out in summer.
Hmmm...
Actually Nitrogen has a DOT designation for transport of "Nonflammable gas" It will not burn or support combustion. It is frequently used to inert systems that contain, or have contained, flammable liquids or gases. "Michelin recommends the use of nitrogen when inflating all aircraft tires. Nitrogen provides a stable, inert inflation gas while eliminating the introduction of moisture into the tire cavity." "Nitrogen is more stable pressure-wise under temperature extremes, won't leak out through the rubber matrix (nitrogen molecules are too big to fit through, just like your car tires and another reason why Costco now fills your car tires with nitrogen), and is not flammable (inert) should the tire blow or overheat." also "Many race car teams use nitrogen instead of air in their tires because nitrogen has a much more consistent rate of expansion and contraction compared to the usual air. Often, a half pound of pressure will radically affect traction and handling. With track and tire temperatures varying over the duration of a race, the consistency of nitrogen is needed.Narg said:That has always cracked me up.
Nitrogen is quite cheap normally, which makes it worse. If I understood correctly, it costs the dealer about $0.50 per tire. Using it for tires does have a valid reason, 100% nitrogen is very light and super low mass. This allows the tires to rotate easier. I haven't seen any studies on the effects, so there is not any proof if it does help MPG or anything for that matter. So, while the idea is sound there's no proof yet.
Whats even more funny is pure Nitrogen is flamable. Hope you don't get in a wreck! ACK!