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Car Forum / GMC Cars / July 2006nitrogen in tires
Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air in my tires twice a month. > Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will > increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air > in my tires twice a month. It's the latest gimmick. I was shocked to see the cost is about $100. NO THANKS >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting >> air >> in my tires twice a month. > > It's the latest gimmick. > Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will > increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air > in my tires twice a month. A couple of outfits are trying to sell me this equipment. It costs several thousand dollars. Essentially it purifies ordinary air, which is mostly nitrogen already, and stores the nearly pure nitrogen under pressure. Then, for $5 or more per tire, I am supposed to sell this "service" to customers. The main advantage for the seller, aside from incremental income, is that this "service" supposedly "ties" the customer to the seller, since few places have this equipment. The vendors claim that because the nitrogen molecule is physically larger than the oxygen molecule, filling the tire with pure nitrogen will mean that fewer pressurized molecules will escape through the inevitable small holes in the tire lining, thereby delaying the day when tire pressure will be low. This slower loss of pressure is the main reason that the vendors claim longer tire life, since a tire wears more quickly when underinflated. Does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that checking tire pressures once a week, and adding ordinary air, is an alternate method of maintaining tire pressures. A second claim made by the vendors is that oxygen is much more highly reactive with rubber than nitrogen, and over time contact with the oxygen in air causes the tire to age. By replacing the air inside the tire with nitrogen, goes the argument, the tire's youthful suppleness is preserved. What horse sh.t! Even if oxygen was to tires what termites are to wood, what about the air surrounding the outside of the tire, which is mostly nitrogen anyway? From my perspective, filling your tires with nitrogen is simply a way for a shop to transfer the contents of your wallet to their cash register. Any benefit to your tires is apt to be vanishingly small, and certainly not worth the cost. "Rob" <rdg@insightbb.com> wrote in message > The vendors claim that because the nitrogen molecule is physically larger > than the oxygen molecule, filling the tire with pure nitrogen will mean > that fewer pressurized molecules will escape through the inevitable small > holes in the tire lining, thereby delaying the day when tire pressure > will be low. Since the air is mostly nitrogen anyway, you are replacing maybe 25% of the contents. On the theory that the larger molecule is better, I'm going to fill my tires with sand. Bet that won't leak! Why not concrete tires and rubber road? > "Rob" <rdg@insightbb.com> wrote in message >> The vendors claim that because the nitrogen molecule is physically larger [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > the contents. On the theory that the larger molecule is better, I'm going > to fill my tires with sand. Bet that won't leak! That's not a good idea, can you imagine the morning commute when the road is flat! Al > Why not concrete tires and rubber road? > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] >> the contents. On the theory that the larger molecule is better, I'm >> going to fill my tires with sand. Bet that won't leak! BTW the places to leak are far larger than gas molecule of either. >"Rob" <rdg@insightbb.com> wrote in message >> The vendors claim that because the nitrogen molecule is physically larger [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >contents. On the theory that the larger molecule is better, I'm going to >fill my tires with sand. Bet that won't leak! You don't sound like the kind of guy who wants to make money off your customers by selling them junk science. Therefore, I would skip the whole thing because it's a waste to you, and to the customer. Oxygen is quite a reactive chemical but air isn't oxygen, and rubber isn't the most volatile compound either. As you pointed out, air doesn't seem to wear tires out. Driving tires wears them out long before the rubber will oxidize. Hehe. >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air [quoted text clipped - 30 lines] >register. Any benefit to your tires is apt to be vanishingly small, and >certainly not worth the cost. > Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will > increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air > in my tires twice a month. The real problem here may be that someone is stealing your air! Or maybe you have those leaky rims. Another possibility is that your gage is wrong and you are letting too much air out during the checking process. Pure nitrogen is not the answer to any of these problems. PS. People with multiple personalities are sometimes hard to help. Which one are you today, Tim, or ....Linda? Changed my sig if that makes you feel better. So many things to worry about and you pick my sig. [ >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > PS. People with multiple personalities are sometimes hard to help. > Which one are you today, Tim, or ....Linda? Its a gimmick to the auto industry, but Nitrogen filled tires have been in use for decades in aviation (due to nitrogen being an inert gas it will not promote fire easily in places like wheel wells). IIRC it has also been used for a long time in some racing series. As for the increase in tire wear, I doubt that it does much to help with that. Snow... > Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will > increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting > air in my tires twice a month. > Its a gimmick to the auto industry, but Nitrogen filled tires have been in > use for decades in aviation (due to nitrogen being an inert gas it will not [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Snow... Worked in a Martin Oil station in the early 60's. Nitrogen tire fills were less than 25 cents then. The claim then was the nitrogen was better for the rubber.... Some time we can talk about using alcohol to keep air lines from freezing and spinning tires in the snow:) Al > Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will > increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting air > in my tires twice a month. If I had it easily available, I would use it. Getting rid of the oxygen would be good theoretical practice. >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting > air >> in my tires twice a month. There are some theoretical advantages, but it does not seem all that practical. The question you should be asking is why you need to add air twice a month. I've had cars that need added air only a couple of times in the life of the tire. > I've had cars that need added air only a couple of times in > the life of the tire. What a stretch, unless you really pile on the mileage quickly. Well if it increases tire wear I sure wouldn't want it! LOL Anyway, I know what you meant but seriously.... waste of time and money. The 7% of oxygen in air isn't what's wearing your tires; it's the roads. That's it. End of story. There is nothing to debate. >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >would >be good theoretical practice. > Well if it increases tire wear I sure wouldn't want it! LOL Anyway, > I know what you meant but seriously.... waste of time and money. The > 7% of oxygen in air isn't what's wearing your tires; it's the roads. > That's it. End of story. There is nothing to debate. The percentage of O2 in air is more like 18%. > > Well if it increases tire wear I sure wouldn't want it! LOL Anyway, > > I know what you meant but seriously.... waste of time and money. The > > 7% of oxygen in air isn't what's wearing your tires; it's the roads. > > That's it. End of story. There is nothing to debate. > > The percentage of O2 in air is more like 18%. Actually, it is more like 21%. Can it oxidize the rubber...maybe, but that is not a major problem. Can it contribute to corrosion of the wheel? Yep. A lot of compressed air will contribute to a little water and oxygen can speed up wheel rusting. No water, no rust, at least at normal temperatures. <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message > Can it contribute to corrosion of the wheel? Yep. A lot of compressed air > will contribute to a little > water and oxygen can speed up wheel rusting. No water, no rust, at least > at > normal temperatures. What is the cost of repair/replacing corroded wheels from the inner tire portion compared to the cost of putting nitrogen in every tire? Does not seem to be very cost effective, IMO. In 45 years of car ownership, I've never replaced a wheel, but would have spent a bundle on nitrogen. > <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message > > Can it contribute to corrosion of the wheel? Yep. A lot of compressed air [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > seem to be very cost effective, IMO. In 45 years of car ownership, I've > never replaced a wheel, but would have spent a bundle on nitrogen. Wheel leaks and corrosion occur, but it is not too common. I have seen a lot of them rusted on the inside. Nitrogen is very cheap. Nowadays you have to pay for air at the service stations around here. $0.50 per use. Compressed nitrogen is cheap,even in cylinders, and has no water. If I were going to pay at a service station, would I pay the same for nitrogen as for wet compressed air? Yup. Maybe even a little more. <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message > Nitrogen is very cheap. Nowadays you have to pay for air at the > service stations around here. $0.50 per use. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > nitrogen > as for wet compressed air? Yup. Maybe even a little more. http://www.kstatecollegian.com/article.php?a=7252 http://www.moderntiredealer.com/t_inside.cfm?action=art_det&storyid=1207&pgNum=2 http://www.savingyourwaytosuccess.com/savingongas.html Looks like it is $3 to $5 per tire. We already use 78% nitrogen now! Last time I looked, tire inflation was 75¢ in my area. Anyone spending that much every week or two would do well to buy a small compressor and do it at home. After filling up my tank for $45, I'll be damned if I'm going to give them more money to fill a low tire. > <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > http://www.kstatecollegian.com/article.php?a=7252 http://www.moderntiredealer.com/t_inside.cfm?action=art_det&storyid=1207&pgNum=2 > http://www.savingyourwaytosuccess.com/savingongas.html > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > After filling up my tank for $45, I'll be damned if I'm going to give them > more money to fill a low tire. I agree, Ed. I only do it when I am caught in a bind. Those cheap 12v inflators do a good enough job. If I really wanted dry nitrogen in my tires, I would buy a small tank and do it myself. As I said, nitrogen is cheap..renting the cylinder costs a bit. If I had it available, I would use it, but I am not going to pay $3-5 per tire to a service station for it. I don't know how old you are, but do you remember the days when one chain kept promising 'pink air' for the tires? >> <HLS@nospam.nix> wrote in message >> > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] >kept >promising 'pink air' for the tires? In my state gas stations are required to provide air, and at no charge. They are not required to provide someone to put the air in your tires though. However I find the equipment at many stations to be less than desirable so I just fill at home with a small compressor I bought at the local DYI mega store and use a accurate dial type gauge. Even have a moisture removing attachment on there so I can blow off electronics without putting moisture into them. > In my state gas stations are required to provide air, and at no > charge. They are not required to provide someone to put the air in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > gauge. Even have a moisture removing attachment on there so I can > blow off electronics without putting moisture into them. Here there is no such law. You get a few seconds of air pressure for $0.50-0.75. You have no idea how much, if any, water is coming into your tires. Just a point of clarification, the air is compose of around 21% oxygen not 7% and there is just as much outside as inside the tire ;) mike hunt > Well if it increases tire wear I sure wouldn't want it! LOL Anyway, > I know what you meant but seriously.... waste of time and money. The > 7% of oxygen in air isn't what's wearing your tires; it's the roads. > That's it. End of story. There is nothing to debate. Really? How do you get rid of the oxygen on the OUTSIDE of the tires? LOL mike hunt >> Anyone tried nitrogen instead of air in your tires? I am hearing it will >> increase tire wear. Question I would have is $$ as I find myself putting [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > would > be good theoretical practice. |
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