Be an Airhead or a Nitrogen head?

Nitrogen in car tyres

[vibgyor79]

Just had a chat with a tyre shop owner who is selling nitrogen gas. He says filling the car tyres with nitrogen gas instead of air will improve ride quality and tyre life. Is there any truth in this? Has anybody tried filling up nitrogen?

And oh, he says all Boeings and Airbusses run on nitrogen tyres. So should I pay $2 per tyre per filling or stick to plain jane free air?

[photon]

"Plain jane free air" is already ~80% nitrogen....

[Sarah Atkinson]

Probably not so much as it's nitrogen but probably more like it being 0% oxygen and water vaper. isn't oxygen a crosive element? Don't know if it has any effect on rubber.

[asquithea]

all Boeings and Airbusses run on nitrogen tyres

... and of course aeroplanes spend soooo much time on the runway...

Aeroplane tyres are filled with nitrogen because it doesn't expand or contract as much as oxygen with extreme temperature changes. This reduces the chance of a blow-out.

Since you and your car probably don't make journeys that include temperature ranges of +40 C to -30 C, I'd venture a suggestion that it isn't necessary.

[iamlost]

I recommend filling tires with helium and just floating over the potholes ...

[vibgyor79]

If I don't take off like a Boeing, I will be trying Hydrogen gas next. I heard Hindenburg never had any problems with potholes.

[iamlost]

vibgyor79: You might want to avoid Lakehurst, NJ ...

[Automan Empire]

Take it from soneone in the industry: this is unnecessary for 99% of tire buyers.

True, the pressure stays more stable over the wide temperature range of an operating tire. Still, the cost-to-benefit ratio just isn't there.

If you have just dropped $5,000 on custom wheels and high-end tires, you could make a case that the extra $8 is worth it. Ditto if you are an enthusiast who buys speed-rated tires out of necessity. IMO, most drivers are subsidizing the 1% of people who care/may benefit from the nitrogen. It starts at $250 for a bare-bones bottled nitrogen system where you have to keep buying bottles. There are also nitrogen-generating machines starting around $4000. They have to PUSH a lot of nitrogen fills just to see a return on the investment- but will you see any return? If you have to ask, the answer is probably no.
Just run air. IMO.
-Automan

[MatthewHSE]

I like the helium idea for my bike tires; maybe it would help me climb those long hills? ;)

Somehow, this thread reminds me of this true story [snopes.com] where a guy filled a few weather balloons with helium and took a joy ride . . . 11.000 feet up.

[Automan Empire]

Okay, a new catalog for garage equipment just arrived. Nitrogen generators are offered in five sizes, from $2700 for 1.33 Cubic feet per minute (not a lot) to $14,275 for a 21.3 CFM model.

Get this:
The tagline for the machines is, "Like having your very own ATM!"

Hope this helps.
-Automan

[incrediBILL]

Head to a dental supply company and get a tank of nitrous and fill your tires so when one of them blows you'll be the happiest motorist with a flat ever seen on the side of a road.

[vibgyor79]

>>> The tagline for the machines is, "Like having your very own ATM!"

I read you. But I am going ahead with Nitro in the tyres this saturday anyway - just for the heck of it. Yeah, I know what you are thinking. An idiot is born every minute.

I am going on a 5000 mile road trip in the first week of october. Some of the driving will be in the freezing mountains (Himalayas). Will let you know how the 'nitro-roadtrip' goes if I come back in one piece.

[sned]

Funny thing .. I've never heard of putting nitrogen in tires before - until I read this thread the other day. Then what do you know .. I see an ad on tv for filling your tires with nitrogen. I suppose the pressure not changing due to tempurature would be the selling point here .. we get 150 degree swings over the course of a year.

-sned