Nitrogen in Tires

[chazdawg35]

Hey Dudes I just put nitrogen ihn the tires I really haven't felt a difference so far but it is suppose to help in fuel economy. Any ideas?

[Neil]

Not quite sure chaz if thats gonna do the trick. With the price of gas......maybe helium may be the way to go .........whatya think ?

[J'sS2K]

LOL, that's a new trick.

[makopolo]

It might help your tire pressure fluctuate less with temperature changes. Where did you get them filled up?

[D1sclaimer]

Nitrogen molecules are larger than normal air so basically it won't seep out of the tire as much or easily. It also doesn't heat up as much on long trips.

I don't think theres really any gas money to be saved. Just make sure your tires are properly inflated.

[chazdawg35]

Originally Posted by makopolo

It might help your tire pressure fluctuate less with temperature changes. Where did you get them filled up?

I got it done at Just Tires in Simi Valley and the Dude told me that with in 200 miles I should see an increase in gas mileage. It only cost $24 for all the tires so I guess we'll see if it was worth it. The main reason that I did it was to see if the pressure would change, I was really wondering so I'll keep you guys updated.

[satisaii]

Somebody sold you some hot air.

[chazdawg35]

Originally Posted by satisaii

Somebody sold you some hot air.

I was hoping that it would make me GO FASTER!

[Scooter]

I think pressure matters more than what's in the tires, although Nitrogen leaks more slowly. Do some research before spending the money:
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...en-tires-.html

[bbcricketta]

Yes, this definitely improves mileage. It removes money from your wallet, making it lighter. Ergo, your curb weight drops, resulting in higher mileage.

[lonestarbuzz]

Originally Posted by bbcricketta

Yes, this definitely improves mileage. It removes money from your wallet, making it lighter. Ergo, your curb weight drops, resulting in higher mileage.

lol!

[Vezna31]

I agree with all the smart ass comments that it will make your wallet lighter and therefore give better MPG, and that it will stabilize pressures better than normal air.

[chazdawg35]

What about running tires with nitrogen on a track? The only draw back that I see is if you have to change tire pressure where are you going to get nitrogen at the track.

[Vezna31]

Originally Posted by chazdawg35

What about running tires with nitrogen on a track? The only draw back that I see is if you have to change tire pressure where are you going to get nitrogen at the track.

The alternative is to put a little more pressure in so that you are at the rate that the tires work best. I normally start my R compounds at 27-28 and end around 35-36. If I were to use nitrogen, i would experiment by starting with 33-34 and seeing where I end and then adjust depending on the fluctuation.

[DJJSR]

I tried using nitrogen in my drag slicks and here's what I found.........

The biggest reason tire pressures change when tires "warm up" is because the air contains moisture. Because the air comes from various sources, at various times, the amount of moisture in the air is unknown, so you don't know how much the pressure will change.

The use of nitrogen virtually eliminates the moisture, so you can determine pretty accurately how much the pressure will change as the temperature changes. This is not too important for a street car, but if you race on a road course or oval it can be very helpful.

My slicks were big. 34" diameter and 17" wide and used a LARGE volume of air (or nitrogen) but low pressure, only around 5 psi. At that low pressure, I found very little difference in the variation of pressure change using air vs. nitrogen. The pressure was closely monitored before each run and often changed in the staging lanes, so the use of nitrogen was not practical or economical for me. I did find that the tires leaked a little less, apparently because of the N2 molecules being larger.

As for the normal street car, my opinion is that it's a waste of money. If you hardly ever check your tire pressure, it may help because it may leak less. If you take care of your car like you should and check the pressure regularly, I think you will see zero difference in gas mileage or tire wear. But if it makes you feel better, do it. Placebos work! (ever notice how your car seems to run better after you wash it?)


FYI - Nitrogen is used in most types of pro auto racing to accurately determine pressure change. It's also used in commercial aircraft tires, but that's just to eliminate freezing at altitude.

[lonestarbuzz]

^^^ Nice Post! This is why this is such a great forum. Good information, from smart people. Thanks, Don.

[chazdawg35]

Originally Posted by satisaii

Somebody sold you some hot air.

Hey Dude I think you were right. I went out today in the canyons and the tire pressure shot up from 32 to 37 so I set all of them to 32. After sitting for an hour they were at 28! I GOT ROBBED!

[Vezna31]

I don't think nitrogen is supposed to move 5 lbs just from a canyon drive. That means it would move even more on the race track. I would go back to that guy and ask some questions, but don't say how much the pressures changed. After he hangs himself in a lie, then bust him and demand your money back. I swear the auto mechanic industry has a 90% ripoff rate!

[philiam]

Costco doesn't charge for nitrogen. Here's a pretty good article on nitrogen.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070216.html

[Agroman1963]

$24.00....thats around a half a tank of Shell V-power or about 125 miles (+/-). Has your mileage/performance increased enough to justify that cost?

[s2kseoul]

wow, $24 for nitrogen? regular price here is about $5 for all four, free for regular customers.

I don't drive really hard but the advantage I have seen is that I have been able to maintain a constant 35 since the 8 months I've been using nitrogen.

[Decaturflyer]

We use nitrogen in the aircraft I fly. The temp ranges these tires go through are from -54 degrees C at altitude to maybe 150 degrees C with hard braking. I have always been told that we use nitrogen because it is a dry inert gas and will not hold moisture, and thus there is less chance of rust or corrosion developing inside the wheel. I have also been told that nitrogen maintains the pressure better through temp extremes. We also use nitrogen as the pre-charge on the gear struts and all sorts of hydraulic accumulators.

All jet aircraft use nitrogen in the tires and accumulators, so it can't hurt anything. But $24?

[Java Junky]

Phil: great article. 'Sayz'itt all.
(P.S. . . . yer'a dashin' eyeful you natty ol' dog you.)

[rickjkerstetter]

Its a advertising ploy tire dealers use to get you to choose them. Thats my take on it

[chazdawg35]

I called the place that I had it done and the manager told me that Aggressive driving was the problem and that I should switch back to regular AIR. As far as a refund goes the shop manager reminded me that I asked for this service and didn't let him know that I drive to extreme limits of the tires. So in so many words GO POUND SAND! I just hope that the $24 bucks that I wasted was a learning experience for us ALL!

[Seattle2k]

Originally Posted by chazdawg35

What about running tires with nitrogen on a track? The only draw back that I see is if you have to change tire pressure where are you going to get nitrogen at the track.

You CAN purchase a portable nitrogen tank... my buddy uses it to operate the air jacks on his NSX.

[chazdawg35]

Originally Posted by Seattle2k

You CAN purchase a portable nitrogen tank... my buddy uses it to operate the air jacks on his NSX.

Hey DUde thanks for the info but so far I'm having second thoughts about using it at the track. If I have to go thru all the trouble of that I may as well use AIR.

[desmo4]

N2 has a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion. So as well as leaking out less, tires will maintain the set pressure.

Jonathan