Air or Nitrogen -- What are you filling your tires with?

[Bhuns16]

Is anybody using nitrogen in their tires? What are the advantages / disadvantages? I haven't seen any threads about this topic before and I will be getting new tires soon. Thanks for any info.

 

[plumcrazy]

just installed them with air. gonna drive them for a few miles and then have nitrogen put in.

 

[Bhuns16]

I've never had nitrogen in any tires. So I'm really ignorant on the topic. Why are you going to switch?

 

[VPRVENM97]

I use air out of my compressor. For the last couple years my local Costco has been filling up new tires with nitrogen. The argument there is because it's a dry, inert gas, it's more stable and less susceptable to pressure fluctuations due to temperature changes. Also, oxygen molecules are smaller and tend to permeate through the rubber faster. At least that's the explanation that Costco gives.

The problem is every time I wanted to put air in the tires, I would either have to drive to Costco or mix in regular air from my compressor. I figured it was too much of a hassle to drive to Costco every time I needed to add air.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I doubt very much there is any noticeable difference for street use. But I will encourage everyone to use it so that maybe the nitrogen compressors will come down in price and I can afford to get one for tracking.

Nitrogen rocks!!! Everyone use nitrogen! It should be a law!

 

[Bhuns16]

I use air out of my compressor. For the last couple years my local Costco has been filling up new tires with nitrogen. The argument there is because it's a dry, inert gas, it's more stable and less susceptable to pressure fluctuations due to temperature changes. Also, oxygen molecules are smaller and tend to permeate through the rubber faster. At least that's the explanation that Costco gives.

The problem is every time I wanted to put air in the tires, I would either have to drive to Costco or mix in regular air from my compressor. I figured it was too much of a hassle to drive to Costco every time I needed to add air.

I've heard about the dryness of the gas and lack of fluctuation. But you noted the concern I had; would if you want to change the pressure? And; can air be mixed with the nitrogen? Should I take it you've nixed the nitrogen and gone with straight air?

 

[Copernicus]

As air at sea level is comprised of 78% by volume Nitrogen, I doubt there is an appreciable difference in filling with strictly Nitrogen in a street driven vehicle.

 

[VPRVENM97]

I've heard about the dryness of the gas and lack of fluctuation. But you noted the concern I had; would if you want to change the pressure? And; can air be mixed with the nitrogen? Should I take it you've nixed the nitrogen and gone with straight air?

Yes, it's ok to mix. But it starts to minimize the advantages. Nitrogen is already in the air. Approx. 75% of the air you breathe is nitrogen. If you get new tires and they use pure nitrogen to pressurized it, there's already ambient air in the tire carcass before they even add pressure. The nitrogen they use just mixes with it and increases the percentage of nitrogen in the tire. Nitrogen is better and if you don't mind going to a shop that has it every time you need to add air then that's the way to go.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

To replace the ambient air with pure nitrogen they have to fill-release-fill-release-fill, etc. Do nitrogen places do that?

Maybe they will come out with a dual stem wheel and one stem can be used to put nitrogen in and the other to remove.

 

[George Murray]

Cow farts. By locking up cattle methane in our tires, we're helping to fight global warming.

You can read all about it in "An Inconvenient Butt."

 

[ViperGTS]

It would be much easier (and better) to check tire pressure whenever you fill up the gas tank ... takes a few minutes and is a big safety issue.

 

[Schulmann]

Yes there is a difference for Montoya and Busch but not for regular folks.
It will make that 1/2 sec difference between race winners and loosers.
It is a new marketing staff to sell some new garage equipment.

Some people on Canada says that it is good for steel rims since it will not rust

 

[DaDood]

Copernicus is right. I doubt there is a real difference in performance. Both conform to ideal gas laws and both are compressible. At the speed most people drive, it doesn't make much of a difference.
I thought it was 72%?

 

[Vipper Rich]

Yes they fill and empty and fill again. I got mine done here in Fort Lauderdale at the local Goodyear. They will check and put in nitro whenever you want, and before I left Florida last year I had them over inflate my tires to 40psi and 6 months later only went down about 2psi in each tire.

 

[VPRVENM97]

Go the the party supply store and buy a tank of helium. Fill up your tires with helium and reduce your unsprung weight.

Be careful though.....too much helium and your car might float away.

 

[kcobean]

I was just at my local Dodge dealer dropping off the Charger and they had a big note on their white-board advertising nitrogen tire servicing. I just had to chuckle. I guess if there is an appreciable difference in the pressure loss over time with nitrogen, it's a good deal for soccer moms that couldn't check their tire pressure if they had to. Me, I'll stick with the 78/21/1 mixture available at finer gas stations everywhere.