Ballast How to top off nitrogen rear tires

   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #1  

msch2112

Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2012
Messages
47
Location
Reno, NV
Tractor
JD 5105m
My rear tires are looking a little low. Les schwab doesn't carry nitrogen in the field. Does a std air pressure gauge read accurately? I'm thinking of topping tire off with air.

Thanks,

Mike
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #2  
You can pump in 78% nitrogen mix fairly easily with regular tools. Any old accurate pressure gauge will work both 78% mix and 93% mix. I doubt any tire shops vacuum the air mix out to get higher than a 97% mix.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #3  
You can pump in 78% nitrogen mix fairly easily with regular tools. Any old accurate pressure gauge will work both 78% mix and 93% mix. I doubt any tire shops vacuum the air mix out to get higher than a 97% mix.


Regular air that is around anyone right now is 78% nitrogen,about 21% oxygen and the rest made up of various gasses.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #4  
Pressure is pressure, the gauge cares not what its comprised of. Wouldn't even both with nitrogen unless I had a fleet of tractor/trailers where the hassle would pay off in the end.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #5  
Yep. Just top off with plain old air.

What is the nitrogen supposed to do anyway? I dont see any benefit.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #6  
It sure benefits the tire shops. BIL said a tire shop near him charged $38 per tire to install nitrogen. I think this fad came over from the race cars. They put nitrogen in their tires to help with the heat/pressure build up when turning 200 MPH. I think it has to do with the dry air effect of nitrogen vs regular air. Any moisture in a tire when heated from road friction is going to cause internal pressures to build up much more than air that is moisture free.
I don't think any preservative benefit to the inside of the tire is of any benefit. I have seen old tires that were 20+ year old and dry rotted from the outside still look like new on the inside.
TO ME using nitrogen in truck or trailer tires is a waste of money and if using on a tractor tire it is totally useless and money wasted.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #7  
Yep. Just top off with plain old air.

What is the nitrogen supposed to do anyway? I dont see any benefit.

The pressure stay's the same as Gary states.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #8  
"BIL said a tire shop near him charged $38 per tire to install nitrogen."

That's a waste. Our local VW dealer does it for free on our Jetta.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #9  
The "benefits" are larger molecule size (less loss of pressure), drier, less affected by temperature gradients, portable with high pressure tank(for the offroad folks).

I've seen reports of of a few percent in tractor trailer uses, over a fleet of a couple thousand trucks and millions of miles annually, that 2-3 percent could add up quite a bit. Not sure if the cost is justified but it is what it is. In a personal vehicle or tractor, I really don't see any benefit. I was charged for it when I bought my new truck, 30$ surcharge, I was pissed I got charged for it let the salesman know. Like said, compressed air is 70 some percent nitrogen to begin with, if you want dry air put a inline drier in.
 
   / How to top off nitrogen rear tires #10  
Molecule size of oxygen is bigger than that of nitrogen.

Don't see any benefit in using pure nitrogen. If water if the problem, they should just put driers on the suction lines to their air compressors. I'd think that use of driers would be lower cost than buying nitrogen.

Ralph
 
 
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