Nitrogen in auto or truck tires

PineRidge · Mar 11, 2006

( I prefer using helium in my tires. It's dry, like nitrogen, cheaper by far and actually increases my fuel economy by reducing the friction onf the tires against the road (helium being lighter then air). )

Roy when you park your car is there a need to sandbag it to keep it on the ground with the helium in the tires?

HGM · Mar 11, 2006

( (

If you have a vehicle with tire pressure monitors in the tires, the nitrogen might be a good idea for you.. This is the only real advantage I can see(for an automobile tire).. The pressure fluctuation will cause the low tire pressure light on the dash to illuminate on a cold day.. Nitrogen would help eliminate this concern.. )

I know that on the gm cars, a pressure difference of at least 11 or 12 pounds between one tire and the other three is required to sense a low pressure condition. Also, it would only alarm if one tire is low, not two or more. This would allow you to have different pressures front and rear such as when carrying heavy loads.
It is actually a wheel speed monitor and doesn't monitor tire pressure at all. When one tire is low by aprrox. 25%, the computer recognizes it through the fact that the wheel is turning faster to keep up with the others.
The use of nitrogen would have zero effect on this system. )

Very true, however Ford and Mazda(among others I'm sure) have been using actual sensors in the wheel(valve stem) for years.. So, yes it would have an effect on todays cars..

Humbleto · Mar 11, 2006

Where can you get helium much cheaper than nitrogen?
Also new tire purchased from COSTCO are filled with nitrogen.
I think the advantage also is the lack of oxygen, hince no oxidation.

RoyJackson · Mar 11, 2006

"Roy when you park your car is there a need to sandbag it to keep it on the ground with the helium in the tires? "

Not as long as you don't over inflate the tires... did that once, made it rather difficult to steer

Clyde · Mar 11, 2006

I haven't heard of the nitrogen gimmick yet around here. I suppose in an airplane where the landing gear has been tucked away for 6 hours at 40,000 feet and then has to spin from 0 to 175 mph in a second or so, it might make a difference. I was a splicer with the phone company and we kept the cables under a positive pressure with either nitrogen or dry air to keep the copper from corroding. Just by chance, a few years back, I was at the dentist office and the Dr was complaining that his compressor with air dryer went kaputz! He could accept that but the installer was going to charge him to haul the old one away. I jumped right on that one figuring that if nothing else...I'd learn about air compressors with air dryers a little better. If nothing else, if there was nothing to save or recover, at least the junkman would take it off my hands for nothing. Come to find out, the fan on the motor was loose on the shaft and that was all that was wrong. Whalla, I have a new compressor with an air dryer. This thing is great and not because of filling tires. My air tools no longer produce that foul smelling milky stuff and that is perhaps the best reason for dry air. Roy, occasionally I do have to add water to keep the seals from drying out. Clyde

kljunior · Mar 12, 2006

( I prefer using helium in my tires. It's dry, like nitrogen, cheaper by far and actually increases my fuel economy by reducing the friction onf the tires against the road (helium being lighter then air). )

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

woodchuckie · Mar 12, 2006

The tire manufacturing company I work with uses nitrogen in the curing process in place of air. It heats evenly giving a more uniform cure. We've been using it for about the last 15 or 18 years. I've never heard of it being used to inflate tires.

MikeD74T · Mar 12, 2006

Another reason it's used by racers is availibility. They've used nitrogen to power air wrenches for years because the dryness makes the wrenches more reliable, hence they always have nitrogen on hand.
I think it's just a gimmic for everyday automobile use. (But who cares what I think???)
Someone mentioned that nitrogen displaces oxygen, technically it dilutes oxygen but the result is the same.

bota7800 · Mar 12, 2006

I have used nitrogen in my aircraft tires for years for the reason mentioned above (convenience). A small tank with a welding oxygen regulator makes a convenient portable supply without the need for a compressor.

A lot of "hangar flying" says that by not having oxygen in the tire results in longer lasting tires. This is because people misremember (if that's a word) their chemistry IMO. The reaction with oxygen that causes rubber cracks includes light as an energy source. Ain't none inside a tire /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I did not notice my tires performing any different with nitrogen than with air (nor would I expect them to). As I don't have the plane any more I use the tank with the tractor.

As to nitrogen being dangerous, air is mostly nitrogen, which is not terribly reactive. The issue in a confined space would not be the nitrogen killing you; it would be the oxygen being displaced. I cannot see how filling my tractor tires inside a building could result in this happening.

ncengr · Mar 14, 2006

In addition to the reasons listed in the previous posts I have heard that nitrogen molecules are larger than normal air and therefore they don't pass thru the tire as easily - meaning the pressure stays constant over a longer period of time. Of course, most of us can just check the pressure on a regular basis.