Nitrogen in tires!

[Everett]

So I was at the Toyota Dealership today preparing for my new job. While in the service area I noticed a pamphlet on having Nitrogen in tires.

It says Nitrogen:
-Extends tire life and increases gas mileage, especially in extreme conditions.

-Enhances retreadability for smoother ride with better handling, stability, braking and steering.

-Won't cause rust or corrosion on steel or aluminum resulting in fewer valve stem leaks.

Also for decades Nitrogen has the choice for tire inflation of Nascar, Formula One, The Tour de France and the US Military when safety and performance are top priorities.

Has anyone ever used Nitrogen in their tires?

[MR2-MRnot]

horse $hit its not true at all, its just like regular air, except it doesnt leak out as fast...i worked at goddyear forever!!! it makes little/no difference!

[Everett]

For example, when I fill a basketball up in the summer it stays pumped up. Now if I don't put anymore air in it come winter, in the cold, its almost flat. Do you think that would change if it were filled with Nitrogen?

[Mister2.2]

Originally Posted by Everett

So I was at the Toyota Dealership today preparing for my new job. While in the service area I noticed a pamphlet on having Nitrogen in tires.

It says Nitrogen:
-Extends tire life and increases gas mileage, especially in extreme conditions.

-Enhances retreadability for smoother ride with better handling, stability, braking and steering.

-Won't cause rust or corrosion on steel or aluminum resulting in fewer valve stem leaks.

Also for decades Nitrogen has the choice for tire inflation of Nascar, Formula One, The Tour de France and the US Military when safety and performance are top priorities.

Has anyone ever used Nitrogen in their tires?

The air you pump into your tires is like 78% nitrogen anyhow. It's a con, it makes NO difference. Any oxygen inside that could cause corrosion over time to the rubber would take well past the life of the tire to do anything anyhow.

[Everett]

So basically its just a hoax for business's to get people to think its a great thing, and make money on people that think they need Nitrogen in their tires for better performance, etc.....

I know I would have heard of this long ago if it were really something great.

[kbrew8991]

if I had a nitrogen fill setup with me all the time it'd be good for racing... or I can be a cheapass and fill my tires with free stuff, fill them a bit lower to compensate for the extra expansion from water vapor and other gasses, and subsequently do a better job on the warmup lap getting heat in them to bring them up to temp & pressure

I think I'll go with option B

[Everett]

So it'd be worth it if you had a set of spare tires used for racing/auto-x......or if you can get your tires filled for free.

[Gairloch]

No, nitrogen in tires is not a hoax and if you have an actual need it's not a waste. The reason you put nitrogen in tires instead of normal air is because it has a more predictable reaction to heat. When cold your tires might be say 32psi but heated up, as they would be on a race track, they might be 7 or 8 psi higher than that.

For normal street driving it'd be a waste because you shouldn't be driving your car so close to the edge that the grip dynamics are that much of an issue. On a race track it just helps to make your tires more predictable.

From Nitrogen in Tires : Information about Nitrogen Tire Inflation News, Benefits, Generator Dealers, Location Finder & More: NASCAR - NASCAR teams use nitrogen because it allows them to more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Nitrogen fluctuates with temperature change, but it does so less than when water vapor is present. Read On... In addition, higher nitrogen levels eliminate the explosive properties of oxygen (oxygen loses its explosive properties at around 9% or less) Read On... NASCAR uses bottled nitrogen for portability. The bottles are delivered to the track by Praxair. Read On...

[canadam]

The air you breathe is about 78% nitrogen and just under 21% oxygen. The other percent is made up of trace gases. How much volume difference can that 5th of the composition make with changing temperatures? I'm not sure, but I wouldn't likely fill with nitrogen if I had to pay for it.

[canadam]

Originally Posted by Mister2.2

The air you pump into your tires is like 78% nitrogen anyhow. It's a con, it makes NO difference. Any oxygen inside that could cause corrosion over time to the rubber would take well past the life of the tire to do anything anyhow.

Not necessarily, if the volume of Oxygen changes more significantly with temperature than Nitrogen, you may gain more consistent pressures.

[kbrew8991]

its not even the oxygen that gets you - its the water vapor

I'd swap to nitrogen if it was free or the only thing holding me back - its not at this level especially when I can get the exact same results by being a bit more aggressive on my warmup lap

[MR2 Drifter]

Let's just say Nitrogen tires were a bit better for driving...

I went to a ford quick lane and I saw the same pamphlet

I forgot but what it cost to fill your tires up is ridiculous
I think it was around $100-200, and it says the tire pressure doesn't change in the winter or summer

and I was like...NO WAY im going to spend that much money, i'de rather fill my tires up with helium..LOL, make the car lighter

[canadam]

Costco puts Nitrogen in for free all the time.

[Mister2.2]

Originally Posted by canadam

Not necessarily, if the volume of Oxygen changes more significantly with temperature than Nitrogen, you may gain more consistent pressures.

It's a small amount and if you aren't doing 'professional' driving, or professional calculations I should say like NASCAR it shouldn't make a bit of difference. I think the average is $20 per tire, I'll stick to 0-.75 cents for 4 thanks!

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by MR2 Drifter

Let's just say Nitrogen tires were a bit better for driving...

I went to a ford quick lane and I saw the same pamphlet

I forgot but what it cost to fill your tires up is ridiculous
I think it was around $100-200, and it says the tire pressure doesn't change in the winter or summer

and I was like...NO WAY im going to spend that much money, i'de rather fill my tires up with helium..LOL, make the car lighter

Then they are screwing you. There are places that will fill your tires with Nitrogen for free. As Canadam said, Costco is one. There is a Discount Tire around here that will fill it for free too. If the dealership is trying to charge $100-200, then keep looking around. You can get them filled for free.

[surfer8]

Discount Tire uses Nitrogen. They will also check your tire pressure and and add nitrogen for free if needed. I've used nitrogen inflated tires in a couple of cars for years. The only difference I've seen is the green valve stem caps that Discount Tires puts on the tires.

If it's free then I can't see a downside to using nitrogen.

[Seth W]

I use jdm air in my tires it's better suited for Japanese cars

[Everett]

Originally Posted by Seth W

I use jdm air in my tires it's better suited for Japanese cars

^lol


But since I've started at the Toyota Dealership, I see that all Toyota's new vehicles have Nitrogen in their tires. I'm going to get some in mine as soon as I make good friends with the service tech guys.

[eckoman_pdx]

Originally Posted by Seth W

I use jdm air in my tires it's better suited for Japanese cars

JDM Air...I need to get some of that. It improves handling 100%...

[metheores]

Originally Posted by eckoman_pdx

JDM Air...I need to get some of that. It improves handling 100%...

It also gives you 20 extra hp :O