Nitrogen in my tires

[POJ Irving]

Thanks Richardl however you are not entirely correct. The cost was alignment $49, did that because I like to do so when I have new tires put on and nitrogen $30 plus tax for all four tires. The tires were not under inflated because I have a tire/air compressor which I used to check the tire pressure and I also saw the pressure of the tires when the Goodyear employee connected the hose to the tire to deflate them before inflating them with the nitrogen. Infact it was all automated. He just set the machine and when it was done, it would give off three beeps.



Todd Z, the tires were not cupping . I checked , purchased them from a member. They are in good condition, they were not being used for over 7 months.



Richardl Maybe you should try the nitrogen. A tank of gas is $40 plus.



p.s. The $30 is for the life time of the tires, if I need a top up, it's free. By the way did anyone look at the link.

 

[Tom Schindler]

I am happy with the nitrogen in my tires.





Tom

 

[Johnny O]

I use helium. By lightening the Trac this way I picked up 3 mpg and shaved 2 seconds off my 0-60 time.

 

[Deleted deleted]

lol Allen: just don't light a match near your hydrogen filled tires or you could have a nice little explosion... remember the Hindenberg?

 

[Richard L]

PJ

Your original post stated that you asked Goodyear to check the tires, alignment, and put nitrogen in your tires. My assumption was was that you told them about the whomp-whomp and they checked the tires, and the alignment, and found nothing abnormal.



That would leave the air pressure in the tires, and since they were going to put nitrogen in, they probably never checked the air pressure.



My question to you is, Did you tell the people at Goodyear you were hearing/feeling a whomp-whomp, or did you just tell them to check the tires, alignment and fill the tires with nitrogen??



My point was if they did not report anything wrong with your alignment or tires, it may have been tire pressure, which was corrected by proper inflation. The fact that they used nitrogen to fill your tires has nothing to do with why the whomp-whomp dissappeared.



As for me trying nitrogen. I also have an air compressor and tire guages and do not find it that incovenient to check my tire pressures periodically.



Todd C.,

Everything that I have heard about using nitrogen in tires, especially in racing cars has been nitrogens' ability to maintain a consistant air pressur2e during a race. Racing applications may require tire pressures to be accurate to 1/2 PSI or less. Nitrogen pressue will fluctuate with temperature changes, but not as much as air will and that leads to more predictable, consistan tire inflation pressures.



If your idea that nitrogen is less likely to permeate through the carcass of the tire makes no sense. If that were the case, it would have little or no value in racing since the tires are changed so frequently, the air would not have time to permeate throught the sidewalls etc. and their would be abosolutely no value in using nitrogen.



...Rich

 

[Todd Cloutier]

Rich - Nitrogen behaves like any other gas. Air, being 78% nitrogen has properties that are very similar to Nitrogen. As I said before PV=nRT - both air and Nitrogen obey it.



The one advantage that bottled Nitrogen has is that there is no water vapor mixed in with the gas, thus allowing the racing teams to predict how the pressure will increase as the tire temperature increases. In fact, if you watch any of the NASCAR races, they usually state that the race car's handling is poor until the tires heat up and the pressure rises.

 

[TomT]

I tried helium in my tires but I couldn't keep it on the ground.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

lol Darin. Yes it was quite a dust storm. Might want to bump that methane % up a bit too. Our office went to a Mexican restaurant today.

 

[Richard L]

Todd C,

Sorry, but I disagree. They make moisture traps that will remove any water residue from the compressed air, and it would be much cheaper to use a compressor or a compressed air tank with a moisture trap.



I have a condensation trap on my compressor, and also use small inline moisture traps on some pieces of equipment that are not water/moisture tollerant. I have to use a moisture trap on my Powder Coating equipment since the powder must be applied bone driy.



...Rich

 

[Tom Schindler]

I use helium. By lightening the Trac this way I picked up 3 mpg and shaved 2 seconds off my 0-60 time.

I know the statement was ajoke, but if the tire was filled with helium, it would be flat in no time. Hydrogen would be flat quicker.





Tom

 

[Richard L]

Todd C.

I know the Nitrogen in the Tire issue has been hashed over before. I don't recall if the issue was ever settled. It tooke me a while to recall why nitorgen is used and what the advantages are. Everything you stated was correct, but you never fully explained what the advantages or preceived advantages are to inflating tires with nitrogen. You made valid points but failed to explain their impact. That is why I disagreed.



Yes, I mispoke when I said that the nitorgen stabilizes the inflation pressure caused by temperature changes. You are correct. Air and nitrogen gases will expand or contract at or about the same rate when exposed to the same temperatures change and so temperature changes are not the issue.



You.were also correct that the air loss is based on the air permeating through the sidewalls of the tire. This acconts for an average loss of about 2 PSI per month for a passenger car or truck tire. Most vehicles on the road today are riding on under-inflated tires caused by this gradual loss of air pressure through the sidewalls. Nitrogen does not permeate through the sidewalls (at least not as fast) and that accounts for the stabilatation of the tire pressures.



The oxygen (21%) in the the air deteriorates rubber, and the moisture in the air can corrode the rims. Obviously these are not issues on a race car that only uses the tires for a few dozen laps and the tires are never used again. However, this t can be a key benefit to a street driven vehicle that only changes every few years. This is why many trucking companies use nitrogen in their tires.



The single reason why nitrogen is used in racing tires is very simple. Race tires have very thin, light weight sidewalls. Air can permeate through these sidewalls at a much faster rate than a conventional car or truck tire. That can, and will effect the tire pressures very quickly. Well within the few dozen laps of race tire's life.



...Rich