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Old 09-09-2016, 10:57 AM   #1
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Nitrogen in your tires?

Anyone inflate their tires with nitrogen? I would think with all the benefits, it would be used more often with larger vehicles and RVs. I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences?

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Old 09-09-2016, 11:26 AM   #2
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Does a 78% blend count?
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Old 09-09-2016, 11:46 AM   #3
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I'm pretty sure all the "benefits" are pure hokum. I, like Chance, run with a blend

You are already running with almost 80% Nitrogen anyway.
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Old 09-09-2016, 12:01 PM   #4
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Then to top up tires you're going to carry a nitrogen tank? Nitrogen makes sense in aircraft tires due to heat and pressure fluctuations. All else is a gimmick. I use a 78% mix and carry a replenishment device with me.
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Old 09-09-2016, 12:11 PM   #5
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Seriously though, in my case nitrogen couldn't have helped at all.

My tires right now have over 70,000 miles (could go about 100,000 miles solely based on wear rate) and need replacement based on age. Had I run nitrogen in them, I don't see anything I could have gained. I'd still need to replace them based on age. In my case the cost and any possible gain would have been wasted anyway.
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Old 09-09-2016, 12:21 PM   #6
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P.S.

The biggest benefit I see to nitrogen is eliminating or reducing moisture (water) that could condense inside tire. A compressor air dryer can solve that problem at a lower cost and be more convenient.
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Old 09-09-2016, 01:46 PM   #7
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I sincerely appreciate all the comments and love the sarcastic humor. All your comments confirmed what I thought I already knew. Thanks.
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Old 09-13-2016, 01:30 AM   #8
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Nitrogen is great to inflate tires, IF you can find it and don't mind paying for something you breathe all day. Great for airplanes, not so much for motor homes.
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Old 04-13-2017, 03:14 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chance View Post
Seriously though, in my case nitrogen couldn't have helped at all.

My tires right now have over 70,000 miles (could go about 100,000 miles solely based on wear rate) and need replacement based on age. Had I run nitrogen in them, I don't see anything I could have gained. I'd still need to replace them based on age. In my case the cost and any possible gain would have been wasted anyway.
OK may not of helped your tires from old age but how many times have you had to add air to bring them back up to a normal range. Dry nitrogen is thicker than air and does expand as much as air when heated, there for doesn't seep or leak out no where near as fast. Indy car and dragsters use it all the time. Sure you don't always have it at your disposal and you can still use compressed air when ever needed. But if you ever have the chance deflate and then inflate your tires 2 or 3 times, you will see... I check my tires once every few months and only 2 or 3 psi low. My Ford Focus I added air only one time in a year.
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Old 04-13-2017, 11:40 AM   #10
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Indycars and dragsters use it to have better control over the rises in tire pressures when the tires heat up. The hot pressure is more predictable than with plain air, which can vary in composition and especially humidity. Some guys I race against use nitrogen in kart tires, I never have.
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Old 04-13-2017, 12:08 PM   #11
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The problem is controlling humidity. At least 99% of air follows ideal gas law at the pressures and temperatures we are discussing for tires, so it's that 1% or less of water vapor in air that can cause uncertainty with tire pressure as a function of tire temperature.

Nitrogen could be better in theory, but in practice (real world) air is good enough for my needs. I only add air a few times a year and with a small compressor in garage it only takes a minute. Since it works good enough why go to trouble and expense? My time isn't that valuable any more.
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Old 04-15-2017, 12:38 AM   #12
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I think it was last year that Consumer Report did a pretty involved test with nitrogen vs regular air. They came to the conclusion that the only ones who gain from it are the ones that sell it. Because of the fact that most of the air we breath is nitrogen (78%), non of the big promises could be discovered, not even the promise that a tire needs less airing up. There is not enough difference in molecule size to make up any measurable amount.
In cases in which air needed to be refilled more than nitrogen (identical tires on identical wheels) they found that the tires that lost air were defective and allowed the air to penetrate through the rubber. Subsequently, they filled those tires with nitrogen and discover about the same pressure loss as with air.

But again, there are still people out there that want to buy a newer version of the Brooklyn bridge!
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