Nitrogen for Tires [Merged]

[Type 100]

I was a nitrogen skeptic for a pretty long time until I opted to use it to check for leaks in my wheels and tires. Basically I seemed to be steadily losing air pressure on one side of the car.

I was a little skeptical about the explanations I got that apparently just sunlight is enough to heat up the compressed air inside a tire - and nitrogen is less susceptible to this. Where I park at home, one side is sunned while the other stays in the shade, and the shaded part is where I "lose" air pressure.

I put in nitrogen...and so far, so good. I don't experience this pressure imbalance any more.

The ride seems to have improved a bit too despite running rather high tire pressures: 36 psi front, 33 psi rear according to my own tire pressure gauge. The car is a Jazz, so you can believe me when I say the ride improved - the Jazz's stock ride is pretty firm even at the normal 32 psi front/30 psi rear pressure. The only time I feel the high-pressure harshness is when I run over lateral ridges and larger bumps and ruts. Over broken tarmac and road acne it still somehow feels more pliant.

Make of this what you will, I'm just sharing my experience.

[Type 100]

By the way, nitrogen seems to be a little more resistant to heating up and spiking its pressure than normal compressed air. I take my Jazz to the track a lot, and just driving to the track (usually Subic) from Manila already introduces heat into the tire. I've observed a constant +4 psi front/+2 psi rear increase after highway driving on compressed air.

Tires filled with nitrogen, I tried a very similar test. Pulling over immediately after a highway drive, the pressure increase was +3 psi front/+2 psi rear. All pressures were taken with my handheld tire pressure gauge.

It's just a matter of 1 psi difference between the two gasses, true, but the point is it's observable.

Again, make of that information what you will.

[JackFlash]

I recently bought new tires at Tire Gallery, West Gate, Alabang where free nitrogen filling was part of the offer. The manager on duty said that refills will be fewer because of the gas and that I'll only need to come in every 4 mos. for a refill. So now it's wait and see for me. So far, I haven't really experienced better or smoother ride. Seems the same as compressed air. But I went into google and found these sites:

http://www.getnitrogen.org/ - with videos from Discovery Channel and a Jay Leno testimonial.
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...instead-of-air - advice columnist. Prefers air coz mahal pala ang nitro in some places in the US. Can't seem to determine real benefits of nitro.
http://blogs.consumerreports.org/car...nitrogen-.html - consumer reports blog. Says that there may be some improvements but not significant.

[burjegol]

Say whatever you will.
My tamaraw, 3 years na, di nagalaw at stuck ang makina till now, tire is still ok though I didn't bother to check the tire pressure. di sya malambot tingnan. compressed air lang ang charge.
My vanzy, last nitrogen fill, august 2008, till now steady at 35 psig pa rin.
Now the advantage of nitrogen over compressed air is that, nitrogen is inert gas, not usually affected by temperature. kaya you tire pressure will remain nearly constant, gabi man o araw. whilst compressed air, sa umaga malambot, pag nainitan na or tumakbo na, balik sa daitng pressure.
as for riding comfort, the action of rubber at 35 psig nitrogen is the same as 35 psig compressed air, di ba? so in what basis can it be declared that the ride is considerably smoother?

[hein]

I think he's referring to the size not the atomic weight and number. Does it follow if the atomic weight and number is higher the size is also bigger? nagtatanong lang pow..

Of Course. That is basic Chemistry.

[hein]

Say whatever you will.

Now the advantage of nitrogen over compressed air is that, nitrogen is inert gas, not usually affected by temperature. kaya you tire pressure will remain nearly constant, gabi man o araw.

Isa pa tong BAGSAK sa Chemistry at Physics.

Nitrogen will expand as the temperature goes higher. There is a Scientific Law called Charles' Law to explain this. All gases behave this way. This law is undisputed since the late 1700's.

Burjegol, saan ka ba nag college? Did you sleep through school or did you buy your diploma?

Stop making BOLA-BOLA with your false scientific explanations.

[digitalron]

Some personal thoughts:

Though Oxygen has a heavier molecular weight (32) than Nitrogen (28), it is smaller in diameter by about 0.3x10^10 meters, which, although very small, is said to help oxygen permeate faster than nitrogen through the very tight rubber polymer chains.

This link here provides a very compelling reading on the argument favoring reducing oxygen content in air for inflating tire and enriching it with nitrogen due to lower permeation: http://www.narleychoppers.com/Nitrogen.pdf

Here's another good link with a significant number of scientific arguments: http://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/print...w%20071904.pdf

A study in 2007 regarding nitrogen -filling of tires: http://www.automotivedigest.com/cont...e.aspx?a=38122

Among the advantages of nitrogen filling:

- lower permeation, as much as 3 to 4 times less than ordinary air which results in tires staying at right pressure longer and slower thread loss
- inertness of nitrogen, which means even when in contact with rubber, nitrogen won't cause rubber to oxidize, lengthening the life and stability of a tire
- nitrogen is dryer while oxygen in plain air is more moisture laden which can degrade tire rubber

My personal take really is that there are a lot of benefits, but for some, such benefit may not be significant enough to warrant the extra cost.

I myself don't find a need to use it (yet) since I developed a habit of having my tires checked and inflated (if needed) every time I refuel, which I almost always do in the early morning (usually 5 to 6 am) and driving immediately from home to the nearest gas station (less than 200 meters away) so as to ensure the lowest possible temperature for the air in the tires. However, I'm thinking that for long-haul drives (such as an upcoming Luzon-loop road trip), filling my tires with nitrogen may be a good preparation.

-----
BTW, trying to remember my chem classes in high school, inert gases are called inert not because they do not react to temperature (all gases do), but rather because inert gases do not react CHEMICALLY. That's why inert gas blanketing is used to contain volatile materials such as fuel carried in tankers.

[woohoo]

Ordinary air is 78% nitrogen.

Let's say I have x liters of ordinary air in my tire. Therefore it has 0.78x liters of nitrogen. You say oxygen permeates faster, so when my tire loses pressure, more oxygen has gone out than nitrogen.

Therefore my tire now contains a higher concentration of nitrogen than before (more than 78%). I periodically pump in more ordinary air and the oxygen content permeates out of the tire faster than the nitrogen content, so I can conclude that my tires now have a lot more nitrogen than when they were first filled up.

:bleh:

[SIZE=1]288/3,718[/SIZE]

[hein]

ordinary air is 78% nitrogen.

Let's say i have x liters of ordinary air in my tire. Therefore it has 0.78x liters of nitrogen. You say oxygen permeates faster, so when my tire loses pressure, more oxygen has gone out than nitrogen.

Therefore my tire now contains a higher concentration of nitrogen than before (more than 78%). I periodically pump in more ordinary air and the oxygen content permeates out of the tire faster than the nitrogen content, so i can conclude that my tires now have a lot more nitrogen than when they were first filled up.

:bleh:

[size=1]288/3,718[/size]

Hahahaha!! If true, after 5 pumps, should get almost pure Nitrogen for FREE!!!

[rensom]

Nasubukan na ba ninyo ang magpalagay ng lite nitrogen sa tire?
advantages/disadvantages pls......