Nitro tires

[metalspinner]

Yesterday, I went to tire shop to repair a flat and requested that nitrogen be used to fill the tires rather then air.  It cost me $5 a tire, but is supposed to give me a better ride, maintain the air pressure better, and give me better milage.

Right away, I noticed the truck drives much smoother.  Little bumps in the road seemed to have ironed themselves out, and the larger jolts are much better also.  I will report back on the better milage assersion when I burn through the hundred bucks of gas in the tank. :

[StorminN]

Our Costco here has a tire shop, and they use all nitrogen... you can see little green valve stem covers on tires all over town...

I wasn't aware it was supposed to lead to better mileage...?

-Norm.

[Left Coast Chris]

There was an article in Consumers Guide that explored nitrogen in tires.   It said initially it did improve milage slightly, however, the biggest factor noted was just keeping the pressure at the listed pressure.   It noted that air lost pressure somewhat faster than nitrogen filled tires but the nitrogen also went down and the largest savings is simply checking and refilling the air every three or six months (don't remember which).

Their conclusion was that the small savings from nitrogen was not worth the extra $5 apiece since most people did not keep the pressure up anyway.

They did not note the improved ride.  To some, that could justify it in a stiff riding pickup.  And if Costco is free (?) it sounds pretty good.

[metalspinner]

Yup.  I just ran out to check the valve stems and mine are green, too. :D  The feel of the ride is very noticable to me. It feels like a luxury car...real flowing and smooth.
The tire shop mentioned that checking the pressure and topping it off with nitro would be free.

My FIL mentioned the better milage thing to me.  He drives for a living and claims 1-2 miles per gallon difference with nitro (that is 10% to me).  Also, because the nitro keeps the pressure more consistent, tire wear is reduced giving you more life on the rubber.  We'll see... 

[beenthere]

For what suspected reason would nitrogen be better ride than air?  Any ideas?

[Dave Shepard]

Air is about 82% nitrogen anyway. I'll save my money. ;)


Dave

[Tom Sawyer]

I wonder if your tires were over inflated before you put the nitro in, or if they are underinflated now?  That would explain the softer ride.

[metalspinner]

Tom,
After reading Beenthere's question last night, I tried finding info on the net about the better ride, but could find nothing.  And the tire inflation did cross my mind.  I will check it out today to see what the tire shop put in.  Usually, I fill to the highest PSI rating on the tire.

[flip]

I have to weigh in on this because it is has caused a dust up between some of the Ford dealers.  There are some dealers that sell this service because they can make an extra buck or spiff from the sale of a nitro "flush".  There are tons of articles published that say it is a benefit and some that say nitro fills are just another method of emptying customers wallets.  If you look it from the stand point of controlling tire expansion from cold-hot swings 100% nitro is better than compressed air, your're talking 1 psi for every 10 degrees.  If you fill your tires with an outside temp. of 70 degrees and it gets up to 90 you will gain 2 psi, pretty negligible IMHO.  Where this matters is at 200 mph on a race track where 1/4 lb can make a difference, generally Joe Public will never realize this benefit. 
Some places will rent a tank of nitro and "fill" your tires but will never get them to 100%.  There are machines out there that hook up to the tire and inflate and deflate them several times to ensure : 100% nitro (they run about $3000) and are less than 100% efficient.
There are claims nitro prevents pressure loss through the tire itself because the molecules are larger.  Studies show most all air loss is around the bead and valve stem so you still have to check and fill the tires as part of normal maintenance. 
The nitro service is meant to be a customer retention service so you HAVE to go back to them to get topped off and "oh by the way since you were here we noticed your tires and brakes and ball joints are bad". ;D

[Frickman]

Water vapor trapped in a tire expands and contracts at inconsistent rates, depending on the concentration and temperature. Pure nitrogen does not hold water, so you eliminate this problem from your tires. You shouldn't feel a difference in the ride, 32 pounds of air should feel the same as 32 pounds of nitrogen. It may make a tire last a bit longer if it's on the wheel for a long time, like five years or so, but not significantly.

It is a waste of money to put nitrogen in a street vehicle. Now on the 100+ mph race car I crew chief on I use nothing but nitrogen, because that 1/4 pound pressure means the world to me.

[Toolman]

I had that done for free at local tire shop when I replaced tires. I went nearly a year before I lost any tire pressure. I don't know if it improved the ride. The guy said that the nitrogen molecules are larger which cuts down on loss of pressure. I can definitely vouche for sustained tire pressure.

[SAW MILLER]

We use nitro a lot in testing pipes and tanks for leaks because it is an inert gas.But if we have a leak in the system, the nitro leaks out and the pressure drops,just like air.
  If'n them molecules was big enough to see,then I might buy into all this "leaks less nonsense". Nitro is invisable and will leak like a sieve.The only difference is it  doesn't change pressure quite as much as air with temp. change.

[Brian_Rhoad]

Hey Frickman, what kind of racecar?

[Engineer]

I had my tires filled with 100% helium and now my truck just floats down the road.   :D :D :D

[Frickman]

Brian,

I crew and help sponsor an asphalt late model, and mess around with some dirt cars too. I've been known to wrench on pulling tractors and trucks, demolition derby cars, and all sorts of other contraptions.

[Brian_Rhoad]

Frickman,

I wrenched on a few sprint cars, supersportsmen and modifieds over the years. I shoot photos at Williams Grove and other local tracks now.

[metalspinner]

Just an update...

Over the past couple of months, my average MPG has stayed exactly where it was before the nitro. :  From lugging the trailer around town, Hwy miles, and daily errands everything stayed right where it was.  Also, I checked my tire pressure today and the rear passenger side was 7 lbs low, the rear driver side was 4 lbs low and the front passenger side was 3lbs low.  So much for the urban myth that nitro gives you better milage and retains pressure.     :

[rowerwet]

I am an airplane mechanic, many types of aircraft specify nitrogen in the tires, they do this mostly if they are heavy (think over 12,500 lb) and if they fly high (over 10,000 ft) this is because the moisture will freeze at altitude and you will get severe out of balance on landing as the tires will still be cold (very) until the heat of landing warms them. pretty much this is reserved for corporate jets and passenger aircraft. little bug smashers don't need this and get by with air just fine.
   As for cars the only ones I have heard of needing nitrogen are race cars due to the extreem heat of racing, what I was told at my trade school is that pure nitrogen will change pressure at a much more controled amount than air.
Like what was already said air is moslty nitrogen anyway and unless you have speed rated tires and a sports car it probably isn't worth the money.
josh

[cheyenne]

P.T. Barnum is alive and well......Cheyenne