Nitrogen Inflated Tyres.

[Chubby]

Have been looking through the new Audi Driver yesterday, and have read the letters page (page 19) regarding tyre technology.

This guy uses nitrogen instead of normal compressed air to fill his tyres, which was offered by his local tyre fitter for £1.25 +VAT per tyre.

His reason for this was 'nitrogen permeates through rubber more slowly than air, while the relative absence of oxyegen reduces corrosion of the internal alloy wheel surfaces, while reducing oxidation and ageing of the rubber.' Also tyres are said to hold there pressure for up to a year without need for reflation.

Now I know that most of us don't keep a set of tyres for more than three minutes but it is said that nitrogen-inflated tyres also change pressure less with tempreture. (That sounds good for track days!!!)

Has anyone tried this or is running tyres with nitrogen instead of air?

Even in my field of work we have stopped using compressed air and changed to nitrogen as is is cleaner (what with all the crap in the air today) and easier to keep under pressure.

Any comments please??? [img]images/graemlins/29428-red4.gif[/img]

[quattropaul]

It ain't worth it..............not unless you're planning to race your car for the season

[Chubby]

Why???

I have soooooo much nitrogen I could fill everyones tyres at the next meet.

Is it good or bad, are there any benifits???

[RS4_Barry]

I have ran nitrogen in my tyres for years and notice no difference whatsoever - only use it as my local tyre dealer fills them with it for zilcho [img]images/graemlins/thumbs.gif[/img]

[Mo_S3]

I had my tyres filled with the stuff recently when i had new tyres put on. Ive checked tyre pressures both cold and when warm and the pressure has been the same. Surely this is a good thing is it not ?

[Chubby]

If you use the car to its full potential, on track and on the road on a hot summers day, yes it all seems to make sence, as most tyre pressures will increase quite a lot when used hard.

And if its for free, why the hell not!!!!

[ChrisB]

Hmm, I don't know, I think Chubby is a nitrogen dealer trying to get us hooked - "the first one's free" as they say... [img]images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[Mo_S3]

Pity its not Helium swe could have light tyres as well as sqeaky voices, no doubt we would get funny looks bent down sucking our tyre valves !! [img]images/graemlins/knob.gif[/img]

[Chubby]

No not this time - But as they say I know a man who is!!!!! [img]images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

My company sell fire extinguishers - We use to fill them with air, but with the dry powder type too much moisture in the air makes it go hard - thats the powder you know - any way the nitrogen doesn't contain so much water - hence we now stock loads of the damn stuff. [img]images/graemlins/clap.gif[/img]

[Chubby]

The first one should be the only one you need untill you change the tyre as they don't seem to change pressure over several years.

[john_s]

Been through this one before:

Start with the Helium, though I know it was a joke...the molecules will pass through the rubber so fast you'll have to inflate every day...and it's sodding expensive!

Nitrogen, well air is 80% nitrogen anyway. As for corrosion on the inside of the alloy, I can't ever think of seeing or hearing of that as a problem, anyone else?

And as for stable prssures as the temp rises; what about Boyle's law? p1/t1 = p2/t2 for a fixed volume which a tyre almost is. So, for a given temp rise you get a fixed pressure rise...... every gas gives the same pressure rise then!! No advantage in using pure Nitrogen!

The ONLY advantage I can think of is that Nitrogen being inert, is less likely to help the tyre combust if it blows due to overheating/too much sideways etc......

J

[NigelJ]

Its explained here very well: http://www.toyo.com.au/tech_info11.html

NigelJ