Whats the advantage of nitrogen filled tyres! Is it just a way for the tyre companies to make $3 per wheel off the punters!
How do you fill them if they're down! Can you just bring it back to a normal level using free air at the service station!
thejazzpianoma,
Jun 26, 8:57am
Zero tangible advantage off the racetrack. Don't bother. next question.
tonyrockyhorror,
Jun 26, 9:00am
The air you breathe is 78% nitrogen.
bill-robinson,
Jun 26, 9:44am
if you want to waste money send it to me, I have a use for it.Do not use for tyre inflation.
llortmt,
Jun 26, 10:00am
The spotty kid at Firestone told me??
ema1,
Jun 26, 11:36am
The "Spotty Kid" probably like a substitute for a recording playback. Spouting what crap he's been told to spout.
sas777,
Jun 26, 11:53am
Probably been poached from Dick Smiths
rkauto,
Jun 26, 11:58am
probably correct
morrisman1,
Jun 26, 12:00pm
You are far better off spending that money on the gas that you are supposedly saving. It has probably filtered down from using nitrogen in aircraft tyres, which I believe is so reduce the corrosion rate of the magnesium rims, and reduce chance of the tyres fuelling a fire.
Nitrogen also helps eliminate moisture inside the tyre, which can freeze at altitude (where the ambient temperature is around -40°C for jet cruising altitude) and cause a wheel balance issue on landing
sr2,
Jun 26, 12:52pm
The only advantage with nitrogen is that it has a lower coefficient of expansion than air. This is handy if you??
morrisman1,
Jun 26, 12:56pm
I cant think of any special requirement in aircraft tyres for a more stable pressure/temperature relationship but then again, the aircraft designers hopefully know more than me
mm12345,
Jun 26, 3:05pm
No it doesn't - google "Boyles Law".
esprit,
Jun 26, 3:21pm
Basically it does because they use dry nitrogen, so it has no moisture content. Air has a higher moisture content (because it's generally just compressed by a commercial compresser, even if it has a drier stage, it's still more moist than dry N2), and the rising vapour pressure of water as temperature rises makes the gas more expansive at higher temperatures when air is used.
sr2,
Jun 26, 3:33pm
Sorry mate you might be getting your wires crossed! I've run nitrogen in race cars and believe me the temp/pressure changes noticeably less than when using compressed air. That aside we now run air as we felt the benefits were miniscule for the effort of carrying the cylinders around.
red97,
Jun 26, 4:41pm
i use an 80/20 nitrogen oxygen mix in my tyres and it seems to go all right
mm12345,
Jun 26, 4:59pm
No I haven't got my wires crossed.The thermal coefficient of expansion of the gas itself will be (almost exactly) the same as any other gas.But the thermal coefficient of expansion is influenced by moisture content, bottled nitrogen is just a convenient way to get a relatively inert compressed moisture-free gas.Nothing more really - for a race tyre, the relative (chemical) inertness won't matter an iota, and neither will the very dubious claim about reduction in pressure loss.
gunhand,
Jun 26, 5:11pm
They put Nitrogen in my tyres couple weeks back when I got new ones put on. I didn't ask for it and didn't pay for it. The reason I knew they had was because I asked "whats with the Green valve caps".So I then asked "what do I top it up with" and they said air will be fine. So far the tyres are still inflated and going around nicely and I can not feel any difference at all. So what benifit it is having I have no idea nor care. But I got cool green caps though so It was really worth it.
bill-robinson,
Jun 26, 5:14pm
we used it if F1 tyres in the 70's but only as we had to use medical nitrogen for the starter motor,( would ice up if commecial grade nitrogen was used)Seemed pointless to carry two types of compressed gas.
unbeatabull,
Jun 26, 5:24pm
I had a quick read over Boyles law. At the same temperature it says Volume and pressure act identical. Thing with car tyres, is that the temperature isn't a constant, its always changing. I think what SR2 is saying is that the Nitrogen doesn't heat up as much and therefore the pressures don't increase as much.
I can say from racing experience as well that Nitrogen doesn't vary as much in tyres. However it was never enough to justify the act of carrying it around with us. We never really got more then 1-2 psi difference and laptimes were basically identical. If I was doing a 24 hour, drive till ya tyres run out race I'd consider using it then.
sr2,
Jun 26, 5:32pm
No offence intended but it sounds like your argument is getting hung up on semantics!
It doesn't matter that the temperature is changing, as whichever gas is used, the pressure for the same volume (not mass) at any temperature will be the same - so long as the temperature is above boiling point of the gas. The difference is moisture in the air - as it's a vapour - not a gas.
mm12345,
Jun 26, 5:45pm
Not really.Any dry gas would work.CO2 is probably a bit heavy.I'm surprised they don't use helium in F1 tyres, as there'd be a measurable reduction in unsprung weight, perhaps a reduction in rotational mass - although for the latter probably insignificant as the gas isn't forced to rotate inside the casing.
sr2,
Jun 26, 5:49pm
So you're now agreeing that Nitrogen (pressure wise) will vary less under temperature change than compressed air!
pollymay,
Jun 26, 6:11pm
The air in tyres probably weighs about 5 grams. I've had heavier farts.
You will probably find moisture content more than anything makes a difference. Fill up on a dry day and forget about it.
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