Nitrogen

[latch5]

New rims - new tires (NT01). Tire shop wants to use nitrogen. Any advantage/disadvantage over plain air for track use? Will nitro build heat same as oxygen?

 

[BAKnBLK2010]

Subscribed. I've never understood the nitrogen thing. I always wondered what happens when you need to air up a tire and there isn't nitrogen available.

 

[TexasKyle]

Nitrogen is used because it is inert. It is not affected by atmospheric changes like regular compressed air. Because it is not affected, it can be predicted what tire pressures are going to be for given tire temps.

NASCAR and other major racing leagues use nitrogen because they depend on predictable tire pressures and because they can vary the tire pressure and know it is going to have the desired effect on handling.

 

[908ssp]

The fact that normal air is 4/5 nitrogen makes the inert issue mute. What makes a difference is when the nitrogen is compressed to fill a tank it is run through a drier which removes the moisture. Nitrogen still expands when heated but not as much as air because of the moisture. So when you fill your tires with nitrogen the pressure goes up less than with plain air, makes it a little easier to keep track. You can safely mix regular air with the nitrogen but that introduces moisture so you loose the benefits. Racers have dragged around nitrogen tanks for ages mostly to run large impact wrenches for center lock wheels. Since the nitrogen was readily at hand it seemed easy to use it for tires. If you don't carry a nitrogen tank around seems kind of pointless. If you monitor your tire pressures before and after a session you soon learn what tire pressure to start out with and once the tires are warm and up to temperature you're all set.

 

[LAStang1234]

^ Both have good answers!

 

[Sky Render]

Air is 78% nitrogen, so I refuse to pay extra to have "pure" nitrogen put into my tires.

 

[frank s]

Costco fills with nitrogen when they mount new tires, and will purge-refill as required. I figure the original charge lasted about a month after I adjusted and readjusted and rereadjusted for autocrosses.

But I do like the little green valve stem caps.

 

[Sleeper_08]

A detailed explanation

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/techpage.jsp?techid=191&

 

[foolio2k4]

f1 uses nitrogen. Enuff said.

 

[908ssp]

f1 uses nitrogen. Enuff said.

Have you ever seen an outfit that wastes more money than F1?

 

[Swoope]

if you dont have two valve stems on your wheel you will never get all the air or moisture out of the wheel tire combo..

unless they have a special room!

beers

 

[Digital_Synapse]

Have you ever seen an outfit that wastes more money than F1?

you don't know my ex gf.

 

[foolio2k4]

Have you ever seen an outfit that wastes more money than F1?

Our government. WINNING.

 

[FalconGTHO]

Military aircraft use nitrogen as well.

 

[TexasKyle]

The fact that normal air is 4/5 nitrogen makes the inert issue mute. What makes a difference is when the nitrogen is compressed to fill a tank it is run through a drier which removes the moisture. Nitrogen still expands when heated but not as much as air because of the moisture. So when you fill your tires with nitrogen the pressure goes up less than with plain air, makes it a little easier to keep track. You can safely mix regular air with the nitrogen but that introduces moisture so you loose the benefits. Racers have dragged around nitrogen tanks for ages mostly to run large impact wrenches for center lock wheels. Since the nitrogen was readily at hand it seemed easy to use it for tires. If you don't carry a nitrogen tank around seems kind of pointless. If you monitor your tire pressures before and after a session you soon learn what tire pressure to start out with and once the tires are warm and up to temperature you're all set.

Wrong, mostly, but thanks for playing. Air can be compressed and run thru a dryer too, but it still isnt used in racing tires. They use nitrogen for the reasons I stated. There is no reason to use it in a normal car's tires.

 

[Vbshelbygt]

I run 1/2and 1/2 lol

 

[Norm Peterson]

Even what comes out of the N2 filling station still isn't 100% pure N2 (it's 95% - 98%). Other than the moisture content issue, it's pointless and a needless waste of $ if you have to pay for it. No harm, no foul if it's free.

For the average street driven car, the cold to hot pressure rise isn't enough different between "dry" N2 and undried regular air to matter at all, and for a car being driven harder - autocrossing or open-tracking come to mind - the expectation is that the driver/crew has some clue about what the hot pressure to be running at should be and how to end up there (regardless of what the gases under pressure happen to be).

Aircraft use is a different story.


Norm

 

[jayel579]

I run 1/2and 1/2 lol

Switch to summer air, most people don't switch from winter to summer air!! lol

 

[Weou09]

LMAO at this thread!

 

[Kobie]

How much for just the green valve stems?