Nitrogen

[**Z3**]

Hi All

Just had nitrogen put into all four tyres on the zed, wondered if anyone else had had it done and their thoughts...?

[///M_aniac]

I haven't done it but don't think it makes any real difference. The tyres might lose pressure more slowly, but you still need to check your tyre pressures as regularly.

Our cars don't fly at 30,000 ft so whats the point of paying more for tyre inflation? Unless you're in the tyre business that is....

C

[Badman gee]

I've seen this at garages,

thanks for asking the question, I'm looking forward to the feedback.

[Southernboy]

Nitrogen is standard issue here when buying a new set of tyres. Seems that it doesn't contain water condensate which seems is better for your tyres - from the inside - Also, it doesn't heat up like standard air and expand in the same manner. That means your tyre pressures are relatively constant...

[**Z3**]

I know there will always be the cynics out there, however, this aside, I`m told the facts are that - nitrogen escapes slower from the tyres, thus keeping the proper shape of your tyre for longer, thus better grip more of the time.

My own personal reasons I like it is that the main suppliers will top your tyres up for free once you have paid to have your tyres inflated, which at a cost of four pounds I think is not bad, plus I dont need to get my hands dirty at the tyre inflator anymore!

[Robert T]

I fill my tyres with 78% nitrogen. It is substantially cheaper than 100% nitrogen.

Cheers R.

[Deano1712]

Seems a gimmick to me. It will change pressure the same as air - both follow gas laws. Nitrogen may hold pressure longer but to me that means my air fill is going to leak the oxygen out first so will end up mostly nitrogen!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[whiteminks]

I fill my tyres with 78% nitrogen. It is substantially cheaper than 100% nitrogen.

Cheers R.

Commonly know as air methinks!

[Vic-Z3]

As above ................................. Gotta luv that ..........

[John1950]

I fill my tyres with 78% nitrogen. It is substantially cheaper than 100% nitrogen.

Cheers R.

A great bit of wit - really made me smile.
Much better than some of these airy fairy comments!

[Robert T]

Joking aside, I honestly don't get what it is supposed to do on a road car. Basic physics says that it is pretty much the same density as air, and as it is the main constituent of air, it should have the same properties regarding expansion etc. These properties alone can't possibly make it stay in the tyre any longer than bog standard air. There are only two properties of pure nitrogen that I can see being useful - one has been mentioned - the removal of moisture from the gas, which will aid balance of the wheel and reduce the possibility of corrosion - I can also see that in imbalance of water content between tyres could cause them to expand differently when heated. The only other thing I that springs to mind is that the removal of oxygen from inside the tyre would reduce oxidation, both of the wheel and the rubber, perhaps prolonging its life. However the outside of the tyre is still in the air, so it isn't going to make a lot of difference!

Wouldn't simply removing the moisture from normal compressed air be cheaper and simpler?

Cheers R.

[peteslag]

Nitrogen is used in the aircraft industry to inflate tyres. I think that the car industry has cottoned on to this and found an easy way to make profit. "come and buy our amazing tyre inflation gas, as used in the aircraft industy...."

Just to make things clear, aircraft brakes can get extremely hot (around 450 degrees C) which is why Nitrogen is used in the tyres. It is inert so won't explode and will maintain pressure under high temp. I can't think of any valid reason why you would need it in a road car, the brakes don't get any where near hot enough to worry about things like that.

As far as road cars go, I say snake oil.

[Robert T]

Maybe we should suggest this a test on Top Gear. The Stig could do timed laps in two identical cars, one with nitrogen in its tyres, the other with air, and see what the difference is. We could then put Hamster and Captain Slow in water tanks and see how long they can last breathing from a tyre, Hamster being given the one with air and Captain Slow being given the one with nitrogen (he was quite funny when Jezza stuck his finger in his snorkel in the test where they filled the cars with water!). Then we could put Jezza in a car and set fire to it and see what sort of difference having air in the tyres makes to putting out a fire on a race car. Anyone got the address to send it to?

Cheers R.

[John Wilson]

There isnt any hydrogen present in air. That's why you don't get explosions when you light a match.

[pingu]

There isnt any hydrogen present in air. That's why you don't get explosions when you light a match.

There is H2 present in air, but just not more than the Lower Explosive Limit.

There is hydrogen in air in the form of water, the reason it does not explode is due to its presence as H2O, otherwise we would be in trouble if water is flamable.

From my memory of O Level chemistry, H2O is actually O2+2OH (an oxygen atom bonded to two hydroxide molecules). Hydrogen is not present in water as an H2 atom.

[John Wilson]

Hydrogen in water is an atom of oxygen joined to 2 atoms of hydrogen, and is not a gas in air but can exist as water vapour. When refering to the composition of air, it is usually the gases that are mentioned, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide etc. mind, as a chemist working in a QA lab, it is nice to hear any such discussion on the site even if its not really relevant. As for air being free, I find it increasingly hard to get free air from filling stations. If I'm quick, I can do all 4 tyres for 20 pence at my local station.

[Cloz]

I use nitrogen with the tires of my trailer. Before 2007 I had a flat tire every spring. Since 2007.....none. I have paid $4can per tire. In my case it was and it still is useful.

[pingu]

There isnt any hydrogen present in air. That's why you don't get explosions when you light a match.

There is H2 present in air, but just not more than the Lower Explosive Limit.

There is hydrogen in air in the form of water, the reason it does not explode is due to its presence as H2O, otherwise we would be in trouble if water is flammable.

From my memory of O Level chemistry, H2O is actually O2+2OH (an oxygen atom bonded to two hydroxide molecules). Hydrogen is not present in water as an H2 atom.

Sorry do not know how to do sub script on my blackberry, but reading you should have got aitch two ohhhhhhhhhhhh easily enough as we were talking about water, notice above water / flammable etc,

My 30yr old memory has been reset overnight. The bit about hydrogen not being present on water as an H2 atom is how I remember it. The bit that is wrong is the first bit. Water is H-OH, a hydrogen ion (is ion the right word?) + a hydroxide ion. Wiki would give the answer, but scraping the back of the grey cells is more challenging.

I think F1 would use nitrogen as it is a pure gas with predictable expansion properties, but there are bound to be other advantages. Unless you live is a cold country where temps are regularly sub-zero, I see little point in using nitrogen in a road car.

[Gazza]

As for air being free, I find it increasingly hard to get free air from filling stations. If I'm quick, I can do all 4 tyres for 20 pence at my local station.

I also only managed three tyres for 20p the other day, I think it's because I'm getting older and now I'm not so spritely

[pingu]

As for air being free, I find it increasingly hard to get free air from filling stations. If I'm quick, I can do all 4 tyres for 20 pence at my local station.

I also only managed three tyres for 20p the other day, I think it's because I'm getting older and now I'm not so spritely

I parked up beside the pump (pump on my left). Jacked up the right side of the car, took off the two right wheels.

Took them around the car and managed to do all four tyres for 20p - easy.

If you believe that, you'll believe anything!!!

[peteslag]

As for air being free, I find it increasingly hard to get free air from filling stations. If I'm quick, I can do all 4 tyres for 20 pence at my local station.

I also only managed three tyres for 20p the other day, I think it's because I'm getting older and now I'm not so spritely

I had to pay 50p the other day, I was half way through my last tyre when it gave out. I complained and got my 50p back. Not only an old knacker but a tight old knacker.

[gookah]

I fill my tyres with Helium, it reduces unsprung weight, apparently mechanics speak very highly on it.......

[Robert T]

Very good, gookah.

On a similar note, I tried filling mine with Sulphur Dioxide - it went like stink.

Cheers R.

[John1950]

I fill my tyres with Helium, it reduces unsprung weight, apparently mechanics speak very highly on it.......

Very good - very droll.