Should You Use Nitrogen in Your truck Tires?

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Scottly

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The helium shortage is a complete crock of $hit, just another ploy to manipulate the market and jack the prices through the roof.

Sorry, that's a sensitive topic for me and most technical divers. :cool:

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With only 5 major worldwide helium suppliers, price is easily manipulated. Domestically, we could produce all the helium we need from our natural gas fields, but we don't.
 

RamDiver

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With only 5 major worldwide helium suppliers, price is easily manipulated. Domestically, we could produce all the helium we need from our natural gas fields, but we don't.

Yup, and Canada could be a major producer of NG if our supreme ruler wasn't such a T_a_r_d.
With a side business of Helium production, what a cash cow it could be.

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HEMIMANN

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The helium shortage is a complete crock of $hit, just another ploy to manipulate the market and jack the prices through the roof.

Sorry, that's a sensitive topic for me and most technical divers. :cool:

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Huh? Helium is only created by nuclear fusion. There's only so much in underground pockets. If we get fusion reactors then they'll be all you want.

Now if we bottle cow fart gas.........
 

skillzzs

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So let me understand Nitrogen use…Tires are placed on Rims with atmospheric air inside the tubeless space. Then, if I’m to believe the hype, Nitrogen is used exclusively to “pop” the tire beads into the rim??? Didn’t happen. Fake news. I’m out.
The couple of PSI of pure nitrogen used to top off the tire is certainly not going to hold “steady” during climate events, and is most definitely not worth any up charge!!!
 

rbgntx

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I've been using it for years without any issues. If by chance you take your vehicle to Walmart for an oil change don't mention nitrogen to the check in person. I had an employee tell me they could not service my vehicle because the nitrogen could explode and destroy the entire store.
 

Curmudgeon

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I think I've already said I've never paid, or paid extra, for nitrogen-filled tires, and never will. With Earth's air already at 78% I'm not sure how they get more in there than that.

Back in July 2023 I bought 4 tires from a place that claimed nitrogen was the only thing they used, no extra charge. They already had the best price on Wildpeaks I could find. They also make their nitrogen available to their customers for fills or adjustments as desired, for free.

So I've had months to experience the gas and I have to say it makes a difference with temperature changes. Temps were in the high 80F, and have gone down as low as +6F this winter. I set the tire pressure to 39psi when it was 35F one day and I've seen tire pressure go up by 2lbs and down by 2 lbs.

My wife's Eclipse, with regular air, has been all over the map with regular low-pressure warnings. She goes from 35psi down to 25-27 and I have to get to the air pump more frequently than the gas pump.

While I have to say I've been enjoying the difference I still feel skeptical and would not pay an extra fee for it. I guess I spent too many decades with just air.

My 0.02, YMMV.
 

RD Holland

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Air is 78% nitrogen. And, how do they vacate the tire entirely of air before pushing nitrogen in? The tire isn't in a vacuum so there is no way to achieve 100% nitrogen. I have had cars where they said they filled the tires with nitrogen and they put a green cap on the stem to "prove it". I have not noticed any real benefit pressure-wise. And at what was a $40 charge now being $50, I think I see the actual advantage to adding nitrogen and it isn't mine.
 

Dean2

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I still use air in my tires because I have a compressor at home and most places have air, not nitrogen. That said if the shop does an honest nitrogen fill on your tires they absolutely are less affected by temperature changes. This has less to do with the actual gas than the fact nitrogen is a dry gas. At the same moisture level, air and nitrogen loose or gain the same 1.9% of volume per 10 dgrees of temp change. The much lower water content is the main contributor to the more stable pressures you see from a nitrogen fill.

When I was buying my car tires at Costco they used nitrogen, no extra charge. From 90 F to minus 45 F I saw much smaller pressure change. With regular air the pressure change would be 20+ pounds or so on a 36 pound tire. With Nitrogen, about 10 lbs. Gas of any kind expands and contracts at the same rate, if moisture is held constant, the issue is the moisture in the tire is NOT constant between the two fills.
 
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Mark DeRoncey

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Should You Use Nitrogen in Your truck Tires? Pros & Cons

Unless you are racing it is pretty pointless. When you fill your tire with air, it is already 70% Nitrogen. It is pretty much a scam for the average driver. Another 30% isn’t gonna make it worth the cost.
 

LOFSFIRE

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I've been using it for years without any issues. If by chance you take your vehicle to Walmart for an oil change don't mention nitrogen to the check in person. I had an employee tell me they could not service my vehicle because the nitrogen could explode and destroy the entire store.
Thats to funny, an inert gas in tires exploding...LOL

Honestly, I'm surprised more people did not mention Costco free fill stations. I definitely would not pay for it. Heck, besides Costco, I have access to fill my vehicles up at work and only top the the tires off if needed and still use my home air compressor or better yet, stop at a shop that does it while I sit in my car at no charge. Never had any issues with tires.

Maybe a toy that sits part of the year it would make a difference on...
 
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