Nitrogen vs Air In Tires

[Bunion]

My truck came with nitrogen. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I don't know much about it. Any downsides? Besides going to the dealer everytime I need air?

 

[Stangshcky12]

You can put compressed air in them if you have to, atmospheric air is 78% nitrogen

 

[xXAvroArrowXx]

Nitrogen seems like a gimmick to me. Dealer wanted something stupid like $200 for a nitrogen fill. Thing is you still will loose pressure from parasitic losses, but there's lesser impact on changes in pressure with temperature swings. I figure truck has TPMS, its not like I have to check with my pocket gauge every week to see if I'm low, she'll tell me when I needs an air-up.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[PTCTreeGuy]

It's more important with low-profile stickier tires, they build more heat and the pressures have wider swings. Pure nitrogen is much easier to know what will happen to the pressures as you push them to their limits.

Most Discount Tires have begun stocking nitrogen, and 200 bucks seems crazy but I've only ever seen prices for sportscars and BMW tops off the tires at no charge with the oil/engine service.

 

[Lhemi]

I've been running it in everything from my bikes to my autos since 08-09 some where around then.
I get more miles from my bike tires with it.

 

[Sparkyy]

If some place is telling you it's gonna be $200 for Nitrogen, that is just pure crazy.

Right now, I am getting my tires services at Costco as it is a free balance/rotation for life of tire and flat repair as well.

They only fill the tires up with nitrogen and I can swing by and fill up for free if I need any more.

Might not be a big deal but with the winter we had, sure it didn't hurt with the temps goin all wonky on us.

 

[Mr.Smith]

I ran nitrogen in 2 tires and air in 2 tires on my last car and saw no pressure differences under any circumstances.

 

[Bunion]

My dealer said it's free top ups. $200 seems crazy to me.

 

[VolsRam]

With the winter just finishing and the warmer weather coming around, make sure to change out the winter air for summer air. You want to make sure the pressure doesn't stay low with the winter air

 

[Sparkyy]

With the winter just finishing and the warmer weather coming around, make sure to change out the winter air for summer air. You want to make sure the pressure doesn't stay low with the winter air

On that note, also don't forget to exchange the blinker fluid as well. Every 50k blinks or 8 months, which ever comes first and you need to flush the system out.

 

[cullen17]

Nitrogen vs Air seems really pointless in street vehicles. We used Nitrogen in our race cars because the pressure changes less with temperature changes but in a street vehicle the changes wont be big enough to matter. When i was looking at new cars a dealer wanted $350 because the tires on the car had nitrogen in them which is ridiculous.

 

[Moparman1303]

How they get people to take the deal on Nitrogen is to include tire warranty. Mine has three years tire warranty. I would of bickered to not pay the fee but three years of warranty on tires is good. Anything goes wrong, it's fixed free of charge.

Sent from my LG-D803 using Tapatalk

 

[Lhemi]

I've always paid 0, nada, nothing for nitrogen in my tires.

 

[RangerGress]

Nitrogen vs Air seems really pointless in street vehicles. We used Nitrogen in our race cars because the pressure changes less with temperature changes but in a street vehicle the changes wont be big enough to matter.

Someone gave you bad scoop. Race teams use nitrogen because it's a convenient and cheap source of dry gas. N2 expands the same as much as air per the Ideal Gas Law. Dried and bottled air would work as well.

It's more important with low-profile stickier tires, they build more heat and the pressures have wider swings. Pure nitrogen is much easier to know what will happen to the pressures as you push them to their limits.

If the air in your truck tires are hitting the 220deg and therefore moisture is flashing into steam, something is wrong.

Most race tires have an optimum carcass temp of 180-190deg. The temp of the air inside of them is a bit less than that. Moisture inside the tires can flash into steam in a poorly set up car who's tires are being pushed too hard, but it's generally an indicator of something else being wrong...probably associated with brakes heating up the wheels too much.

-Racing for 7yrs

 

[Ramzaq]

On that note, also don't forget to exchange the blinker fluid as well. Every 50k blinks or 8 months, which ever comes first and you need to flush the system out.

My blinker fluid is just below half so I am good for awhile but, it looks like it might need a flush.

 

[JJP71584]

Ha ha ha

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Sparkyy]

My blinker fluid is just below half so I am good for awhile but, it looks like it might need a flush.

Hahaha, that is awesome! But glad you're checking the fluid, most people let it run out and then it gets expensive to take care of the empty blinker.

 

[MACH]

On my silverado I had the PSI in my tires would fluctuate 10PSI in wierd temps. I was sick of having to fill and let out air all the time.

I had Nitrogen put in and never had to mess with it again.

My ram and my wifes grand cherokee, I don't get the fluctations so I haven't switched over to Nitrogen yet.

I don't know what it was about that stinking silverado. I had new LTX MS2's on it and it still did it.

 

[RangerGress]

On my silverado I had the PSI in my tires would fluctuate 10PSI in wierd temps. I was sick of having to fill and let out air all the time.

I had Nitrogen put in and never had to mess with it again.

My ram and my wifes grand cherokee, I don't get the fluctations so I haven't switched over to Nitrogen yet.

I don't know what it was about that stinking silverado. I had new LTX MS2's on it and it still did it.

Rule of thumb for pressure change due to temp is 1psi/10degF. But again, all gases obey the Ideal Gas Law reasonably well so nothing magic about how N2 responds to temp. When experience seems to violate physics, something is being overlooked.

 

[Mr.Smith]

There was a $200 charge for it on my window sticker. I told the dealer I didn't want it and he could take the Nitrogen out. He said that was crazy. I told him no crazier than charging $200 for it. He removed that off price of truck at that point.