Nitrogen for Tires question

[dieselguy]

I'm finally ridding the fiver of the Marabombs ... for those of you that have gone with the nitrogen fill ... over several months, does the pressure stay pretty near the same or do you find the need to have them topped off a few pounds like tires with just air in them? If they tend to bleed off over a period of months similar to plain air, I feel that pretty much kills any advertised advantage. I won't be carrying a personal nitrogen bottle around and nitrogen fills in my neck of the woods are few and far between.

[moutard2]

At the moment, the sometimes added cost coupled with the joy of trying to find a nitrogen refill station just isn't worth it IMHO.

[nosticks]

Another dealer gimic. Unless you are operating at extreme altitudes say 0 to 45,000 feet on a daily basis, as in aircraft, it is a waste of effort and money.

[BB_TX]

A google search will give you more reading about it than you could ever want. But in general most say there MAY be some minimal benefit. But doesn't really sound worth the effort.
Here is a good example from tirereck.com

[DQDick]

For me it sounded like minimal benefit and major PITA so we just have air.

[Carl n Susan]

Not being totally convinced of the benefits, I have been using around 78% nitrogen in my tires. I have to admit it must be working as I haven't had to add any in over 8 months.

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by Carl n Susan

Not being totally convinced of the benefits, I have been using around 78% nitrogen in my tires. I have to admit it must be working as I haven't had to add any in over 8 months.

Yes, I've been using 78% nitrogen since the late 50's..... since that's the normal make up of the atmosphere.

As for dealers who put it in, it's a gimmick. Maybe if you were a formula one racer it might be different.

[mhs4771]

I think most of us are finding (if you went with the G614s) that they tend to hold their air and require little addition. I too think that the nitrogen was a big gimmick for tire stores to make a little extra money.

[Ozz]

I just purged a 20 ton A/C unit with 2 40# bottles of Nitrogen...it is dry, that would be good for the tires, keeping that water out of them. Compressed air usually is really wet.
I fill mine with CO2 that I carry on my truck.

[Recumbent]

I'm whith Carl & Tom S. as dry air has roughly 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.039% carbon dioxide, but we have high humidity in the south so may vary on the percentages. Here is the real deal, we just returned from towing the Monty approximately 7K miles round trip over 2.5 months and the G614s did not need additional air.

[dieselguy]

Thanks for saving me a little dough ... I was skeptical about the whole deal to start with. By the way, I have a really good lead at a good price on some ocean front property in southern Wyoming that sits on a nitrogen deposit ....

[Sinterior]

I'm tire pressure picky and adjust them as the temp varies, for example, when we leave home to head south for the winter, the home temp can easily be 10 below (fahrenheit) and our destination can be mid 80's on arrival. The difference in tire pressure can easily be 5-8psi. I bought an AC compressor just for this reason and 78% nitrogen works for me.

[RJI47]

I just got a new set of tires today, and the dealer put nitrogen in them. I guess I'll find out if it's will be of any benefit. I asked what would happen if I put air in to "tweak" the pressure, and he said it would negate the benefits of the nitrogen.
I read the tirerack info on nitrogen, and it was very interesting.

[dieselguy]

Rick ... that is what just baffles me about the nitrogen deal. You pay extra for it, the dealer says adding air will taint the benefits, yet I'll darn well bet you when it comes time to "tweek" or top off pressure in a few months ... there won't be a nitrogen fill station for miles and miles from where you're sitting. I also wonder what the tire dealer charges to top off pressure down the road ... by the pound like propane maybe??? BY the way ... for others, I still have a line on that ocean front property in Wyoming

[RJI47]

That ocean front property in WY sounds great... Does it come with a beach and umbrella?
And I agree with dieselguy. If I need air down the road, I'll just use a compressor. At least I'll still be getting 78% nitrogen.

[Imp]

Costco uses nitrogen in their tires and does not charge to check and refill tires.

[Champ_49]

Being a racer I can say there is a good advatage to nitrogen for tires in race cars. For everyday driving and the RV's, I see no real advantage. Mixing air with notrogen isn't a big deal but does defeat the purpose. As everyone says, topping off can be a pain.

Dave

[mlh]

Nitrogen works great in the space shuttle, a jet air plane. Ice can form at -40 degrees at 35,000 feet but in a RV tire, not so much.
I would be interested in your ocean front property if it's on Union Pass at 9500 feet. I will be up there in a few weeks if I see your for sale sign up there I'll call you.
Lynwood

[Tom S.]

quote:Originally posted by dieselguy

Rick ... that is what just baffles me about the nitrogen deal. You pay extra for it, the dealer says adding air will taint the benefits, yet I'll darn well bet you when it comes time to "tweek" or top off pressure in a few months ... there won't be a nitrogen fill station for miles and miles from where you're sitting. I also wonder what the tire dealer charges to top off pressure down the road ... by the pound like propane maybe??? BY the way ... for others, I still have a line on that ocean front property in Wyoming

Ask the dealer how they got all the air out of the tire before they put the nitrogen in.

[RJI47]

That's the strange part. No one ever mentions about deleting all the "air" before they put the nitrogen in. I don't know if it's even possible without pulling a vacuum, and i've never seen one in a garage. I could be wrong. So in reality, the nitrogen is already mixed with the atmosphere when they install it.