Nitrogen in tyres

[p.dath]

Got 5 minutes?

...

That video confirms what I have been saying - there is no point is using nitrogen.

They first mention the argument about oxygen molecules leaking more. As I said,%

[Kickaha]

So I'll stick to my original claim, using nitrogen in light vehicles is an almost pointless expense.

Can you please publish your own test data to back that up

What about using it in heavy vehicles?
http://www.worktruckonline.com/artic...led-tires.aspx

[p.dath]

You'd think then that if tyre companies are putting nitrogen in tyres then they'd know what they are doing considering it's their own product they're putting it in

Or maybe, just maybe, they want to sell more tyres?

Air filled tyres leak down faster than nitrogen filled, that comes from personal observation using it myself in my own motorcycles and passenger vehicles
Nitrogen will still leak but just at a much lower rate so I doubt you would ever end up with the percentages you claim

With plain air, you start with 78% nitrogen in your tyre. Lets say you are correct, and the oxygen leaks out faster. Lets pretend al 22% leaks out, and you refill your tyre with standard air. You're tyre now contains 95.16% nitrogen. Lets pretend the remaining 4.84% oxygen now leaks out, and you re-fill your tyre with already air. The tyre now contains over 96% pure nitrogen.

So even if you accept the normal oxygen leaks out, then you have to acknowledge that eventually both a nitrogen filled tyre and an "air" filled tyre will end up leaking at the same rate - because they effectively both contain the same thing.
You are going to end up with a *very* high concentration of nitrogen in your tyres. There is no point paying to get the same thing, is there?

[p.dath]

It was simple really, I filled my tyres with nitrogen and rode my bike

If you believe oxygen leaks out through you're tyres, then you replaced the nitrogen in your tyres with nitrogen. Do you notice any difference?

[p.dath]

So what you're saying is that N2 filling at your local tyre shop (why invariably use N2 compressors) will always be a waste of time, and to get any (ostensible) benefit you need bottled N2? If that's the case can we please stop pretending there's any benefit whatsoever to N2 filling?

The other kicker is using osmosis to produce Nitrogen and a compressor (as opposed to using bottled Nitrogen like you get from BOC produced from chemical reaction) only produces Nitrogen around 95% pure. If you believe that Oxygen leaks out of your tyre, then the eventual Nitrogen content in the tyre will be *higher* than from the compressor - and you will be *lowering* the nitrogen content in your tyres.

[p.dath]

Can you please publish your own test data to back that up

Read my first post. It's mostly common sense.

What about using it in heavy vehicles?
http://www.worktruckonline.com/artic...led-tires.aspx

I believe there *is* benefit in using Nitrogen in heavy vehicles, particularly those that are considerably over 40 tonne.

[Kickaha]

If you believe oxygen leaks out through you're tyres, then you replaced the nitrogen in your tyres with nitrogen. Do you notice any difference?

None whatsoever, but then I didn't expect there to be

However I no longer have to top my tyres up when ever I go for a ride after the bike sits for a month or two as the pressure stays where I set it, which it didn't do after numerous air fills which sort of fucks that theory up

[p.dath]

None whatsoever, but then I didn't expect there to be

However I no longer have to top my tyres up when ever I go for a ride after the bike sits for a month or two as the pressure stays where I set it, which it didn't do after numerous air fills which sort of fucks that theory up

Perhaps you might like to explain why you think a Nitrogen filled tyre retains it's pressure better after sitting for a month then?

[Mike.Gayner]

None whatsoever, but then I didn't expect there to be

However I no longer have to top my tyres up when ever I go for a ride after the bike sits for a month or two as the pressure stays where I set it, which it didn't do after numerous air fills which sort of fucks that theory up

How can you possibly reconcile that with reality though? If you have air-filled tyres, and you're convinced that the O2 is leaking, then surely you have to accept that "topping up" has left you with a higher N2 concentration? And over time that N2 concentration will get closer and closer to 100%, meaning that you should soon start noticing the apparent leak slowing to a stop.

Honestly the best thing about this whole nitrogen business is that it puts the stupid and the gullible into plain sight for the rest of us.

[Scouse]

There I really no point using N2 in car or motorcycle tyres unless you place the tyres on a vacuum pump for a couple of hours to remove all traces of O2 before you fill with N2.

[James Deuce]

Another Internet win! I have no empirical data but we'll call the guy with both exprience and third party practical and theoretical data an idiot and win the fight!

The Internet is awesome.

[pritch]

Part of my former job was looking after a small fleet of some twenty cars. Firestone made a pitch that I should change them to nitrogen but I wasn't convinced.

There may have been an advantage if the nitrogen maintained its pressure longer because the drivers were mainly female and the pressures would not be checked from one service to the next. I didn't however think that the advantage was such as to justify the additional expenditure.

Having said that, I'm currently running nitrogen in the back tyre of my push bike because I had a puncture and re-inflated the tube with a nitrogen bottle.

The tyre pressures of my motorised conveyances are adjusted cold at home with a bicycle track pump and pressure gauge.

Without some radical advantage nitrogen would just seem too much trouble.

[Mike.Gayner]

That's an important point pritch - most of us (I assume/hope) pump our own tyres at home, which means frequent checks and adjustments if necessary. Having to wait between visits to your local N2 supplier means less frequency of checks and adjustments, which has to be a bad thing. The idea of being too scared to fill my own tyres in case some evil O2 gets in there makes my eyes roll to the back of my head.

[Big Dave]

Use Helium. Tyres are lighter, but they sound funny.

[Kickaha]

Perhaps you might like to explain why you think a Nitrogen filled tyre retains it's pressure better after sitting for a month then?

I dont need to explain it, all I know is with the practical experience I had with it that was what happened, I dont really care why or how

And over time that N2 concentration will get closer and closer to 100%, meaning that you should soon start noticing the apparent leak slowing to a stop.

Doesn't happen, so somewhere that theory is flawed, but you've given me an idea for a test using the nitrogen measuring gadget thingy to see what does happen if I can lay my hands on one

Honestly the best thing about this whole nitrogen business is that it puts the stupid and the gullible into plain sight for the rest of us.

I didn't need a nitrogen thread to work any of that out

There I really no point using N2 in car or motorcycle tyres unless you place the tyres on a vacuum pump for a couple of hours to remove all traces of O2 before you fill with N2.

I think the filling stations fill and purge and fill again

The Internet is awesome.

It's why we loves it so much

That's an important point pritch - most of us (I assume/hope) pump our own tyres at home, which means frequent checks and adjustments if necessary.

what a fucking dreamer

Having to wait between visits to your local N2 supplier means less frequency of checks and adjustments,

You dont need to check and adjust as often so it makes fuck all difference