Why is nitrogen used to inflate tires versus air?

patrick k

Nitrogen leaks out of the tire SLIGHTLY more slowly than "normal" air (which is already 80% nitrogen as someone has pointed out).

No matter what anyone tells you, there is no difference in pressure stability with respect to temperature as long as the air is dry. It's the moisture content of "normal" air that can cause a problem. Any tire shop should have air driers.

Nascar uses nitrogen because they have it right there in cans to run their tools. Airplanes use it because it won't feed a brake fire at 30,000 feet.

No tire company recommends the use of Nitrogen. If it were so great, they would be lining up to endorse it.

Again, dry air, checked regularly. That's all you need. If you want to spend money on something, spend it on tire rotations.

LAB RAT

FIRST - common pump air is 80% nitrogen

The selling point of Nitrogen is;

- does not expand or contract with temp. change ( great for cars travelling at 150 MPH plus and aircraft )

- has slightly larger molecules than oxygen (the other 20% of pump air) so your tire leaks down in a year as opposed to 8 months. But you check your tires every month; right?

- Nitrogen is inert - what that has to with tires is beyond my comprehension. Maybe it keeps the tire from rotting from the inside for 20 years. But they still oxydize from the outside and the average tire only lasts 3 years anyway.

So what it basically boils down to is that a Nitrogen fill costs 15-30 dollars and a pump fill costs nothing.

RDG78

Also, in theory, the nitrogen won't seep out of the tires as readily as regular compressed air will.

dark knight

Nitrogen will not fluctuate in pressure like air when temperature changes. Tire shops charge per tire to fill with nitrogen and its not all that cheap. Nitrogen is also lighter than air which some people say will help in improving gas mileage. But it seems to be more hype to take your money.

Fast Reg

For regular road use there is no benefit to running nitrogen over compressed air.

Nitrogen is commonly used in motorsport because minute changes in tyre pressure can have a big effect on the handling and performance of a race car. Because nitrogen doesn't expand as much as air as the tyre heats up, having the tyres filled with nitrogen means that there is less fluctuation in pressure which will give race cars more predictable handling. I believe this is because compressed nitrogen has less water vapour in it than compressed air.

When you're out on the road you will never get your tyres hot enough for there to be any advantage to having them inflated with nitrogen.

bungee

air worked for a century. all nitrogen does is empty your Wallet and inflates the service station owners wallet<

Texas Underdog

Nitrogen is used in airplane tires. (Maybe some race cars, too)

BUT, the extra cost to put nitrogen in regular car tires isn't worth it.

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rml313

nitrogen wont explode & the tire will run cooler

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