Nitrogen vs. Air in Tires

[ricebow34]

Is there an advantage in using nitrogen over compressed air in tires?

Will nitrogen hurt/harm tires? Improve gas mileage?

Will nitrogen help tires last longer?

Just wondering cause i saw a nitrogen tank while i was at Costco tire center and was curious.

Looking forward to everyone's opinions..

[tmacier]

Complete waste on money for this car.
Tim

[kjanracing]

Nitrogen is GREAT!!!! for the shop that buys the machine and makes money off you and others that can be convinced it will actually "improve" something. Race car tires, airplane landing gear struts, air springs on ghetto cars are a few uses. Passenger car tires, not so much. Out of a compressor you are putting in 78% N. I haven't read that any manufacturer recommends it. But you do get those pretty green valve stem caps.

[livfreely]

Go with the Nitrogen....Why not??? They can be proven to keep the same pressure in your tire longer, and as mentioned you get the cool green caps. If you can get it for 5 bucks a tire than it is worth it.

[MacNoob]

I prefer the 78% nitrogen blend available from any air compressor.

But Costco uses nitrogen (at least, their advertising says they do, they have a tank labelled "Nitrogen", and they put on green valve caps, but that's pretty much the only way to tell). And they don't charge extra for it.

[blueridge]

it wont help anything.. i got the talk to let them put nitrogen in my tires on my jeep when i got some bigger tires.. i was assured it would keep pressure no matter what the temp.. that was a big false.. i live in the mtns.. so temp here fluctuates so much.. i always had to keep an eye on them.. never did anything for me.. i was told they use it in all airplane tires.. etc.. etc.. but funny thing is.. unless they vacuum out all the air.. there will never be 100% nitrogen.. so realistically its just another scam to make the tire installer money..

[kjanracing]

A nitrogen charging station will evacuate the air out of the tires and replace it with nitrogen. No matter what it won't be 100%. I believe it will be in the 90's. But for a passenger car, so what!

[sswartz]

I believe the idea is that the Nitrogen molecule is larger and therefore less likely to leak.

[Lukecool]

Nitrogen is a large molecule which takes a lot longer to permeate through the walls of a tire than smaller molecules like oxygen. So pure nitrogen will retain a constant pressure longer.

Also pure N2 in a tire will mean 0% water vapor. Oxygen and water vapor can internally corrode and degrade the tires and wheels, shortening their life.

The greatest threats to tire life are heat and uneven tread wear, which are both results from improper tire pressure. So keeping your tire filled with N2 instead of normal air will keep a more constant pressure, which keeps them lasting longer, and also maintains a low rolling resistance to the ground translating to better MPG's.


BUT... With all that said, I wouldn't pay too much extra on it. They offered it to me in a bundle along with window etching which is also complete bullcrap. They ended up giving it to me for free because their fleet manager didn't want to sell a car without those options.

I mean, the Insight already has a tire pressure monitoring system, so having a car beeping at you should be good enough for you to get the hint to air up the tires.

[blueridge]

if there was a way to get 100% nitrogen by using a vacuum pump or something then i could see where there would be an advantage.. i can tell you i sure didnt notice any difference.. and i put a TON of miles on my Jeep with those tires on it.. in all kinds of driving conditions.. i think if the molecules are larger and it would keep pressure in a puncture then yes get it. i just stating what i observed.. the pressures were all over the place.. my jeep has all 4 tires independent TPMS.. and each one would be different everyday.. now granted.. the tire place COULD have said they were gonna put nitrogen and then filled them with air.. hell how would i know.. all i knew was i got green caps lol..