How do you mean? - I use it because I get it for free from work - Also because of the stable pressures for track days. I used to run 2 cars in the John Cooper Challenge. Using Dunlop D01J's at Donnington for example after a 10 lap session starting at 28psi with air they would climb to 40+psi. With Nitrogen they would only climb by about 5psi.
Well it is an inert gas but my understanding is that it doesn't expand like air because of the lack of moisture & Oxygen. As I'm not a scientist you should probably look on the net for your answer.
Inert means its unreactive. It still expands just the same as any other gas. The pressure stabilisation effect comes from the lack of water vapour in the air, this also has a benefit because the inside of the wheel/rim is less suceptible to corrosion. Thats about it for Nitrogen-filled tyres. Ie its a scam.
Well for it's pressure stabilisation properties I along with most race teams will keep using it. Many thanks for your informative explanation. I'm surprised as you're so knowledgable on the subject you didn't share this earlier in the post.
No worries. If you're getting it free, then its not really a cost issue so no worries there. I thought everyone else exposed it pretty soon as 'snake oil'. Pity the poor unsuspecting general public, who are simply guided by the man who serves them at Kwik Fit, etc.
The nitrogen tyre filling is ment to be better because it cannot leak through the rubber casing of tyre, which air can as its made up smaller particles or something like that, so that makes your tyres last longer (wear) and as correctly inflated better handling. It is also better as compresed air contains moisture which actualy corrodes the inside of your wheel, nitrogen doesent as some one said earlier its a dry gas under compression. If you have an old set of alloys and your forever filling them up with air and there are no nails in tyre its probably cos its slightly corroded where bead of tyre sits on rim. My local tyre place uses it think i get charged a quid a tyre for filling them up.
it's used in the aircraft industry as it doesn't expand as much or as rapidly as normal air due to no moisture etc. myth i think not... but has to be a designated air supply to prevent moisture contaminating it. i've used it before and works a treat.
Whatever people say: - is there a safety problem with tyre temperature variations on joe public's cars? NO. Even if there was, Joe Public is not on top of the game enough to adjust tyre pressures to suit outside temps/ground temps and rain/no rain scenarios. - is there a safety problem with non-punctured tyres full of air leaking to an extent of going critically flat on passenger cars? NO. - Could nitrogen result in maintenance-free tyre pressures? NO - and (being daft) does Joe Public have a problem with tyres going 'off', losing grip, overheating etc due to the pressures of repmobiles bolted to the bootlid on the daily commute. Somehow, NO. So it's a case of giving Joe Public something not required, something that wouldn't be used to its full advantage etc. Therefore, for road use, it's rubbish.
i go to uni in wrexham which is not far at all from demon tweeks, i recall they fill your tires with nitrogen for something silly like 1.50 each, which is cheap compared to prices i've seen on here! apparently there's no water in the nitrogen so helps improve performance and so on, which you'd only really notice on the track!
Not sure if I am bring stooopid here, but if they fit a tyre to the rim in a garage, even when 'uninflated' it's got air in it - just not pressurised. If you then attach a nitrogen line to it, and use it to pressurise the tyre, isn't there still going to be more 'normal air' than 'pure nitrogen'? Obviously there is 80% nitrogen in air, but still - the nitrogen is diluted. The only way to fill the tyre with pure nitrogen is to do it in a room that only has nitrogen in it - they would have to use breathing apparatus, etc. So actually they are charging a ridiculous amount of cash just to slightly increase the ratio of nitrogen to everything else in your tyre - whether it's oxygen, CO2, water, whatever. So yes - it is a total waste of time, and a 'sort of' con. Selling it as something that F1 use, and something that's safer, and will save you cash in the long run should not be allowed - I haven't had a tyre fitted there yet, but I can imagine the high pressure selling they use too - making Mr family man with his Vectra feel guilty/ unsafe if he doesn't have it, and if he doesn't keep having it when his tyres go a bit flat and need refilling every few weeks or so. Matt.
