Originally Posted by Dan Root
hey has anyone tried Nitrogen in their tires? I heard about it yesterday. Suppose to stay at right psi longer and improve performance! I'm going to go to the shop and try it for giggles!
dan,
never tried it but i have heard of it. how much does it cost?
the advantages it provides for a passenger car are probably minimal. you will see it used in tractor trailers because it prevents oxidation to the tire casing allowing for a greater number of retreads. nitrogen produces less heat inside tires and is also supposed to leak out more slowly which should result in more consistent pressures. it is claimed that fuel economy is increased by up to 2% in trucks with nitrogen. some race cars use nitrogen because it allows them to better control tire pressures over the course of a race.
it's also used in airplane tires. i think that's because unconditioned air has moisture in it that will freeze and cause ice accumulation inside the tire since it's cold at higher altitudes.