Does a tire filled with dry nitrogen have a more consistent pressure?
Do nitrogen-filled tires run cooler?
Do nitrogen-filled tires deliver better fuel economy?
Do nitrogen-filled tires lose pressure more slowly?
Why do commercial airliners use nitrogen in their tires?
Why do trucks use nitrogen in their tires?
Why do race cars use nitrogen in their tires?
Does nitrogen eliminate tire oxidation/aging on cars or motorcycles?
Does nitrogen eliminate rim oxidation/ damage?
Will nitrogen eliminate the crud that might otherwise keep my valves from sealing properly?
So, for the average car/bike owner… nitrogen or air?
Elsewhere:
Introduction
A lot of companies are offering to fill your tires with nitrogen – for a price. Or they talk up the benefits of nitrogen, and then offer a free fill if you buy tires from them. But is nitrogen really that much better than air for tires? I spent a fair amount of time recently digging into the issue, examining the various claims, and trying to determine whether the benefits offered in one venue (say, racing or aerospace) also exist for the average consumer’s automobile or motorcycle.The sad fact is that I couldn’t find many good, unbiased technical documents on the subject of nitrogen as a tire fill gas. So this FAQ is my own engineering analysis, bolstered in places by outside technical references that address specific aspects of the behavior of nitrogen, oxygen, and air.
Click on a link at left to begin.
Questions? Comments? Email me!
©2006, Mitchell P. Patrie