Nitrogen Tire Inflation

[Pierre]

What’s y’all’s opinion on Nitrogen Tire Inflation. Is it really worth the extra money?

Topic

[Hokiedad4]

I’ve never paid any extra money, so I suppose the answer depends on what they’re charging.

There are two things about nitrogen that make it slightly better than air. The primary benefit is that it’s dry. The secondary benefit is that nitrogen diffuses through the tire slightly more slowly than oxygen. Nitrogen and air heat up at virtually the same rate, so no difference there.

[Dave]

It was a big scam, Nitrogen in the tires is a ripoff for the average driver it is not worth it. Just put in plain old air

[twiggy]

Plain air is 78% nitrogen. No charge.

[Brian]

Personally I would not do it again… I did not experience any issues with it technically speaking. The only real drawback I came across was Ford really pushed to get me to just try it so I said okay what the heck do it I will try anything once I suppose. The only problem was when I went to a Discount Tire while on a road trip to get the air checked, they said I would have to take it to a dealer to have them do it because they don’t deal with Nitrogen filled tires! (Very inconvenient while on the road IMO.)

[Hokiedad4]

Hi brnmw,

Don’t overthink it. Even if the dealer inflated using nitrogen, plain old air is perfectly fine for re-inflation. Air is everywhere. Very convenient!! :cheer:

[Brian]

That is actually what I said to them… I believe it may just be a “company policy” that they won’t “touch it”. I am not sure why… it’s not like if they mix Nitrogen and Plain air together it gonna explode or anything! They may have changed their policy since then I don’t really know it’s been a couple of years since that happened and I have gone back to plain air. Personally I did not see a big deal in it mixing the two IMO. (I just pulled over to a gas station and used thier air machine… I’m not going to a dealer to get my air filled, just because Discount Tire does not want to do it…. I just wanted my tires checked.)

[Hokiedad4]

I see, perhaps it would be best to avoid that place. 😛

[Devon]

Nitrogen is just drier. I shop I work we just fill up with nitrogen because its faster than the line on the tire machine. If even if u don’t ask for it , there is a good chance ur getting it.

[Coty Miller]

Yeah, my local tire place just throws nitrogen in no fee, you buy the tires from them so it’s kinda like a second thanks… Nitrogen is supposed to be less likely to leak out due to larger molecules, and it’s supposed to be lighter so they claim better mpgs… Although technically speaking mpg gain is so miniscule I doubt it can be measured. IF it even is real…

* I run hydrogen in my tires, I need to remove all the weight I can because racecar! banana: and because zeppelins do it, and led zeppelin’s are cool.

_{[1] I do not own a race car.}

[Author]

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