[DaWadd]

I don't see the point, but that's just me. Expensive and not necessary in my view.

 

[Fred H.]

One of the biggest advantages of nitrogen is that it is dry and free of moisture content. This reduces how much gas expansion occurs when the tire is heated. You can achieve a similar result by using a desiccant snake on your air hose to remove most of the moisture from the air you are putting in.

Nitrogen also doesn't leak out through the rubber like air will over time, so there is that advantage as well. So there are some real advantages to using it if you don't mind the extra cost.

 

[sarpy2]

BLUF: This is not a thread to argue whether putting straight nitrogen in tires works any better than straight air.

Has anyone made the effort to get a nitrogen tank with the necessary attachments to fill/refill their vehicle tires at home? If so, any idea what size tank to take care of three vehicles (car, truck and bike)? My brother had one years ago when he and a buddy were into drag racing, but he couldn't remember much about it.

No but as an aircraft mechanic we aways used due to lower compressibility in cold weather at Altitude and molecules that do not seep thru the rubber as quickly

 

[LD_RIDER]

Another major point with Nitrogen and why all commercial aircraft and most major racing teams require nitrogen in the tires is because it is inert, non-flammable and consequently won't cause an explosion if a tire overheats (which was the reason FAA mandated it).

Mexican flight 940 had a tire overheat and explode because it was mistakenly filled with air and not nitrogen. The Boeing 727 was only airborne for about 15 minutes at a FL of 29,000 when the fire from the burning tire breached the cabin. 167 souls were lost. This was almost 40 years ago and created immense interest in selling the gas for use in cars and especially over the road trucks.

FYI: Consumer reports did a study with two groups of tires: One filled with air, the other with nitrogen. The pressure drop between the two was negligible.

Tires with air dropped 3.5 lbs on average and the pure nitrogen tires dropped 2.2 lbs on average.. This after 12 months (!).

As mentioned, a dryer inline with your air hose will be fine, but nitrogen does have some subtle advantages if you are racing, flying or just want to do if for peace of mind.

Or, you can do what Ferrari tried back in the day: Freon and refrigerant instead of nitrogen (but now banned by Formula One) which had superior pressure control compared to nitrogen and improved heat transfer.

 

[clayusmc]

I just know that my wife’s car tires needed air on average of three times a year with just air and maybe once with nitrogen. And my bike stopped slow-leaking once I went with nitrogen.

For the people who don’t see utility in using it, please reread the BLUF in post #1.

 

[Crabballs]

Or, you can do what Ferrari tried back in the day: Freon and refrigerant instead of nitrogen (but now banned by Formula One) which had superior pressure control compared to nitrogen and improved heat transfer.

Like I said in an early post, I used freon in my tires back in the day and I wasn't even racing. I always had a tank in the truck and I used it for convenience and laziness. Nothing beats a plugging kit and a 30# jug of R12a

 

[Motomandan]

Nope, never made the effort, I am fine with 78% nitrogen in my tires.

But something like this would do what you want for <$200.

https://www.polyperformance.com/tools-storage/co2-nitrogen-kits/power-tank-mini-system-ptm-0124

Just get it filled at a paint ball place.
Sorry, these are CO2, not nitrogen.

A ready built setup is ~ $600. Portable Nitrogen Tank
I am sure you could source parts yourself for cheaper.

Also once all the "air " leaks out only the Nitrogen would be left !

 

[Crabballs]

Also once all the "air " leaks out only the Nitrogen would be left !

That is a good and legitimate statement. If you really want to fully enjoy the nitrogen "benefit" you have to hook up the vacuum pump and pull a vacuum down to 300 microns or less and risk the tire breaking the bead from the rim. I bet most stations that sell you nitrogen don't even let all the air out of the tire prior to filling. Damn snake oil salesman.

 

[clayusmc]

Since this was skimmed over without being read and/or understood....

BLUF: This is not a thread to argue whether putting straight nitrogen in tires works any better than straight air.

 

[Glockjock]

I just know that my wife’s car tires needed air on average of three times a year with just air and maybe once with nitrogen. And my bike stopped slow-leaking once I went with nitrogen.

For the people who don’t see utility in using it, please reread the BLUF in post #1.

Crap. I just spent a lot of time writing an incredibly informative post about air versus nitrogen, and now you remind me that this is NOT a nitrogen thread! I want my 30 minutes back.

 

[Zee Fifty]

Not to be a Debbie Downer but let’s not forget about Dalton’s Law of gasses. Gasses will migrate through the rubber in BOTH DIRECTIONS due to the law of partial pressures of each gas. Nothing to due with total pressure. There is no way to keep pure nitrogen in your tire over time unless it’s hermetically sealed… how long,,,,, I don’t have a clue but science is fun.

 

[gkarasik]

Since this was skimmed over without being read and/or understood....

BLUF: This is not a thread to argue whether putting straight nitrogen in tires works any better than straight air.

I'll stop laughing in around three hours.

 

[PoorUB]

That is a good and legitimate statement. If you really want to fully enjoy the nitrogen "benefit" you have to hook up the vacuum pump and pull a vacuum down to 300 microns or less and risk the tire breaking the bead from the rim. I bet most stations that sell you nitrogen don't even let all the air out of the tire prior to filling. Damn snake oil salesman.

That is one big killer for the nitrogen deal for me. What about the air already in the tire? Unless you vacuum it out, there will be air in the tire.

Last time I bought a set of tires at a local, well known tire shop I noticed the lack of nitrogen information. They used to have posters and such all over. I asked about it, and the salesman said their nitrogen machine died a while back and they removed it and don't offer it any longer, then added, it was just a money grab any way!

 

[gkarasik]

That is one big killer for the nitrogen deal for me. What about the air already in the tire? Unless you vacuum it out, there will be air in the tire.

Last time I bought a set of tires at a local, well known tire shop I noticed the lack of nitrogen information. They used to have posters and such all over. I asked about it, and the salesman said their nitrogen machine died a while back and they removed it and don't offer it any longer, then added, it was just a money grab any way!

For the majority of riders, there are two main practical benefits to using nitrogen in tires: more stable pressure means fewer refills, and less water vapor means a smaller delta in pressure when heated (and potentially less fill-valve corrosion). Those benefits need to be weighed against the considerable effort and expense needed to get from an empty to a nitrogen-filled tire. There is another benefit, though: the feeling of having our rides set up exactly how we want them, and I don't discount that as a valid reason for doing anything to our rides that gives us pleasure. In the end, that's why we choose riding over driving. Like with so much else, whether the results are worth it is subjective. I work at not conflating "Is it worth it to me" with "Is it worth it?" They're not the same.

 

[ricklee4570]

We tried an experiment in my Jeep a few years back. We ran air in the driver's side tire front and passenger side rear, and of course nitrogen in the other two. Air loss, tire temperature and tire pressures were indistinguishable from nitrogen tires compared to air tires. Really didn't see any discernable difference. Not exactly scientific but take that for what it is worth!

 

[Jack2]

I keep a small nitrogen tank with a two stage regulator in my tool collection of goodies to use as a quick, easy substitute for an air compressor. If you’ve ever had a daughter startle you from a sweet dream in the wee hours of the morning on a freezing cold winter night asking you to come rescue her because of a flat tire, you would appreciate the ability to quickly fix a flat tire with a tire plug and a fast blast of air (nitrogen). The nitrogen tank is also a lot easier for a young guy like me to lug around than a portable air compressor when shooting a couple of nails into wood framing to mend a busted-in door frame.

 

[William Anzik]

Since this was skimmed over without being read and/or understood....

BLUF: This is not a thread to argue whether putting straight nitrogen in tires works any better than straight air.

Nice try. At least the OP got some answers.

 

[PoorUB]

I work at not conflating "Is it worth it to me" with "Is it worth it?" They're not the same.

I agree! There is a lot of silly stuff they people buy for their motorcycles that possible very few people buy, I guess enough to make a market for it. I see guys painting brand new Goldwings because they want a certain color, guys adding all kinds of trinkets and accessories that do zero improve the bike, or the riding experience. They do it be cause they want to, simple as that. Same as many "performance" upgrades that do virtually nothing. Harley guys buy pipes and an air cleaner and don't tune the bike and might lose performance, but think it is better. Goldwing riders slap on a set of mufflers just for the sound and it doesn't do anything but add to the noise level.
I could go on!

 

[clayusmc]

Nice try. At least the OP got some answers.

Eh, worth a shot.

 

[Fred H.]

So I have a series question.

If the air we breath is about 78% nitrogen already, and about 20% oxygen, and oxygen is more permeable through rubber than nitrogen (because of molecular size), then over time doesn't the oxygen leak out faster than the nitrogen? Shouldn't the percentage of nitrogen in your tires go up over time even accounting for refilling and replacing what leaked out?

I could postulate that after 6-8 months, the nitrogen in most peoples tires is close to 90% naturally. So what would be the real benefit of getting the last 10% of the oxygen out of the tire?

The only real benefit I can see is that you probably injected less moisture into the tire with the initial fill if you used nitrogen. If you put a desiccant snake on your air hose, can't you achieve nearly the same thing?