ConcoursMustang Forums
Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Misc Items => Topic started by: austexstang on March 31, 2016, 02:39:22 PM
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Has any one here used nitrogen instead of regular compressed air to fill bias-ply tires? Yes, I know radial tires are "better"but I'm a glutton for the old-school driving experience.
Thanks
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I have heard that the sole purpose of using Nitrogen is to deter rust. Brian
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I had not heard of that. I'm hoping that the tire temp would be reduced with a nitrogen fill. Thanks
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Has any one here used nitrogen instead of regular compressed air to fill bias-ply tires? Yes, I know radial tires are "better"but I'm a glutton for the old-school driving experience.
Thanks
Haven't found any reason to try it. Would eliminate me filling or topping tires off at home and its not like they get allot of high speed long drives these days.
Just me
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I heard that the reason for 100% nitrogen fill is that it handles wide temp swings (like we can have here with say a -10 degree F day in winter and a 100 degree F day in summer).
Since air is 78 percent nitrogen, topping a nitrogen filled tire poses no harm. You are introducing a very small amount of O2.
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I've been using Nitrous in my Jeep's tires for years. The pressure is steady, and stays in the tires much longer. I think I've gone 6 months without having to worry about adding more to them. Planning on getting it done to the Mustang, just have to get it to the only place in town that has the Nitro-fill.
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Thank you gentlemen; good info as always. I work at a dealership and can get it done for free. Just didn't know if it was worth the effort.
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I've been using Nitrous in my Jeep's tires for years. The pressure is steady, and stays in the tires much longer. I think I've gone 6 months without having to worry about adding more to them. Planning on getting it done to the Mustang, just have to get it to the only place in town that has the Nitro-fill.
Nitrous? Isn't that flammable? If so, I would not recommend that for inflating tires.
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Nitrous? Isn't that flammable? If so, I would not recommend that for inflating tires.
nitrogen not nitrous oxide
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I heard that the reason for 100% nitrogen fill is that it handles wide temp swings (like we can have here with say a -10 degree F day in winter and a 100 degree F day in summer).
Air, nitrogen, and oxygen are rather effective insulators, with poor thermal conductivity. If you look at this partial chart, air is a tiny bit more conductive than pure nitrogen (rightmost column). So nitrogen will conduct LESS heat (not that you would be able to measure the difference anyway). Note that styrofoam is actually more thermally conductive! So this is just another bogus claim to try to pry money out of people's wallets, like putting magnets around your gas line to improve mileage. On the plus side, there's no actual harm to using pure N2. But there's no benefit, either.
Table from http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tables/thrcn.html (http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/tables/thrcn.html)
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My understanding is that nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen and therefore are harder to escape. Primary reason NASCAR uses nitrogen for tires and the air wrenches is no fire hazard.
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Nitrogen molecules do not expand when heated as compressed air does. Drive your newer vehicle with tire pressure sensors and watch the pressure rise on a warm summer day. This does not happen with Nitrogen, the very reason all Nascar teams use it. Constant tire pressure for their application is paramount whereas your passenger car its not that critical. Of course if you're driving the in summer air pressure can increase by as much as ten pounds during a long days driving.
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Nitrogen molecules do not expand when heated as compressed air does.
Wrong. Nitrogen, like all other gases, obeys the laws of physics. Charles' Law specifically describes expansion related to temperature: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%27s_law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%27s_law), and the Ideal Gas Law describes the relationship between pressure, temperature, and volume: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_gas_law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ideal_gas_law)
Primary reason NASCAR uses nitrogen for tires and the air wrenches is no fire hazard.
Now if NASCAR could eliminate the oxygen outside their tires and hoses - that would be a substantial reduction to the fire hazard! ;)
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What I meant was no fire hazard from the nitrogen.
I agree...everything expands when it gets hot.
NASCAR - NASCAR teams use nitrogen because it allows them to more accurately predict tire pressure fluctuation. Nitrogen fluctuates with temperature change, but it does so less than when water vapor is present. Read On... In addition, higher nitrogen levels eliminate the explosive properties of oxygen (oxygen loses its explosive properties at around 9% or less) Read On... NASCAR uses bottled nitrogen for portability. The bottles are delivered to the track by Praxair. Read On...
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Nitrous? Isn't that flammable? If so, I would not recommend that for inflating tires.
Ah, meant nitrogen, just didn't want to type the extra letters. Nitrous is also laughing gas, but what's a few oxygen molecules among friends.
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The moisture is bad for tires, not the 21% oxygen and a few trace gasses.
Compressed air from an air compressor contains moisture. A good shop air supply system will utilized an effective condensing system to remove most of it. A poor shop air supply system will have excessive moisture in the air supply which is damaging to air tools. I have seen moisture spray out of a air hose due to a poorly designed, neglected air supply system.
When the Nitrogen is introduced into the system, the moisture easily finds spaces to take up, seeking osmotic equilibrium until the moisture is equally distributed throughout the gas.
Using a vacuum pump to vaporize the moisture that is present in a empty car tire may damage the tire and is impractical. Remember that the soap and water solution that tire shops use to mount the tire does introduce moisture into the tire. An approved rubber lubricant containing no water should be used.
To do a good job of removing the moisture the tire is inflated with nitrogen then depressurized, the moisture is carried out with the departing Nitrogen. Then refill the tire.
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My understanding is that nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen and therefore are harder to escape. Primary reason NASCAR uses nitrogen for tires and the air wrenches is no fire hazard.
This is exactly correct; Nitrogen Molecules are larger. The irregular surface of the Wheel and Tire at the Bead, even though it looks smooth, is where air escapes most easily. These surfaces, viewed through an Electron Microscope, look like an Artillery Range.
Ever notice how rubber party balloons deflate after a day or so if filled with Helium or Air? The Molecules are escaping partially past the knot but most is lost through the balloons surface; rubber is actually porous. If you put Nitrogen in the balloon, it will remain inflated far longer.
Wont hurt your tires at all by-the-way.
Ray
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Many good points made, however his reasoning was to use bias ply tires. Once again, fine for a trailer queen, not wise for people who actually drive their vehicles.
If you've even driven a performance mustang with bias ply tires, you know it's akin to dragging a snail over a wet sheet of glass.
I, for one wish that Coker or another would offer a good radial tire with the large and small GoodYear white lettering.
-Keith