Nitrogen

JohnByers · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 7:54 pm

Okay, so the RX8 came with nitrogen in the tires. I A$$ume this because of the green valve stem caps. My question, if I need to add to it, can I say to heck with it... Add air and then start treating it as a normal tire with air? Can I mix air and nitrogen?

Edumicate me plz

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Code:

Gas    Volume
Nitrogen (N2)    780,840 ppmv (78.084%)
Oxygen (O2)    209,460 ppmv (20.946%)
Argon (Ar)    9,340 ppmv (0.9340%)
Carbon dioxide (CO2)    390 ppmv (0.039%)
Neon (Ne)    18.18 ppmv (0.001818%)
Helium (He)    5.24 ppmv (0.000524%)
Methane (CH4)    1.79 ppmv (0.000179%)
Krypton (Kr)    1.14 ppmv (0.000114%)
Hydrogen (H2)    0.55 ppmv (0.000055%)
Nitrous oxide (N2O)    0.3 ppmv (0.00003%)
Carbon monoxide (CO)    0.1 ppmv (0.00001%)
Xenon (Xe)    0.09 ppmv (9×10−6%) (0.000009%)
Ozone (O3)    0.0 to 0.07 ppmv (0 to 7×10−6%)
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)    0.02 ppmv (2×10−6%) (0.000002%)
Iodine (I2)    0.01 ppmv (1×10−6%) (0.000001%)

BretLuter · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:38 pm

Nitrogen in tires is the biggest $$$$ scam to come around in the tire biz in quite a while.

Air is mostly nitrogen, so just add air and you're fine.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/ho ... ns/4302788

If you're talking about a dedicated race car and you're trying to minimize the variables, then nitrogen *might* be worthwhile, otherwise use air.

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:49 pm

BretLuter wrote:

Air is mostly nitrogen, so just add air and you're fine.

Capital ford started to give me the nitrogen sales pitch when I purchased my latest mustang. They stopped once I told them I'd be using the 75% nitrogen mix that was provided free by my air compressor at home.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 8:53 pm

Exactly what I thought. Wanted to make sure there wasn't some reason smarter than me to not do as I normally do...

Thanks gents

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Actually, propane has a significantly lower delta P/delta T ratio than any other gas, since it is a pure hydrocarbon. It's what I run in all of my cars. I will be refilling the chump car tires with propane as soon as my skin graft finishes healing.

RichardNuss · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 7:21 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Actually, propane has a significantly lower delta P/delta T ratio than any other gas, since it is a pure hydrocarbon. It's what I run in all of my cars. I will be refilling the chump car tires with propane as soon as my skin graft finishes healing.

Yeah, propane always works well for me in a situation where I'm otherwise having trouble getting enough heat in the tires. :idea2:

KendtEklund · **Joined:** Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:29 pm **Posts:** 1204

RichardNuss wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Actually, propane has a significantly lower delta P/delta T ratio than any other gas, since it is a pure hydrocarbon. It's what I run in all of my cars. I will be refilling the chump car tires with propane as soon as my skin graft finishes healing.

Yeah, propane always works well for me in a situation where I'm otherwise having trouble getting enough heat in the tires. :idea2:

Hank Hill approves...

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:08 am

Frequently you hear people say that pure Nitrogen is better than air since it is a 'dry' gas which keeps the pressure changes with temp more consistent from corner to corner and doesn't degrade the inside of the tire rubber like moist air can. Well, there are things call driers you can put inline with your air compressor

so it's a weak argument

. Plus humid air would takes a LOT longer to kill the rubber of a tire than tires tend to last on most, if not all, passenger cars

.

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:13 am

How did we manage to go 100+ years of using regular old compressed air in our tires without dying?

It should say something when it is the hard parkers that brag about filling their tires with nitrogen.

But let's get a professional opinion...Jeb...What do you have to say on the matter?

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:37 am

I always figured it was a scam to get people to keep coming back to tire shops so they would sell you on more products and services. There may be a theoretical difference, but I'm guessing in the real world it doesn't much matter. If the general public could just keep their tires properly inflated let alone with nitrogen, think of how much longer they would last.

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:39 am

What I want to know is how the regular "air" is being evacuated from the tire getting filled with nitrogen?

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:40 am

Vincent Keene wrote:

What I want to know is how the regular "air" is being evacuated from the tire getting filled with nitrogen?

Because everyone on the road has dual valve stem wheels, duh! :mrgreen:

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 11:48 am

I've seen race teams with tires with two stems one for filling one for evacuation, I still think it's bullshit. Long life for a race tire is about thirty laps. As for pressure regulation if you keep track of the car and the tires you know what cold and hot pressure are and can adjust. As far as street use why would you care??? have your tires dry rotted off your car? If so you may need nitrogen, if not forget it.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2011 12:18 pm

My 949 wheels have two stems so that bad ol' air can be evacuated

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