When I got the receipt for the new Pirellis that got put on my RRS just before selling it to Lookers, included in the price was recycling fee, fitting, balancing, valves and Nitrogen inflation.........................

Can anybody enlighten me as to the reason/ advantage of using Nitrogen for tyre inflation? Seems a strange "extra" not to be charged for from the budget division (called Budget!) of budget tyre seller KwikFit - I even got 4 20" Assymetricos for the price of 3 in the deal! 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

there are no benefits really..the claims are that there is no moisture in nitrogen so it wont rust the wheels and nitrogen prevents leaks , both reasons arent enough reason to pay for it... ... - .- -.




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Lol, the wheels are alloys so rust shouldn't ever be a problem - oxidisation maybe, but I would expect that on the outside where the coating has got broken! 2018 Mini Countryman Cooper S E All4 PHEV in Melting Silver - it’s whisper quiet in EV and polluter modes

when i worked for kwik fit [briefly] we were asked to sell this and i totally refused because i didnt believe in it , it didnt have any benefits for the average driver and because of the cost... ... - .- -.




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Does nitogen filling of tyres also stop pressure fluctuatiions between cold and hot?
(even though I know it's not much)

I'm not sure - isn't this a scam from tyre depots to get more money from us ...

Although you state you didn't pay for it Tim - most places are charging for Nitrogen Tyre Inflation

I thought air was largely nitrogen anyway?

(Ref Wikipedia - 78.08% Nitrogen content in Air / Earth's atmosphere)

Fox wrote:

Does nitogen filling of tyres also stop pressure fluctuatiions between cold and hot?
(even though I know it's not much)

I've Googled it and here is what the AA website has to say

Quote:

Filling Tyres with Nitrogen

Beneficial in specialist applications

The air we breath (and the normal compressed air used to inflate tyres) contains 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and 1% other gases.

Purified nitrogen has been used to inflate tyres on aircraft and racing cars for many years, but now some tyre specialists are offering nitrogen inflation for ordinary car and van tyres.

The advantages of using nitrogen in specialist applications are clear

* Planes fly at heights where temperatures may be as low as -40C. Any moisture in the tyres can freeze causing vibration and balance problems when landing. Pure nitrogen is dry so eliminates this problem (as would using dried compressed air)
* In motor sport the smallest fraction of a second can make the difference between winning and losing. Filling with nitrogen can reduce tyre pressure variation caused by changes in tyre temperature.

For passenger car applications the main claims seem to be

* Reduced corrosion – because unlike air there's no moisture in pure nitrogen
* Slower rate of pressure loss – because nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules (which make up 21% of compressed air)

Leakage can occur through the tyre's inner liner but can also occur through the valve, punctures, or failure of the seal between tyre and wheel rim. Pure nitrogen might leak more slowly through the liner, but regular checks of tyre condition and pressures will still be essential.

Corrosion of the tyre through use of normal compressed air alone is most unlikely because only the outer tread band of a car tyre contains steel – the amount of moisture reaching it from the inside is minimal.

Changing to nitrogen involves removing all the air which is already in the tyres and then re-inflating them with purified compressed nitrogen. There will be a one-off charge per tyre but once filled with nitrogen any future top-ups would also have to be with nitrogen if any advantages are to be maintained.

Overall, while accepting the possibility of purified nitrogen being of benefit in certain applications, we don't think that the cost and possible inconvenience are justified for normal passenger car use.

Quote:

Nitrogen or Air
Question and answer image

There appears to be increasing numbers of people promoting Nitrogen as a tyre inflation media in preference to normal air.
The claimed advantages are:

* The molecules of Nitrogen are allegedly larger than oxygen thus providing a more stable inflation pressure.
* Nitrogen is more stable under temperature fluctuations hence maintaining a more consistent inflation pressure.
* Nitrogen has a lower moisture content and hence has less corrosive effect on the tyre and wheel.

Promoters use the more stable and consistent inflation pressure argument as providing better tyre mileage, better fuel consumption and better tyre casing durability.

All of this may be true, but to what degree?

The size of a Nitrogen molecule is very comparable with that of oxygen and as air is made up of about 80% nitrogen the effect on slow leakage will be very small.

The temperature fluctuation in tyres in everyday use is small and pressure increases or decreases have never presented a problem, providing the tyre is correctly inflated in the first instance.

Given that tyres have been designed around normal air inflation for approaching a century and Nitrogen even longer, then if there was any significant advantage, Nitrogen would be the common inflation media, which it is not.

With regard to the "less moisture" argument, tyre 'inner liners' have developed to a sophisticated level and are designed to take account of moisture in normal air. Therefore providing the tyre is not damaged air remains a safe practical inflation media. If however the tyre does become damaged and the steel reinforcement becomes exposed there is a risk of corrosion taking place. Nitrogen would have a marginal positive effect under these circumstances. However, given that nearly all damage to a tyre that could cause exposure of the steel wire, comes from external sources it is most likely that the atmosphere and not the inflation media would cause any corrosion of the steel.

There are positive arguments for the use of Nitrogen in specialist areas such as Formula 1 racing and applications where tyre temperatures are high (Aircraft) or where the risk of explosion is high (hazardous materials). In these circumstances Nitrogen offers advantages of better stability during rapid temperature changes.

In conclusion Nitrogen may offer some small advantages over air, but in everyday usage of tyres the effect would be extremely difficult to measure and any benefit marginal. Users would have the added complication, of having to return to their specialist tyre dealer to have tyre pressures adjusted, as the use of airlines at local garages would nullify any advantage that is offered by nitrogen.

Purely a profit centre for the depots...

hi i use helium... and on a good day if you look up you can see my car up there with the pigs. V8 facelift Range Rover Autobiography 22" wheels.
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Costco use N2 as standard. Will probably put our RR onton Michelin Diamaris next year as I have liked Michelin to date and they should give a better wear rate - 255/50/20/109Y x4 £937 on the 20% deal - not bad... '96 Volkswagen Polo 1.4CL - SOLD
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Quote:

hi i use helium... and on a good day if you look up you can see my car up there with the pigs.

THose must be some big tyres you have!

he doesnt put the helium in the tyres fox, he inhales and 'thinks' he's in the clouds... ... - .- -.




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