Finally found a toad I can tow four-down. It's used and I see that the tires have nitrogen.
What is the care and feeding of these things? What if the pressure goes low; do I have to find a facility to get more nitrogen? You don't add air, do you? Where do you find nitrogen?
You can top it up with air is you really need to. Or find a tire shop that can top it up adding more nitrogen. The only advantage of nitrogen is the molecules are bigger than oxygen molecules, so they stay within the tires without escaping. So your tires stay inflated properly longer. 95% nitrogen to 5% regular air is a good ratio, so you can add up to 5% "gas station" air to your tires with no problems diluting the nitrogen content.
If you were to inflate a balloon with helium (small molecules) it deflates within a day or so. Blowing it up with your lungs it may last several days. With nitrogen, it may stay inflated for several weeks. Same with tires.
By the way, nitrogen actually wasted gas from the process of converting the air around us into pure oxygen used for medical gas by a filter system simular to a reverse osmosis water filter.
Actually my belief is that using pure nitrogen in tires is not worth the effort and expense to find a shop that can provide it. Standard air already is approximately 78% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 2% other gases. It is readily available and generally free.
2002 Born Free 26' RSB Motorcoach
2005 Chevrolet Malibu LS Toad
There are right brain types wanting to spend their money with vendors of nitrogen.
By the way if they do not pull a complete vaccum on the tires (not possible in my view) it is less than pure nitrogen in the tires. It would be interesting to know what % of nitrogen actually leaves the shops in the tires. If the grass grows green around the tires then you know they are leaking I guess.
the slip that Costco gave me when I got new tires and they filled them with N2 said to top off with air and they would refill if I wanted them to.
fordsooperdootydieselsmoker , does that mean that I can figure out a way to pump up my tires with my medical oxygen concentrator?
bumpy
This topic has been discussed before. Try searching for `nitrogen' and you will see. Nitrogen in passenger tires has been debunked. It's used in race cars but unless you plan to drive 200 mph it doesn't do anything for you.
Dick_B
2003 SunnyBrook 27FKS
2003 3/4 T Chevrolet Suburban
Equal-i-zer Hitch
One wife, two bikes (both Electric Schwinn's with motor assist)
I believe the only real benefit of filling tires with nitrogen rather than air is that the nitrogen is "dry". That is, it contains no water vapor. The lack of moisture is what helps stabilize the tire pressures under use. I guess it will also help minimize corrosion on steel rims, as well, but so many cars today use alloy rims, this is probably a moot point.
As was stated, in a passenger tire, RV tire or any other over the road application, probably no appreciable benefit will be observed with helium. For race cars and aircraft...there are definite advantages.
My opinion here: The tire dealers are making a big deal about the advantages of nitrogen, and many of the arguments don't apply to consumer use or are a mis-statement of facts. Of course, the majority of the public doesn't care...they think they're getting something "special". I believe that many dealers will provide nitrogen "free of charge" now, but will soon start charging for the "privilege". Hey...we've convinced millions of people in this country that PAYING for BOTTLED WATER is better/healthier than the "free" water out of the tap. There are millions still stuck on the "3,000 mile oil change" idea. I predict that eventually a good part of the science-illiterate population will soon be paying to top off their tires with nitrogen. And while they are at the tire store having that done, they might as well get their oil changed at 3,000 miles too! Or vice versa.
OK...rant off.
~Rick
2005 Georgie Boy 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22 (Class A)
Rick, Gail, 2 girls (11 & 7), 2 boys (8 & 5), 1 plump Golden Retriever.
2001 Honda Odyssey with Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
The big selling point for N2 is that it's thermally stable, meaning it's pressure doesn't vary much with temperature, and it does fix the problems with onboard pressure monitoring systems when there is a big drop in temp. That's also a moot point if you check your tire pressure every now and then, but how many people do that nowadays?
Our system lets the air out, pumps it up with N2, lets it out, pumps it up three times to purge out regular air. It dilutes the stew out of it, but it's not pure, enough but not pure.
I get it for free from the shop I work in, but I wouldn't pay for it.
I don't get lost, I investigate alternative destinations.
See a guy in the campground with a telescope, that may be me.
2001 Dodge 2500 Cummins HO six speed.
2002 Springdale 286 RLDS TT
Nitrogen is no different than any other gas. The pressure of any gas, nitrogen included, in a sealed container (such as a tire), will have a proportional pressure increase for a given temperature increase. This assumes that the gas being tested is dry, that is has no water vapor content. And that is the real reason for the claim that nitrogen doesn't expand as much as air does with temperature increases. Nitrogen coming from a tank used to inflate tires is generally quite dry. Air however coming from a typical air compressor can have a very high water vapor content and it is that water vapor that causes additional increases in tire pressure as the tire heats up. If the air coming out of the air compressor was dry (no water vapor content) then the pressure in a tire filled with air and the pressure in a tire filled with nitrogen would both increase the same as the tire heated up.
Some of the more expensive air compressors are equipped with moisture traps mostly to prevent corrosion of the compressor tank but such a compressor will also inflate a tire with air that has a lower water vapor content. Dry inflation air would also help prevent rust on the inside of steel tire rims. Don't expect though that the compressor at your typical 7-Eleven store will be equipped with a moisture trap.
* This post was
edited 07/17/08 10:39pm by whemme *
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