Filling Nitrogen in Tyres

[vinayan]

Michelin recommends nitrogen on tyre on their Facebook page.

http://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi...t_fth=50c8e96abce41fd7&_ft_time_ft=1328017053

 

[premc44]

I have been using Nitrogen for over two years now. I started using it, when I changed all four tyres in my Honda City. The tyres have done over 15000 Kms without a single puncture and the tread wear is definitely minimal. I can't say the drive is more comfortable and equally so, it doesn't make the ride bumpy either as some of you have experienced. Two things I can say from my experience

1. The pressure loss is minimal and you need not check tyre pressure as often as you do with air filled tyres. i used to check once a month, there was a loss of about 2 psi.
2. The tyres don't get heated up even in highway running and that may increase the tyre life. tread wear is also less.

The first thing I did in my new Vento was to fill the tyres with Nitrogen. I don't think I will regret that.

 

[autosafari]

Filling Nitrogen in our Manza tyres for last 11 months.

It helped in long highway drives in Summer.

In Mumbai-Pune Expressway, there will be several tyre bursts in a day in summer months. This happens because of overheating of tyres due to high speed running in concrete surface. Nitrogen can be of use in those situations.

The arguement that 76% nitrogen content in air does'nt hold much logic because science students should also know that purity makes a big difference in properties and the changes are exponential.

 

[anisghos]

I had also filled Nitrogen in my Manza tyres this time before the trip and it did work wonderfully well. I ran 5000 + kms in 7 days and i did not even need to check the air pressure even once. We drove 5hrs - 6 hrs at a stretch non stop but everything was cool and the ride was super smooth.

Petrol pumps in general do not have this facility. I got this done from a outlet which specializes in alignment and wheel balancing and nitrogen in Kolkata. Cost me Rs 30 per tyre. It did keep the tyres healthy. They told me that in normal driving conditions once you fill Nitrogen it would be good for the next 2-3 months..

 

[tasuray]

@Anis - Where is this outlet in Kolkata ? Is it in North? If so I will try my luck there.
regards.

 

[Markiv]

Even I filed nitrogen in my car's tubeless tyres and am trying to convince myself of feeling any major difference in the ride. Atleast , as some of the members said, I don't feel much difference in the city drive. Many were also pointing out to the purity of nitrogen available at these bunks. Since , I am in the industrial gases business, I can say that producing nitrogen is a big industrial procedure and not from a small box like compressor. So what we get in these pumps is just a scam. In our business, We supply 99.9% nitrogen in gas cylinders to industries and am wondering if anyone can educate me on the way to transfer this pure nitrogen to the tyres. The cylinders are of 7m3 capacity with 140-150kg/cm2 pressure on the gauge.

 

[amiti]

Nitrogen in F1 is filled using pure nitrogen from nitrogen gas cylinders. In our case, nitrogen is extracted from air. So IMHO purity matters. For me too in Indian scenario nitrogen sounds like a scam to me.

 

[rahul4640]

I had also filled Nitrogen in my Manza tyres this time before the trip and it did work wonderfully well. I ran 5000 + kms in 7 days and i did not even need to check the air pressure even once. I got this done from a outlet which specializes in alignment and wheel balancing and nitrogen in Kolkata. Cost me Rs 30 per tyre.

Where is this outlet in Kolkata ? Is it in North? If so I will try my luck there.

I shall also like to know if there is any nitrogen filling outlet in north Calcutta. A couple of such places which I know in Calcutta is either in central Calcutta or in the south.

 

[Prads]

I am in the industrial gases business, I can say that producing nitrogen is a big industrial procedure and not from a small box like compressor. So what we get in these pumps is just a scam. In our business, We supply 99.9% nitrogen in gas cylinders to industries and am wondering if anyone can educate me on the way to transfer this pure nitrogen to the tyres. The cylinders are of 7m3 capacity with 140-150kg/cm2 pressure on the gauge.

Guys I had a detailed discussion with one of my friend who works in TATA motors. Altough he is not a Automobile engineer he has gained a large knowledge base in this part. What he conculded that filling Nitrogen air in our personals cars shall make no much difference. The reasons discussed were -
1. There are no such stations which gives you 100 % pure Notrogen. Moreover since the atmosphere has 78% of Notrogen the one you get at stations has almost 82 % of Nitrogen & remaining normal air.
2. in order to test the Nitrogen effect in your personal car you need to run the car to such an extent that the car tyres tempartures are incresed in such a manner that you get 8 + PSI points tyres air pressure which is no way possible in normal cars. to check this he has asked to do simple excersie. Take 2 car of same make & load the tyres with 30 PSI in all tyres one with Nitrogen & the other one with normal air. Let the 2 cars travel on highways with the same speed , load etc for say 3-4 hours & then check the tyre pressure in both the car. The max difference you can find would be on 1/2 PSI which ideally do not justify the Nitrogen filling reason.
These air are suited only in flights / heavy trucks whose friction is too more than our normal cars. There are people whoi says that there ride are too smoth after putting Nitrogen air is just becasue they have spend Rs 100 instead of Rs 20 for air :).
Conclusion is to get filled with normal air from reputed shop every month :) Please Note that even in countries like Dubai where in the day temprature is too hot the cars tyres run on normal air & not on Nitrogen air.
Its your money. Think wise before spending :)

I strongly agree with the above quoted comments, some weeks ago a discussion was held in our circle about this & i have used these nitrogen for tires also you wont have any noticeable difference (under heavy driving) as claimed ,the only thing is the pressure loss from the tire will be reduced by some 5 odd % that is it(if percentage of nitrogen is higher than regular air),your regular tires do not go through enough abuse for rapid air expansion from the remaining percentage of air,as for F1 car tires if you keep your bare hands on a racing temp tire your skin would peel off after a few sec,but they need the stable tire pressure as its a matter of millisec on the time sheets,only some road going high end sports car have been using nitrogen in there tires,as for other claims from car owners its imagination just like how a loud air filter or exhaust gives that I am Flash(DC comics) feeling.The only thing one should do is make sure the accuracy of the air pressure gauges at the pumps/tire shops where they fill up,as i have seen huge variations in there accuracy,save your nitrogen filling money & get yourself a good tire pressure gauge to keep yourself happy.The only lot i have seen strongly going for these Nitrogen fills are the superbike owners as they want to assure themselves(the tires do go through alot of abuse),as tire temperatures may vary after crossing the 200km/hr & under heavy braking/acceleration as they have soft rubber.

@ Markiv
I think "Good Year" had a box size of huge suitcase for there F1 teams in the 1990's but i am not sure of this & the percentage they produced & am sure its an expensive affair seeing F1 budgets(Toyota use to blow 600 mil $ a year in 2001 ),just check with it anyways not sure about this,mite help in your business

 

[tasuray]

I shall also like to know if there is any nitrogen filling outlet in north Calcutta. A couple of such places which I know in Calcutta is either in central Calcutta or in the south.

Bro, there is a tyre shop at Golaghata named M.D. Tradelink Pvt. Ltd., they provide nitrogen filling @ Rs.30/= per tyre. If you come from Ultadanga side of VIP Road, take the first cut to the service road then towards lake town crossing (right turn), you will get the shop on the left. They are also offering good discount on Michelin right now. I am also thinking to visit them for this on Saturday. If you don't mind, where are you from in North Kolkata.

 

[rahul4640]

Bro, there is a tyre shop at Golaghata named M.D. Tradelink Pvt. Ltd., they provide nitrogen filling @ Rs.30/= per tyre. I am also thinking to visit them for this on Saturday. If you don't mind, where are you from in North Kolkata.

Thanks mate. I know this place, as I visited them for some wheel alignment related job just few days ago. I am from Cossipore, in north Calcutta.

 

[digiboy007]

Q: Is there any advantage to using nitrogen instead of compressed air in tires? Will I notice improved fuel economy or a smoother ride? Will my tires last longer?

A: Sort of. From the top: Air is 78 percent nitrogen, just under 21 percent oxygen, and the rest is water vapor, CO2 and small concentrations of noble gases such as neon and argon. We can ignore the other gases.

There are several compelling reasons to use pure nitrogen in tires.

First is that nitrogen is less likely to migrate through tire rubber than is oxygen, which means that your tire pressures will remain more stable over the long term. Racers figured out pretty quickly that tires filled with nitrogen rather than air also exhibit less pressure change with temperature swings. That means more consistent inflation pressures during a race as the tires heat up. And when you're tweaking a race car's handling with half-psi changes, that's important.

Passenger cars can also benefit from the more stable pressures. But there's more: Humidity (water) is a Bad Thing to have inside a tire. Water, present as a vapor or even as a liquid in a tire, causes more of a pressure change with temperature swings than dry air does. It also promotes corrosion of the steel or aluminum rim.

If I ever need to top off a tire when I'm out on the road, I'll always briefly depress the tire chuck's valve with my thumbnail and vent some air. If my thumb gets wet, there's water in the line. Some gas stations don't do a very good job of keeping the humidity out of their air system. I don't even like to use a water-based tire-mounting lubricant unless I can let the tire bake in the sun for a couple of hours before I air it up and seat the bead. I've dismounted tires (not mine) that had several quarts of water inside—probably from a compressed-air hose that collected water and was never purged properly.

How is water relevant to a nitrogen discussion? Any system that delivers pure nitrogen is also going to deliver dry nitrogen. Filling tires with nitrogen involves filling and purging several times in succession, serially diluting the concentration of oxygen in the tire. This will also remove any water.

It's certainly simple, although time-consuming, for a tire technician to fill and bleed tires. But most shops use a machine that not only generates almost pure nitrogen by straining the oxygen out of shop-compressed air, but will also automatically go through several purge cycles unattended. Some shops have been charging as much as $30 per tire for this service. I think that's too much. If you're buying a new tire, it should be far less. Still, the nitrogen generator, filling system and technician's time aren't free—the dealer is entitled to some return for that.

So, to answer your specific questions: With nitrogen, your tire pressures will remain more constant, saving you a small amount in fuel and tire-maintenance costs. There will be less moisture inside your tires, meaning less corrosion on your wheels. You will not be able to feel any difference in the ride or handling or braking, unless your tire pressures were seriously out of spec and changing to nitrogen brought them back to the proper numbers

Nitrogen vs Air In Tires - Why Nitrogen in Tires - Popular Mechanics

 

[tasuray]

Thanks mate. I know this place, as I visited them for some wheel alignment related job just few days ago. I am from Cossipore, in north Calcutta.

Hi Rahul,
I am from Paikpara, very adjacent to you. We have another similarity. I am also a Railwayman.
regards.

 

[SnazzySaurabh]

How to Check Tyre pressure if Nitrogen is filled?

How to Check Tyre pressure if Nitrogen is filled?

 

[macsvin]

The pressure can be checked only on stations where Nitrogen air is been filled.