nitrogen

[Myron Piatek]

Isn't one of the advantages of nitrogen that the molecules are bigger and less prone to "seep" out through porous rubber? - Slicks as well as street tires.

If it does keep tires cooler, it sounds like a good idea for trailer tires!

[Kenny Wigington]

QOUTE-If it does keep tires cooler, it sounds like a good idea for trailer tires! QUOTE

That doesnt sound like a bad idea.

[SSDiv6]

Hydrogen is not hygroscopic...does not contain absorb water as air and pressure will remain more consistent.
However, Nitrogen also runs cooler. It will not expand or increase its pressure as air does in a racing slick; therefore, a drag slick will not grow with Nitrogen.
This is one of the many reasons why NASCAR, airplanes and military vehicles run Nitrogen in their tires. With NASCAR race cars, the tires growth is consistent and does not change the the suspension settings.

[Mike Taylor 3601]

If you used helium, would'nt you have to add weight back to car,LOL,put in front tires would help with wheelstands. LOL LOL If took wheel/tire off would have to put on rope to keep from floating off.LOL
Mike Taylor 3601

[John Dinkel]

Nitrogen has to be a way that tire dealers sell the public 20% more of what what they get 80% of for free.

Just my opinion.

[mopar jeff]

Originally Posted by Bob Pagano

Simple, nitrogen makes your tires run cooler. You will have too heat them longer to hold the heat this will = faster tire ware costing you more than the worth of buying nitrogen.

This is the kind of answer I was looking for. So far nobody has said anything good about it, to justify it, so I think I will skip it. Thanks for all the responses, and even the funny ones.

[Myron Piatek]

Now that I think about it, I couldn't help but wonder...... "How" does it make the tire run cooler? The same amount of burnout heat will not cause the nitrogen to expand as much as regular air. So one may need to start out with more nitrogen pressure in the slicks to provide the optimum established contact patch after the burnout.

The only way I can think of nitrogen helping a tire appear to run cooler is that if it does not absorb heat as much as regular air, so pressure doesn't go up. But the actual rubber temperature would still seem to remain the same.

After doing some research on the net, it seems nitrogen may be better in certain applications, but for different reasons. Might not be worth the trouble as long as you check your tire pressures anyway. Even if nitrogen doesn't seep as much as air, keeps pressures more consistent and may be less corrosive due to a lack of humidity and oxygen, one still needs to check tires for air seepage/loss due to punctures!

[njk53]

Originally Posted by Bob Pagano

Simple, nitrogen makes your tires run cooler. You will have too heat them longer to hold the heat this will = faster tire ware costing you more than the worth of buying nitrogen.

nitrogen has smaller molecules and will find small holes to seep out of. Helium is even worse. If tou have the tiniest of leaks you better take an air tank to the staging lanes with you.

[SSDiv6]

Originally Posted by njk53

nitrogen has smaller molecules and will find small holes to seep out of. Helium is even worse. If tou have the tiniest of leaks you better take an air tank to the staging lanes with you.

Nitrogen does not have smaller molecules and it does not have anything to do with it. It is the chemical composition that is different. Nitrogen does not make tires run cooler. Nitrogen is an inert gas and non-reactive; it is a byproduct of a reaction.

Nitrogen inerting is used in aircraft to reduce the probability of residual fuel gases igniting in empty fuel tanks.

[rayfin]

"If you used helium, would'nt you have to add weight back to car,LOL" I always wondered about this......

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/eng99/eng99085.htm

name Don
age 40s

Question - I am a Weight Reduction Engineer at Lockheed
Aircraft. One of my fellow worker suggested using helium in the tires as
a 3 lb savings. After I finished laughing I realized he was serious. I
have included his original E-mail to me. Questions Will the helium stay
in the tires and how much weight do you see this saving.

Don,

I was teasing you a little when I suggested using Helium in the tires.

A little closer but still dirty look seems to indicate that over three
pounds is possible per ship set. Dirty because I do not have all the
numbers exactly and made some guesses...