Nitrogen For Your Tires!

By: Steve Farber

A popular joke in the 1960s at full service gas stations was
"filler up with Ethel and change the air in my tires." Today
with the price of gasoline approaching $3.00 per gallon, why not
replace the air in your tires. Not with air but with nitrogen.
Filling your tires with nitrogen rather than air will improve
gas mileage, help maintain correct tire pressure, keep tires 25%
cooler, improve handling and performance and prolongs the life
of your tires. NASCAR drivers use nitrogen in their tires for
safety reasons, you can too.

Why should you stop putting air in your tires! Compressed air
you find at tire shops, gas stations and the compressor you use
at home have a high concentrations of water vapor. Compressing
air concentrates the water in it and unless really efficient air
dryers are used chances are there is water vapors in your tires.
Water vapor absorbs and holds heat. This wet air plus heat can
increase the pressure in your tires, causing highway blow outs,
and is one of the reason you should check your tire pressure
when they are cold.

This article is not about the nitrogen. It's really about
reducing oxygen and water vapor in your tires. The air in our
tires is composed of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen and about 1% water
vapor and other gases. When pure dry nitrogen is used to replace
the air in your tires it improves fuel efficiency, handling and
it will extend the life of steel rims or custom wheels and
tires. By reducing oxygen and water vapor in your tires from 22%
to less than 7%, your tires will maintain pressure three to four
times longer. Plus it will keep you safer on the highway.

How does oxygen and water damage my rims and tires? Oxygen,
especially at high temperatures and pressures, corrodes
aluminum, steel wheels and rubber. This process is called
oxidation. When oxidation occurs small particles of rust and
aluminum oxidization in your steel or aluminum wheels can clog
valve stems, causing them to leak. The oxidation can cause the
surfaces of your wheel flange and tire beads not to seal
properly causing another leak point.

Oxygen can also age the thin layer of rubber called the inner
liner or radial ply. As the inner liner ages, more and more air
migrates through the rubber, causing additional pressure losses.
As oxygen migrates through rubber it can come in contact with
steel belts and the steel bead causing them to rust.

While both nitrogen and oxygen can migrate through rubber,
nitrogen does it much slower. It might take six months to lose a
couple of pounds of nitrogen, compared to less than a month with
wet compressed air. Dry nitrogen does not cause rust and
corrosion on steel rims or aluminum custom wheels, and it does
not degrade rubber like wet compressed air.

Where can I get nitrogen for my tires? Nitrogen is becoming very
popular with long haul trucking. Some truck stops have nitrogen
available for these big rigs either free or by paying a small
fee. They use the same type pay stations that you see at gas
stations except they are marked "Nitrogen". These nitrogen
stations are then connected to large nitrogen cylinders near by.

You can also buy your own small inexpensive Nitrogen Tanks and
have them filled at welding supply stores in your area. Another
source for small nitrogen tanks is Paint Ball supply stores
either local or on the internet. eBay is a good source. These
small nitrogen tanks can be filled at welding supply stores and
then easily plumbed to fill your tires. Use caution when
handling these small nitrogen tanks as they can be filled to as
much as 3000 psi. Also make sure the nitrogen tank you purchase
has a regulator attached and it is set for about 50 psi.

Filling your own new tires with nitrogen is a simple process.
Jack up one tire until it just clears the ground, remove the
tire valve stem and allow the air in your tires to escape. Once
all the air escapes install a new valve stem. Then simply fill
your tires with nitrogen from your small nitrogen tank. Repeat
the process with the other 3 tires. Do not forget your spare!
Your tires should now have about 95% dry nitrogen and you have
significantly reduced all the hazards and oxidation problems
mentioned above.

If you own a tire store and would like to provide nitrogen for
your customers buy a Ingersoll Rand Nitrogen Tire Inflation
System.

About the author:
Steve Farber is an author and web site publisher on custom
wheels including What You Should Know Before You Buy Tires. Read
articles and reviews on the top 60 custom wheel manufacturers in
the market today at http://www.custom-whee
ls-n-rims.com and http://www.just-spinner-r
ims.com.