not sure if i'm in the right section? if not please move this thread mods
anyway, been browsing internet and stumbled across the old idea of nitrogen filled tyres. basically you leak less than air as nitrogen molecules are bigger than air ones and it is lighter too, albeit only very slightly but maybe worth it for some down and out TT'ers
any one on here tried it? tempted to try it even though i have no problem with using air so i'm not trying to fix a problem but trying to find something new to play with
Cheers Ed
My car tyres get filled with nitrogen each time I get new ones.
I'd quite like my bicycle tyres to be filled with Helium though.
The AA says;
Nitrogen in car tyres
For passenger car tyres the main claims seem to be:
- Less corrosion – because unlike air there's no moisture in pure nitrogen
- Slower rate of pressure loss – nitrogen molecules are larger than oxygen molecules (which make up 21% of compressed air)
Air loss can occur through the inner liner of the tyre as well through the valve, punctures, or failure of the seal between tyre and wheel rim. Pure nitrogen might leak more slowly through the liner, but you would still have to check tyre condition and pressure regularly.
Corrosion of the tyre from using normal compressed air is unlikely anyway because only the outer tread band of a car tyre contains steel – the amount of moisture reaching it from the inside is minimal.
To change to nitrogen you have to have the air already in the tyres removed before the tyres are re-inflated with purified compressed nitrogen. There will be a one-off charge per tyre but once filled with nitrogen, future top-ups would 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.
(4 November 2013)
PS; ATS don't charge me any extra for inflating my new tyres with nitrogen.