Using nitrogen vs air in tires - Page 3 - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum
Home News Models Alternatives
 
Smart Car of America - America's Largest Smart Fortwo Enthusiast Community   Smart Fortwo, smart car, smartcar
HOME FORUMS GALLERY

Go Back   Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum > Technical > smart Wheels & Tires


Notices

SmartCarofAmerica.com is the premier Smart Car Forum on the internet. Registered Users do not see the above ads.
» Auto Insurance
» Supporting Partner
» Recent Threads
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-16-2008, 06:37 PM   #21 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sacramento
Drive: Passion
Posts: 10
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I've heard that nitrogen does actually make a difference... I work at a shop that has the nitrogen machine... I filled my tires with it.... noticed no change in mpg and no difference in the ride... but I still put it in my tires because its free. I would suggest spending your money on fuzzy slippers or invest it in an oil company.

SmartGuy916 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2008, 08:32 PM   #22 (permalink)
 
marck's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Corona, CA USA
Drive: Passion
Posts: 174
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
OK, we know oxygen is bad for tires, so we pay to put N2 inside.

So what's on the outside?

Using N2 for tire inflation seems like a solution looking for a problem. I won't buy it.

My tires wear out..they don't fail due to attack by O2!
marck is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2008, 08:58 PM   #23 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Very deep man cave
Drive: Passion
Posts: 793
Thanks: 0
Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts
The unwashed masses are easily impressed. They also don't frequently check their tire pressures. If they did, Explorers would only flip because of driver stupidity, not the total inability of same driver to control his vehicle following a blowout. I've had blowouts, it's not that hard to stop a vehicle if you have some idea how to do it. Anybody who can sign their name (and some who can't) can get an operators license in the USA. That's the crime.
xcrew229x is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-16-2008, 10:33 PM   #24 (permalink)
SCOA Club
 
lowndex's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Northern CA
Drive: Passion
Posts: 278
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Ask and yee shall receive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelJ View Post
I'd feel a LOT more convinced if you would come up with a source that wasn't selling nitrogen inflation systems.
1.) http://www.straightdope.com/columns/070216.html
NHTSA says less than 60 percent of U.S. motorists actually do.

Which is why it is recommended and SAFER!

2.) http://ezinearticles.com/?Selling-Ni...-Air?&id=38142
Remove The Oxygen And Stop The Rot
Nitrogen In Tires

3. )http://blogs.chron.com/carsandtrucks/2008/02/nitrogen_for_tires_an_inflated_1.html
Nitrogen is a superior material for tire inflation because it diffuses through tire rubber about 40 percent more slowly than air, helping the tire maintain proper pressure longer. When driving on properly inflated tires, drivers can see significant performance, safety and cost benefits.

Nitrogen tire inflation can significantly improve fuel efficiency over air inflation - even in fleets with tire pressure maintenance programs.
Nitrogen helps reduce the aging process inside the tire that's caused by oxidation with oxygen in air filled tires.

With nitrogen inflation, consumers don't need to top-off their tires as frequently, saving time and giving peace of mind that their tires are properly inflated. Plus, in cases where a tire runs flat, a spare-tire inflated with nitrogen will better retain its pressure for emergency situations.

Bootom line: Fill up at Costco for free or pay $5.00 at Big O Tires, Les Schwabb, Goodyear, ,...., etc. It's safer, reduces tread wear and may save gas.
lowndex is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-2008, 12:44 PM   #25 (permalink)
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sacramento
Drive: Passion
Posts: 10
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by lowndex View Post
1.) The Straight Dope: Is it better to fill your tires with nitrogen instead of air?
NHTSA says less than 60 percent of U.S. motorists actually do.

Which is why it is recommended and SAFER!

2.) Possible Error Detected
Remove The Oxygen And Stop The Rot
Nitrogen In Tires

3. )http://blogs.chron.com/carsandtrucks/2008/02/nitrogen_for_tires_an_inflated_1.html
Nitrogen is a superior material for tire inflation because it diffuses through tire rubber about 40 percent more slowly than air, helping the tire maintain proper pressure longer. When driving on properly inflated tires, drivers can see significant performance, safety and cost benefits.

Nitrogen tire inflation can significantly improve fuel efficiency over air inflation - even in fleets with tire pressure maintenance programs.
Nitrogen helps reduce the aging process inside the tire that's caused by oxidation with oxygen in air filled tires.

With nitrogen inflation, consumers don't need to top-off their tires as frequently, saving time and giving peace of mind that their tires are properly inflated. Plus, in cases where a tire runs flat, a spare-tire inflated with nitrogen will better retain its pressure for emergency situations.

Bootom line: Fill up at Costco for free or pay $5.00 at Big O Tires, Les Schwabb, Goodyear, ,...., etc. It's safer, reduces tread wear and may save gas.
Anyone can put some random crap on a blog site or forum site..... I guess we should trust all content on Wikipedia too... I trust in what I have seen... which is nitrogen is a waste of time. The 3 Stooges once invented a pen that could write under whipped cream...
SmartGuy916 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-17-2008, 05:22 PM   #26 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Gainesville, Fl
Drive: Passion
Posts: 38
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I was told that the tire will not heat up as much with the nitrogen. (?) They use it in race cars so that makes sense to reduce heat build up.
Hauser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2008, 12:46 AM   #27 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Drive: Passion
Posts: 186
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Heat is a whole different problem when your car is doing 200 MPH. The tires are rated Temperature A which means they resist heat build-up just fine with ordinary oxygen.

Anyone who wants to be sold will convince themselves that there are "valuable" benefits to nitrogen. However, the fact of the matter is that modern tires do not rot on cars that get used even moderately. Nor will your tires overheat riding in the Vegas desert in August. Nor will your properly-inflated tires filled with oxygen get any less MPG than your properly-inflated tires filled with nitrogen.

If someone needs to pay $20 so they don't have to check their tires as often**fine. I'd rather save the $20 and put it toward an alignment when needed. Mis-aligned tires will do far more damage more quickly to tires than slightly under-inflated tires.
timhood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2008, 06:25 PM   #28 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: usa
Drive: Passion
Posts: 29
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
If you come into the pit and crew uses Nomex to remove the tires then you will appreciate the difference. The expansion ratios are different and you can predict pressures much more accurately on the track based on speed, turns and braking. You would like lap 1 and lap 20 pressures to be the same and nitrogen helps. We are all on the edge. My edge is pretty pathetic compared to professionals but it is my edge just the same.

Around town the larger molecule is easier to keep inside the tire. That is about it.

O2 degradation is no a big factor for me.

If you check pressures every other day or so, it is not an issue.

Google this topic and you will be besieged by the half-correct barked at full crescendo. Caveat emptor applies always.

We have not been so blessed as to have taken delivery. That said, I am not sure that a smart can even heat up its tires. It remains to be seen. Maybe late this summer. But we are with you in spirit.
Kysmart is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2008, 07:31 PM   #29 (permalink)
 
bobnyuma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Brunswick, Georgia USA
Drive: Passion
Posts: 250
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Nitrogen has some benifits, but not worth the effort for regular auto use. It is used in race tires but mostly in air planes. It dissipates heat better but mostly it does not expand or contract like air so the tire on the air plane stay mostly the same pressure at altitude as on land. Keeps from getting flats at 35000 ft. It is mostly a marketing thing so, dont waste your money.
bobnyuma is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-22-2008, 08:10 PM   #30 (permalink)
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: usa
Drive: Passion
Posts: 29
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Hmm, the plane at altitude makes such sense but I never gave it any thought. They would drop to low, low temps and then resist heating on descent because they are in the wells. Anything at 35k probably has wells. That could be a real problem. Frankly, that dwarfs the race car issue IMHO.

Is nitrogen less prone to water problems as well? Is it inherently dry? In has no molecules of H or O.
Kysmart is offline   Reply With Quote
Today
 


This ad will not be shown if you are logged in.

Sponsored Links
Advertisement
 
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Directional Tires? SloPok smart Wheels & Tires 5 03-26-2008 09:49 AM
Your POV: Best tires for 451 Smarts SmartAzz smart Wheels & Tires 12 03-22-2008 06:40 PM
Snow Tires canon1753 smart Wheels & Tires 3 02-19-2008 06:54 PM
Snow tires, spare tires, and bears, oh my Djinn smart Wheels & Tires 1 02-02-2008 08:48 AM
Sat in one and kicked the tires North Bay 101 smart News & Rumors 3 06-23-2007 10:32 PM

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.2

All times are GMT -7. The time now is 07:20 PM.



Smart Cars of America, LLC is not affiliated with, authorized by, associated with or have any connection with G&K, Zap, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz AMG, Mercedes-Benz McLaren Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, smart Canada Division, DaimlerChrysler, Chrysler LLC, DaimlerChrysler AG, Maybach, smart gmbh, a division of Mercedes Benz LLC, the manufacturer of SMART automobiles, smart USA Distributor, LLC, a division of Penske Automotive Group, Inc, the exclusive authorized U.S. importer and distributor of the smart vehicle or any of their official dealerships


Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2012, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Friendly URLs by vBSEO 3.3.2
Garage Plus vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.
Ad Management by RedTyger