Nitrogen and Run Flat Tires

[Bioscache2]

Maybe it is just a fad or even a rip off but all of the local 'GM' dealers have the equipment and are pushing the use. I haven't read anything so far that advises against it, not even from GM. Their only reference says it is/ may be of no benefit when using tire sensors. I think this comes down to personal preferance and the type of driving that you do. Personally I drive all my vehicles (except one) very hard and go through tires like socks. Anything that might extend the life of my tires, improve handling and control moisture content is worth giving a try.

All the best and thanks for everyone's input.

Black Moon the harder you drive your car, the less you need nitrogen. Nitrogen prevents oxidation from the inside out, but that takes years and years to occur. So the nitrogen you use does not extend the life of your tires at all. I recently got into a good discussion of this with a bunch of fellow engineers and if you want, would be happy to discuss it with you here. On the other hand, if your a bottom line type of guy the nitrogen is not worth it unless its absolutely free (I wouldn't even pay a dollar more for it) or unless you retread your tires or you plan on storing the car and tires for years on end. Also Dry air has all the benefits that you could ever really use from nitrogen, unless you plan on retreading your tires.

[Mike Mercury]

Hmm, I wonder if I should replace my ignition wires with the "low oxygen" content copper wire like they sell in the high end stereo stores for 30 bucks a foot.

why would you do that? Ignition wires carry D.C.

The failure of a stranded wire (where the surface of each individual strand starts to corrode - thus insulating one strand from the other - causing capacitive reactance - which will start to attenuate audio signals) only affects A.C. ... not D.C.

Low-oxygen stranded-cable impedes the start of the corrosion process - thus prevents (or seriously delays) the onset of capacitve reactance. The Military has been doing this for years now. They flood the wire with an inert gas just before the insulation is added.

Why do you think the move to fiber optic is so strong? It completely eliminates the capacitive reactance problem due to corrosion of the individual strands.

[warren s]

why would you do that? Ignition wires carry D.C.

The failure of a stranded wire (where the surface of each individual strand starts to corrode - thus insulating one strand from the other - causing capacitive reactance - which will start to attenuate audio signals) only affects A.C. ... not D.C.

Low-oxygen stranded-cable impedes the start of the corrosion process - thus prevents (or seriously delays) the onset of capacitve reactance. The Military has been doing this for years now. They flood the wire with an inert gas just before the insulation is added.

Why do you think the move to fiber optic is so strong? It completely eliminates the capacitive reactance problem due to corrosion of the individual strands.

It was a joke dude.

[Mike Mercury]

It was a joke dude.

O.K. Sometimes I'm slow to see that.

[BacaBill]

I've been in automotive repair/tire business for about 20 years mostly dealing with Goodyears. The only reason I've ever heard about running nitrogen in tires was because it doesn't heat up after driving like air does. IOW, tire pressure remains constant no matter how far you drive. Am I missing something here?

[BLACK MOON]

I've been in automotive repair/tire business for about 20 years mostly dealing with Goodyears. The only reason I've ever heard about running nitrogen in tires was because it doesn't heat up after driving like air does. IOW, tire pressure remains constant no matter how far you drive. Am I missing something here?

Not sure what you're looking for but the benefit you just mentioned would relate to mileage, wear and handling improvements by keeping the temperature and pressure consistant. I believe that's 'their' biggest marketing point.

[Bioscache2]

Temp and pressure will stay just as constant with dry air versus nitrogen

[fdxpilot]

Temp and pressure will stay just as constant with dry air versus nitrogen

I've gotta agree. Unless your nitrogen has somehow broken the laws of chemistry, thermodynamics, and physics, it will increase and decrease pressure with temperature. It might do so less than water vapor, present in compressed air, but it will change. And for those who say it is used in aviation because it doesn't change pressure, that's bull. Every pressurized container on my jet, Oxygen, Halon, Nitrogen, and Air, is listed at a nominal pressure at 70deg F and a correction for changing temps. N2 might delay oxidation on the inside of your tires, but if you keep tires long enough to make a difference, you aren't driving your vette nearly enough.