stilover

Was at kwik-fit on Monday getting a punchure repaired when I noticed they are offering Nitrogen Tyre inflation.

Just done a quick search on the internet, and the benefits seem to be that Nitrogen filled tyres don't lose pressure like a normally filled Tyre would will normal air.

Has anyone had it done? And if so, what are your thoughts?

boxst

I thought that was just for specific cars/tyres (such as the GT-R)?

Dr.No

I can imagine there be slight advantages of using 100% nitrogen - but I think I'll stick with the 78% nitrogen for free.

steve ex vauxhall

iTrader: (5)

Cant comment on using it on cars, and dont really see the benefits but i have a loading shovel at work that has nitrogen filled tyres, and based on the experience with that, it's a right royal pain in the ****!
We have to get a specialist out every time there's a problem, my company have accounts with both ATS and Nation Tyres, and neither will touch them!
The valve's are different, and you need different equipment to work on them, and i was told by the last guy we had out that you also need a different licence to work on them.
As i say that's just what i'm told, and based on our problems i would steer clear.
unless someone else says any different

what would scooby do

It works in F1 but pointless in your road going sh1tboxes..

DantheMan2605

Where have you been the last few years?

When i had some tyres done by S@*t - fit (company van) nearly 3 years ago they did it to that and i felt the difference.

Ever since then ive run OFN - Oxygen Free Nitrogen in as many vehicles as i can for friends, family etc... (im a refrigeration engineer so doesnt cost me a penny) I actually evacuate all air from the tyres before charging with nitro as when tyres are fitted and charged with it theres still an air mix in it.

Yes the pressure statement is true. Expansion of the nitro molecules DOES happen but not as much of a drastic rate as plain air. For example my scoobs tyres have had N2 in since i bought it in may with 30 degrees of heat at 40 psi i checked them yesterday and their at 40 psi however if they were to have had air in them they would have possibly dropped around 8-9 or more psi with temperature change.

I havent noticed much difference in the scoob handling wise. But with the van (transit) and plain boring family cars i find i dont understeer as much. Have no idea why im not a geometry/racing expert

Hope this helps.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

A gas is a gas is a gas when it comes to its relationship between pressure, temperature and volume. Air has a tiny % of water vapour which can give a small variation to a tyres pressure change WRT temp change but as above F1 don't use air to eliminate a minor variable (humidity of the day when tyres are filled) so you always have the same baseline to start suspension setup. Makes a difference on the road? My ****!

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

However KwikFit do have a point - air will leak out of tyres since 0.000055% of air is made of Hydrogen, also 0.000524% Helium. These are of course very small molecules that can potentially pass through a poor valve / tyre seal

Also Nitrogen is lighter than Oxygen, so your wheels will become lighter if using 100% N2, it is incredibly fractional but that turn in will be sharper

Galifrey

iTrader: (3)

Except you don't blow up your tyres with oxygen, you use air, which is 78% nitrogen already.

Dehumidified air gives nearly all the benefits of nitrogen without the stupid cost, F1 teams use nitrogen as it is a more stable gas to transport around and will not fuel a fire if one should break out, and it is cheaper then any other bottled gas that would be suitable

ScoobySteve69

iTrader: (13)

This subject is a very volatile one. I`ve used nitrogen on and off for a few years, mainly because it eliminates regular tyre pressure checks (I only top up roughly every 6 months). I also notice a big difference if I happen to hit a pothole (apparently nitrogen dissipates slower than pure air) in other words, the bump is less severe. This is just my opinion and many will disagree, but I reckon it`s worth a fiver to eliminate the pressure concern.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Its a lot of hot air !!

Hammer man

iTrader: (25)

I use it as my local garage wants 20p for 2 minutes of air, but nitrogen is free as often as you like..... oh and Im a "tight @rse".

jonc

It should give you the equivalent of a 50bhp increase and knock a second off your 0-60 time!

john banks

Nitrogen doesn't eliminate pressure concerns, and is only to give a dry air source rather than air from a compressor. Apart from one puncture, the only reason I ever add or remove air or nitrogen from the tyres on the GTR is due to seasonal changes in temperature. For some time I've had nitrogen in the fronts and air in the rears because the rears were changed and the garage didn't have nitrogen. To the nearest few kPa as shown on the tyre pressure monitoring system, the cold and hot tyre pressures show no difference in behaviour between nitrogen and air. This is in road use only, but can still see a 35kPa rise if you start the car cold from a shaded area and then go and drive it hard in the sun. Track day rises can be more, but I'd expect to see a difference in behaviour between nitrogen and air with a 35kPa rise, but I can't detect even a tiny difference.

Freelance Badger

Trust you to find somebody who is giving it away for free!

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I have heard that it stops R8s from understeering so badly!!!

CrisPDuk

Somebody has been feeding you horsesh!t

Pure air, as you call it, is nearly 80% nitrogen anyway, there is no noticeable difference in the way air and nitrogen behave in a sealed container (a car tyre) in the temperature range we experience.

There is however a massive difference in the way different tyres behave, depending on the ambient temp I suspect this is more what you're feeling in the potholes.

CrisPDuk

Are you sure you didn't just notice the difference between a set of sh@gged out old tyres and a nice new set. Seems more likely TBH

what would scooby do

You can smack some people over the head with a plank of wood, tell them it is Harrod's wood and charge them £20 and they will thank you for it . "Was definitely a good expensive whack over the head that one" they will say.

jonc

The gas filling the tyre may be 100% nitrogen, but unless Kwik-Fit sucks *all* the air out of the tyre before filling, you're still going to have a lot of air in the tyre and for that it's a gimmick for Kwik-Fit to extract more money from you. In a blind test I would say you would not notice any difference, like the difference between bottled water and tap water, one is not going to hydrate you better (EU regulations means I have to say this!) than the other, except as in both cases, one will cost you more.

Leslie

Honestly cannot see any worthwhile advantage by going to all that bother and possible expense too.

Cannot believe it would be even noticeable on a road car.

Les

Kieran_Burns

iTrader: (1)

I thought Nitrogen was an inert gas?

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Erm, yes you do blow your tyres up with Oxygen when using air, about 21%, that 21% being 14% heavier than the other 78%