ALT-4 Pros and Cons of Inflating Tires with Nitrogen
For quite some time now, more and more people have been making the transition and choice to switch to filling their tires with nitrogen rather than the traditional method of using compressed air.
Until recently, nitrogen being used to fill tires was relatively unknown to most consumers, and was actually a common practice in Formula one and NASCAR racing vehicles, and is widely used by the military. A little known and fun-fact is that the moon-buggies tires were actually filled with nitrogen.
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Nitrogen is considered better than oxygen for several reasons, and a reason is the fact that oxygen contains moisture, and after time, the moisture breaks down the rubber from the inside and reduces its capability as well as durability. Nitrogen is better than oxygen because oxygen is more prone to causing an under-inflated tire which can cause friction due to the stress placed on the tires, and heat, as you probably know, can be a nightmare for your tires. Oxygen also contains corrosive properties that break down the tire; nitrogen carries little to none of these materials which is another reason why I think nitrogen is better than oxygen when filling a tire.
The use of nitrogen in tires has several positive effects, and can be extremely useful depending on the intention of the tires use. Mainly, using nitrogen helps maintain proper tire inflation, which leads to better driving, steering and a longer lasting more efficient tire. Nitrogen also helps prevent pressure loss which leads to a more stable ride. The tires are also cooler, which can lead to your treads lasting a lot longer and ultimately reducing the risk of having an accident while driving. There is also a reduced Wheel-Tire contact which makes a lower friction rate, which boosts the efficiency, and further more contributes to the extended life of your tire.
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Nitrogen is not always considered better than oxygen. First of all, sure, filling your tires with nitrogen will protect the inside of your car, but on the outside, I believe its oxygen, so the outside will get eaten away just as quickly as normal. The fact of the matter is that most drivers will ware out there tires long before the tires will be broken down enough to reduce efficiency or present a potential safety hazard.
Sure, nitrogen will keep the tire inflated for a while, but you still have to check it every month to make sure it's full. But routine check ups with air filled tires will do the same thing. Next time you consider filling up with nitrogen, consider this: Is it worth the extra cash?
I hope I've helped you decide whether or not nitrogen is worth it. Goodbye!
