There are so many advantages and disadvantages to filling your tires with nitrogen.
Maintaining the proper air pressure in your tires not only increases tire life but also improves driving safety, especially in rainy conditions. Tire pressure should be checked every 2 to 4 weeks because air, or rather oxygen, will naturally escape over a period of time. The reason for this is that normal oxygen molecules are very small and can easily pass through the rubber compound of the tire.
Nitrogen molecules are bigger and will take four times longer to escape the tire. This will help retain tire pressure longer because of the lower escape rate of Nitrogen.
What Is Nitrogen?
Nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and non-toxic gas that forms about 78% of the atmosphere. When it is used in tires, it will reduce the tire’s running temperature and improve the ride quality. Nitrogen increases the life of the tires and helps maintain tire pressure. It doesn’t react with tire and rim materials.
Reduces tire running temperature
The moisture content in the inflation Atmospheric air causes an increase in air temperature and tire temperature. If we use dry air for inflating the tire, then it will be cooler. That means nitrogen will be beneficial in cases where the tires are operating at their maximum load or speed ratings.
Improves ride quality
We know that when temperature increases, pressure also increases. Increased tire pressure will reduce the surface area of contact between the tire and the road. This will eventually reduce the handling of a vehicle. Nitrogen keeps the tire in a cooler state and helps maintain proper contact between the tire and the road.
Tire life
Reducing tire temperature is good when it comes to extreme loads and high running speeds. Temperature increases cause increased wear on the tire. Something that reduces this temperature in the tire will directly benefit the life of the tire. But compared to normal air in a tire, this will increase tire life slightly.
Nitrogen reduces Rust buildup at the rim.
Oxygen and moisture content in the tire will react with the tire and rim of the tire. By using nitrogen, we can remove the contact between oxygen and water vapor. Oxygen is an oxidizing agent, and water also fuels rusting in metal parts, so their removal is beneficial.
Regular checking of tire pressure is also important when it comes to the life of a tire. Reduced tire pressure causes uneven tire wear and tear. So always check whether your tire pressure has been reduced or not. For this purpose, you can use a small pressure gauge you can purchase from Amazon.
