Okay, does having the tires filled with Nitrogen really make any difference?

 

yes you will not have to add air nearly as much as you do now. i know my tires now i have to add air to them about every 3 weeks. when i had the '06 4.0L i switched to nitrogen and never had to add air. ford has had a problem with the beads around where the wheel meets the tire not sealing properly that is why you have to add air so often.

 

Nitrogen is not nearly as affected by temperature changes like "air" is so you won't need to adjust your tires as much due to temperature. However, contrary to "popular belief" (hehehehe), a leaking bead will leak nitrogen just as easily as it will air. And, unless you have a leak AND assuming temperatures don't change more than a few degrees, you shouldn't have to add air to your tires (for every 10 degree change intemperature you'll see roughly a 1 psi change in tire pressure).

 

Most tires are filled with compressed air, which when dry consists of about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, and 1 percent other gases by volume. Water vapor (humidity) can make up as much as 5 percent of the volume of air under worst-case conditions. Filling your tires with nitrogen mainly does two things: it eliminates moisture, and it replaces skinny oxygen molecules with fat nitrogen molecules, reducing the rate at which compressed gas diffuses through porous tire walls. That means, theoretically at least, that a tire filled with nitrogen retains optimal pressure longer, leading to more uniform tire wear and better gas mileage. However, I can find no scientific tests showing that nitrogen-filled tires stayed inflated longer than average under normal conditions.

 

I dont think we are going to be finding a better answer than this one...Thanks a lot kcmarti!

 

KcMarti - Thx. I was thinking about it in a simpler way but the same outcome. Plus I have an air compressor in my garage! No Nitrogen tanks around that I know of!!! Besides if I did want to have a Nitrogen setup myself, would Homeland Security put me on some list!?!

I will just stick with compressed air!!

 

LOL, nothing to worry about. Its just expensive to start. Its about $8-$12 per tank for the nitrogen, about $30 for the gauges for the tank & about $150 deposit on the tank. Once you have the set up you just return one tank for another & pay for the nitrogen its self.

 

Actually, Nitrogen molecules (N2)are physically smaller than Oxygen (O2) by about 12%. Just thought I'd point that out.

 

This has to be the biggest scam since ----- well you get the idea. Dealers around here are charging $29.95 to fill your tires with nitrogen. When asked, I always tell them that I already have 78% nitrogen in my tires and if they leak, (which they don't) they must be leaking the oxygen, as one of the selling points is that nitrogen does not leak out. If I have to refill, the percentage of nitrogen in the tires will then be higher due to the oxygen leaking out.
Also, they say that nitrogen does not expand when heated. If that is so, then the 21% oxygen in the air must really expand a lot.

IMHO, I just dont buy it. (Don't ever tell or imply tosomeone who paid good money for the nitrogen that they got scammed, as they will get very angry with you telling them the truth - This also goes for other scams).

 

Scam is right!!! I own a welding supply company and fill and sell nitrogen. If you knew what it cost me to fill a cylinder vs what they charge to fill up your tires you would be mighty upset. Tell them no thanks or go rent you own cylinder. You would be alot happier renting a nitrous cylinder!!!!