Nitrogen in Tires
01-29-2007, 08:33 PM
#11
JK Enthusiast
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Atmospheric air is made up mostly of N2 and O2. There are other trace gasses and water vapor. By using compessed air you get all of that in your tire. All the gasses are affected by the ideal gas law PV=nRT where basically the volume of gas is directly proportional to temp. IN other words, Pure N2 will expand and contract with temp changes just like the mixed gas we call air. The mixture of gasses may be slightly different but not enough to make any real world differance. If you were on a race track running 200 + MPH and was looking for consistency and predictability then it may be important but for a truck tire, its bunk. I could see reducing the amount of water vapor in the compressed air but when air is compressed, water vapor condenses out and that is why your air compressor gets all that water in the bottom you need to let out from time to time.
So, Put in regular air, check your pressures often and you will be fine and dandy.
Jeff
So, Put in regular air, check your pressures often and you will be fine and dandy.
Jeff
Jeff is DEAD ON. As a guy with an extensive background in chemistry and physics, I agree 100%.
01-30-2007, 06:46 PM
#12
JK Freak
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Hey Dean "fellow science guy". As for the helium "joke" comment above, I remember watching the Myth busters show and they showed where a helium football would travel less distance when kicked on average than an air filled ball. Same wind resistance but less mass so less distance. Just fun food for thought.
Another fun thought, a lighter gas in a tire such as helium would leak out so much faster as to make it more inpracticle. It would be interesting to look up the expansion coeficient of helium to look at the volume change with temp changes. Probably would perform worse but just a guess. However a light gas like that would leak out of a puncture much faster than thicker, heay air. If there was another gas with a more stable pressure with extreme temps, I would look to racing like Formula one etc... I do some road racing and I only see some using N2 and I think its only because its just one more thing they can control.
Another fun thought, a lighter gas in a tire such as helium would leak out so much faster as to make it more inpracticle. It would be interesting to look up the expansion coeficient of helium to look at the volume change with temp changes. Probably would perform worse but just a guess. However a light gas like that would leak out of a puncture much faster than thicker, heay air. If there was another gas with a more stable pressure with extreme temps, I would look to racing like Formula one etc... I do some road racing and I only see some using N2 and I think its only because its just one more thing they can control.
01-30-2007, 06:58 PM
#13
JK Freak
How about putting nitrous in the tires?? Will that increase horsepower??
How about red bull? Will that make the tires stay awake longer?
Man, the possibilities are endless!
How about red bull? Will that make the tires stay awake longer?
Man, the possibilities are endless!
01-30-2007, 07:03 PM
#14
JK Freak
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I like the idea of N2O. That way, instead of crawling up the rocks, you just get to the base and then just light each tire on fire. The resulting explosion will put you right on top. 
